Feelings aren’t facts

The Great Worship Lie We’ve All Believed

The modern lie that has shaped much of contemporary worship is this: We gather in church primarily to see what God will do – to coax, invite, or manipulate His presence and power through our efforts, our singing, our prayers, and our emotional intensity.

When Worship Gets the Direction Wrong

This approach reverses the true direction of worship. It assumes God is distant or unresponsive unless we push hard enough, perform sufficiently, or escalate our fervor to draw Him near.

It mirrors pagan worship, where devotees must manipulate indifferent or capricious deities through rituals, cries, and sacrifices.

Baal’s Prophets vs. Elijah’s Quiet Confidence

The prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel “called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, ‘O Baal, answer us!’ But there was no voice, and no one answered. … And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no one answered, no one paid attention” (1 Kings 18:26, 29, ESV).

Their frantic, escalating efforts produced nothing because false gods cannot hear or act.

In stark contrast, the true God answered Elijah’s calm, faith-filled prayer with fire from heaven, demonstrating that He initiates and responds sovereignly – not because of human manipulation.

The Father Is Already Seeking Worshipers

Jesus reveals the Father’s initiative in true worship: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23–24, ESV).

The Father seeks worshipers; He pursues, not waits to be summoned.

You Already Have Access – Right Now

Through Christ, believers have constant access: “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18, ESV). “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV).

We enter God’s heavenly presence by faith even now (Hebrews 12:22–24), participating in the worship of angels and saints.

Every Lord’s Day, Christ fulfills His promises: He gathers His people (Matthew 18:20), speaks through His Word (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 4:2), forgives sins (John 20:23), and feeds His church (1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

These are assured by His finished work: “It is finished” (John 19:30, ESV).

We gather because God has acted decisively in Christ – not to discover if He might act.

Chasing “What God Might Do” Betrays Unbelief

The obsession with “what God might do” often reflects unbelief in what He has already done and continues to do through the ordinary means of grace.

The church needs not flashier experiences, but sounder theology: Worship is God’s gracious summons to His redeemed people, centered on Christ’s mediatorial work.

Worship God’s Way – Not Ours

“The acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men…” — Westminster Confession of Faith 21.1

What If You Don’t Feel God at All?

Yet even with this biblical understanding, many believers face a related struggle: What if we don’t feel God?

Seasons of spiritual dryness – where God’s presence feels distant, hidden, or absent – can be deeply painful and disorienting.

When Even the Psalms Cry Out “Where Are You?”

The psalmists openly lament this experience: “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1, ESV). “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1, ESV). “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1, ESV) – words Christ Himself cried on the cross (Matthew 27:46).

Yet God’s promises remain unshakable: “He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5, ESV). “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, ESV).

These are objective realities rooted in God’s covenant faithfulness, not in our subjective feelings.

Talking Back to Your Downcast Soul

The psalmist models fighting unbelief with truth: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:11, ESV).

God may hide His face for gracious purposes – to humble us, wean us from dependence on feelings, test and strengthen faith, purge sin, or deepen reliance on Christ (Isaiah 54:7–8).

God Hides His Face – But Never His Love

“God has a design of mercy in hiding his face from his adopted ones… When God hides his face he does so for the good of his children, to strengthen resolve, faith and love.” — Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity

Hold On When Feelings Fail

In such seasons, do not measure God’s presence by feelings – trust His promises.

Persist in the ordinary means of grace: Scripture reading (even when dry), honest prayer (as the psalmists poured out complaints), church fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and patient waiting.

Faith often flourishes most when feelings fade, teaching us to rest solely on Christ’s finished work.

He Is Near – Even in the Silence

God is near, even when He feels far. He works in the silence for your good.

Cling to Romans 8:38–39: Nothing can separate you from His love.

The night of testing often precedes the dawn of renewed joy. Hold fast – He has not left you.

The One Thing the Church Desperately Needs

The church’s need is the same in both cases: not better feelings, but better theology.

Return to the gospel truth that God initiates, sustains, and completes worship and fellowship through Christ.

Whether in corporate gathering or personal dryness, rest in what He has done, is doing, and will do.

Your Next Step: Rest in the Finished Work Today

God is not waiting for you to perform, feel more, or manufacture His presence—He has already come near in Christ.

So take one simple, faith-filled step this week:

• This Sunday, go to gathered worship not to make God show up, but to receive what He has promised to give: His Word, His forgiveness, His Supper, His people.

• In your quiet time, when feelings are flat, open your Bible anyway, speak honestly to God (even complaints), and preach Romans 8:38–39 or Psalm 42:11 back to your soul.

• Share this truth with someone who’s weary, dry, or chasing experiences—forward them this blog, start the conversation, remind them: God is the pursuer.

  
  

The gospel doesn’t depend on our intensity of feeling; praise God!

It rests on Christ’s “It is finished.”

Let that truth free you to worship in spirit and truth- today, tomorrow, and every Lord’s Day.