--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Worship is not an experience. Worship is…" description: "\"Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline. We are to worship ''in spirit and in truth.'' Never mind about the feelings..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/elisabeth-elliot-1209_discipline_worship-is-not-an-experience-worship-is_2828407.png" --- # Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this… ![“Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline. We are to worship ''in spirit and in truth.'' Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them.” quote by Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/elisabeth-elliot-1209_discipline_worship-is-not-an-experience-worship-is_2828407.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/elisabeth-elliot-1209_discipline_worship-is-not-an-experience-worship-is_2828407.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/elisabeth-elliot-1209_discipline_worship-is-not-an-experience-worship-is_2828407.png) > “Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline. We are to worship ''in spirit and in truth.'' Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them.” [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Worship is a disciplined act, not merely an emotional experience; it must be practiced regardless of feelings. **In simple terms:** Worship is disciplined, not feeling‑based. Key Takeaway Practice worship despite emotions. Themes discipline faith worship Mood contemplative serious Type theological motivational When to use this quote - church services - personal prayer - daily rituals - spiritual retreats Key Concepts theology spiritual practice mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - Can worship be sincere without feeling? - How does discipline shape faith? A Different Perspective Emotions can deepen worship; ignoring them may limit authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Discipline Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline-worship-3640662/) [Experience Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-worship-559781/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feelings Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings-worship-559777/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) [Worship Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-experience-598206/) [Worship Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-spirit-1006523/) ## Related quotes > [“Very often (nearly always, I'm afraid) when I come to church my feelings are uppermost in my mind. This is natural. We are human,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/very-often-nearly-always-i-m-afraid-when-i-come-to-church-my-feelings/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [God isn't the son of Memory; He's the son of Immediate Experience. You can't worship a spirit in spirit, unless you do it now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/god-isn-t-the-son-of-memory-he-s-the-son-of-immediate-experience-you/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When you feel abandoned by God yet continue to trust him in spite of your feelings, you worship him in the deepest way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/when-you-feel-abandoned-by-god-yet-continue-to-trust-him-in-spite-of/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [My first real experience with worship, I was 19. I was playing drums in the church band at a church in Phoenix, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-houghton/my-first-real-experience-with-worship-i-was-19-i-was-playing-drums-in/) [Israel Houghton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-houghton/) > [“Every time I have fasted I have found my worship experience sweeter, the illumination of God’s Spirit brighter and the hunger for God’s Word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rohrmayer/every-time-i-have-fasted-i-have-found-my-worship-experience-sweeter/) [Gary Rohrmayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rohrmayer/) > [“To worship is to experience Reality, to touch Life. It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/to-worship-is-to-experience-reality-to-touch-life-it-is-to-know-to/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“I suspect God is more glorified in a humble room of earnest worshipers than a massive production designed to sound "relevant" to the listeners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hatmaker/i-suspect-god-is-more-glorified-in-a-humble-room-of-earnest/) [Jen Hatmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-hatmaker/) > [In the act of worship itself, the experience of liberation becomes a constituent of the community's being . . . It is the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-h-cone/in-the-act-of-worship-itself-the-experience-of-liberation-becomes-a/) [James H. Cone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-h-cone/) > [“Explain the service as you go along. Though there is some danger of pastoral verbosity here that distracts from the worship experience, learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/explain-the-service-as-you-go-along-though-there-is-some-danger-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Worship...is evoked by Christ, through the Spirit, in such a way that He is the One who acts in us and through us, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-torrance/worship-is-evoked-by-christ-through-the-spirit-in-such-a-way-that-he/) [J. B. Torrance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-torrance/) > [Worship is not an external activity precipitated by the right environment. To worship in spirit is to draw near to God with an undivided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/worship-is-not-an-external-activity-precipitated-by-the-right/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [Our Lord approved neither idol worship or idle worship but ideal worship in Spirit and truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/our-lord-approved-neither-idol-worship-or-idle-worship-but-ideal/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [Regardless of the method, the act of worship must be in spirit and truth-from our rational consciousness and consistent with the rest of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-zschech/regardless-of-the-method-the-act-of-worship-must-be-in-spirit-and/) [Darlene Zschech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-zschech/) > [True worship, worship in spirit and truth, has never been and will never be a trend. This style of music may be a trend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-tomlin/true-worship-worship-in-spirit-and-truth-has-never-been-and-will/) [Chris Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-tomlin/) > [We need worship for our spirit, fellowship for our soul and committed subservience for our body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-norman/we-need-worship-for-our-spirit-fellowship-for-our-soul-and-committed/) [Larry Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-norman/) ## More by Elisabeth Elliot > [All our problems are theological ones, William Temple said. All of them have to do with our relationship to God and his to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/all-our-problems-are-theological-ones-william-temple-said-all-of-them/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Discipline, for the Christian, begins with the body. We have only one. It is this body that is the primary material given to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/discipline-for-the-christian-begins-with-the-body-we-have-only-one-it/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [It seems disrespectful to me to see ladies in church in very short skirts or skimpy, sleeveless tops. 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We may be earnestly desiring to be obedient and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-pain-of-loneliness-is-one-way-in-which-he-wants-to-get-our/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [“If men and women were surer of their God there would be more genuine manliness, womanliness, and godliness in the world, and a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/if-men-and-women-were-surer-of-their-god-there-would-be-more-genuine/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [I believe with all my heart God's Story has a happy ending. . . But not yet, not necessarily yet. It takes faith to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/i-believe-with-all-my-heart-god-s-story-has-a-happy-ending-but-not/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [“I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/i-do-know-that-waiting-on-god-requires-the-willingness-to-bear/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [“What do women want today? What do men want? I mean, deep down. What do they really want? If ‘times’ have changed, have human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/what-do-women-want-today-what-do-men-want-i-mean-deep-down-what-do/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [God will never disappoint us… If deep in our hearts we suspect that God does not love us and cannot manage our affairs as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/god-will-never-disappoint-us-if-deep-in-our-hearts-we-suspect-that/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Muddled thinking inevitably results in muddled living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/muddled-thinking-inevitably-results-in-muddled-living/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [The world cries for men who are strong--strong in conviction, strong to lead, to stand, to suffer. 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Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-j-turner/) > [You can't have the fruits without the roots. It's the principle of sequencing: Private Victories proceed Public Victories. Self-mastery and self-discipline are the foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/you-can-t-have-the-fruits-without-the-roots-it-s-the-principle-of/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [I'm always writing. I'm an obsessive. 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