No matter the style or form, worship should always center around God. And the Bible encourages us to embrace a life-long practice of worship.
Though church attendance can bring many spiritual benefits, many individuals do not attend regularly due to various reasons – often feeling distant from Him there.
Table of Contents
1. Attend a different service or church.
Some Christians may find themselves in situations in which church schedules don’t fit with their lives, for example a couple working shifts over the weekend must decide if they want to attend Sunday services as usual or not; another option could be switching churches, giving them another chance at worshipping.
Other Christians find it hard to locate a church that fits with their beliefs, leaving them feeling like spiritually homeless. This could be due to an imbalance between liberal and conservative churches or differences in theology between churches they visit.
No matter the reason for their attendance, church services offer spiritual sustenance for those who attend services regularly. A large majority of attendees at religious services report that becoming closer to God, becoming better people, finding comfort during difficult or sorrowful times and hearing valuable sermons are among their top motivations for attending religious services regularly.
People frequently cite community engagement and fulfilling religious obligation as important reasons for attending church regularly, while two-thirds of churchgoers express strong beliefs in God and Scripture as part of their motivation to attend regularly.
On the other hand, those who do not regularly attend religious services cite various reasons for not doing so: roughly three out of ten cite not being believers and nearly a quarter of self-identified Christians state they just don’t have time for church attendance; women, older adults and Republicans are especially likely to cite not having an accessible house of worship nearby for their religion or denomination.
One danger associated with some Christian’s misconception of church is an incorrect understanding that missing services or not believing the Bible means you’ll go directly to hell. Such beliefs are potentially dangerous and hinder spiritual development; ultimately though, you don’t have to go to church in order to worship God; you can still have church with people around you or through reading your Bible!
2. Find a community of people that are following Jesus.
Church communities provide support, encouragement and challenge. Here we can learn from the teachings of Scripture while sharing our hopes, dreams and struggles with one another. Additionally, they give us the chance to help out our communities and take part in charitable work; having strong fellow believers as support will keep you grounded and focused when life gets hectic.
While it is certainly possible to practice Christianity without attending church services, Jesus intended for His followers to gather as often as possible for worship and community-building activities. If you stop attending services altogether it can leave you feeling alienated from your faith – this can be difficult to overcome.
If you’re feeling lost about how to begin your search for spiritual fulfillment, visit several churches and speak to members. Most congregations welcome newcomers with open arms and provide a sense of community and tradition. Once you find one that feels right for you, speak with the pastor about becoming a member; usually this includes attending an orientation class before getting baptized as a sign that signifies your dedication to follow Jesus.
Once you have found a church, make it your goal to attend each service available to you. While this may require making some sacrifices in your schedule, attending services is key for growing your relationship with God and making Him the focal point of your faith life.
Spending time in God’s presence through Scripture reading and church meetings can help deepen your faith and increase its effectiveness, providing answers to any queries about your life or the world. It can also offer insight into issues related to spirituality.
Being Christian doesn’t require attending any specific church; however, it is important to find a community of people that will encourage and challenge you during your spiritual journey. Though sometimes difficult, life can become easier with support from caring individuals around you.
3. Worship in the daily-ness of life.
Many Christians find it challenging to make time for God between travel, work, school and caring for loved ones; yet Paul reminds us in Romans 12 that every day we can worship him through what we say, do and think. Brother Lawrence found meaning in everyday tasks such as washing dishes or cleaning the house as his way to worshipping him; for others this could include serving at soup kitchens or shelters, helping with natural disaster cleanup efforts or volunteering in hospitals or nursing homes.
All of these activities can serve as forms of worship. When included as part of our lives, they can bring us closer to God and help shape us into His image. They also serve as reminders that we belong to heaven (Philippians 3:20) but still reside here (1 Peter 2:11).
Remembering the true nature of worship requires having an eager heart that only desires God as its source. When our attention veers toward other matters or self-indulgent pursuits, worship becomes empty. Therefore, making time for reading Scripture, praying with other Christians and fellowshipping together are crucial components to effective worshipping practices.
By practicing these activities, our hearts become focused on God and His ways, and we are able to witness His majesty in the natural world around us – whether that means witnessing an amazing sunrise over an ocean or forest or simply spending quality time with your pet cat!
One key thing to keep in mind when thinking about worship is that it should not just be limited to meeting once every week in church. We must allow God to shape and mold us daily into His image through reading His word, spending time in prayerful meditation and fulfilling daily responsibilities faithfully – everything from our words, actions, thoughts, deeds and choices are worshipful acts in themselves!
4. Take time to pray.
Many people wonder, “Am I required to attend church in order to be considered Christian?” While it’s certainly possible, Jesus did require His followers to attend church regularly for spiritual growth and growth as an individual Christian. Not attending can limit your spiritual development.
Reason being, this can cause you to put too much emphasis on religious works rather than on God’s grace. Spending all your time doing church-related activities could make it easy to forget that salvation comes only by God’s grace – not any deeds of your own! Keeping this in mind while planning your life or setting aside prayer time is crucial.
Prayer is one of the central tenets of Christian living. Prayer can serve as an avenue to communicate with and thank God for his love, forgiveness, and blessings in your life; also providing an avenue to understand His will for your future. Some describe prayer as having an uninterrupted dialogue with Him either silently or aloud; scripture can be helpful when praying to guide your words as well as how best to say them.
Spending time in prayer can help us experience miracles. The Bible contains numerous instances of God performing miraculous feats as an answer to prayers; for instance, in Daniel, when Daniel is cast into the Lion’s Den he prays and God miraculously closes their mouths! Setting aside some time each day for prayer may help bring miracles into your own life as well.
Recent poll data reveals that majorities of Americans who attend church regularly reported that what they liked most about church was growing closer to God, finding comfort during difficult times, and experiencing community with other believers. They were also more likely to say the sermons heard at their place of worship were informative and inspirational.
