Worship

Worship is a sacrifice ("offer your bodies as living sacrifices...this is your spiritual act of worship", "let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise").
Worship is a choice. Think of the Psalms. They say things along the lines of "I worship/praise You because You are worthy." It's not "I worship You when I feel like it" or "I worship You only when I feel you near me."

I have often wondered what is meant by a "sacrifice of praise". I just did a short Google search. What I came up with is things like "The sacrifice of praise passage in Hebrews 13 is immediately followed with 'and do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.'" (Here.) Yeah. Great. I don't feel helped. :P
I want to know how praise is a sacrifice. Is it not only because I live in a culture where I won't be persecuted for praising and worshiping my God? There's gotta be more to it.

I'm still not sure what a "sacrifice of praise" is. (Btw. Google ALSO tells me that worship and praise are synonyms for each other. Likewise, it tells me that they are different. I'm still not sure on this point, too. For now, I'm considering it irrelevant.)
But, I think...
I think it starts with choosing to act worshipfully when we don't feel like it. Just as I choose to act lovingly when I don't want to, I choose to worship when I don't want to. The feelings are not far behind.

I thank God for the men and women in my life who are following Him. These people see me in my messed up states and pull me up. The bring me alongside themselves and walk with me towards our Heavenly Father.

Choose this week to act worshipfully. The feelings won't be far behind.


(For the record. I feel like my pastor as I say that.^) :)