Worshiping God Without Feeling: Obedience vs Emotion

This truth addresses the heart of worship and the nature of our relationship with God. Paul writes in Romans 8:28 that "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good," which reminds us that our worship and love for God are not solely dependent on our emotions or feelings. Rather, worship is an act of obedience and a response to God's revelation of Himself in Scripture. Even when our feelings or passions may be lacking, we are still called to worship and seek God through prayer and reading His Word.

In Reformed theology, this is closely tied to the concept of sanctification, where believers are called to grow in their love and knowledge of God, even in the midst of struggles or dryness. This growth is not solely dependent on our emotions, but rather on our intentional pursuit of God through the means of grace, such as prayer, Scripture reading, and fellowship with other believers.

The idea that we should wait for God to "fix" our relationship or love for Him before we worship or read Scripture is a misconception. Instead, we are called to worship and seek God, even in our weakness or lack of passion, trusting that He will work in our hearts to increase our love and devotion to Him. By reading and praying, even when we don't feel like it, we are exercising faith and trusting in God's promise to draw near to us as we draw near to Him.