--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Worship begins in holy expectancy, it…" description: "\"Worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience.\" — Richard J. Foster" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/richard-j-foster-1460_christian-worship_worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-end_1814581.png" --- # Worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy… ![“Worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience.” quote by Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/richard-j-foster-1460_christian-worship_worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-end_1814581.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/richard-j-foster-1460_christian-worship_worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-end_1814581.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/richard-j-foster-1460_christian-worship_worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-end_1814581.png) > “Worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience.” [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Worship starts with expectation and ends with obedient devotion. **In simple terms:** Expectation leads to obedience in worship. Key Takeaway Cultivate sincere devotion. Themes faith worship obedience expectation Mood reverent hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - personal prayer - church services - spiritual formation Key Concepts theology spiritual disciplines Questions to Reflect On - How does expectation shape your worship? - What does obedience mean to you? A Different Perspective Obedience can become ritualistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-worship/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) [Worship the lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-the-lord/) ## Related quotes > [As worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. Holy obedience saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/as-worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-ends-in-holy-obedience-holy/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Worship changes the worshiper into the image of One worshiped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-w-hayford/worship-changes-the-worshiper-into-the-image-of-one-worshiped/) [Jack W. Hayford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-w-hayford/) > [It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/it-is-in-the-process-of-being-worshipped-that-god-communicates-his/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“We are learning the obedience of unwearied patience in the midst of pestering children. We are learning the obedience of absolute gentleness with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/we-are-learning-the-obedience-of-unwearied-patience-in-the-midst-of/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Joy, not grit, is the hallmark of holy obedience. We need to be light-hearted in what we do to avoid taking ourselves too seriously.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/joy-not-grit-is-the-hallmark-of-holy-obedience-we-need-to-be-light/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Joy, not grit, is the hallmark of holy obedience. We need to be lighthearted in what we do to avoid taking ourselves too seriously.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/joy-not-grit-is-the-hallmark-of-holy-obedience-we-need-to-be/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Just as worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. If worship does not propel us into greater obedience, it has not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/just-as-worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-ends-in-holy-obedience/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Fruitful and acceptable worship begins before it begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/fruitful-and-acceptable-worship-begins-before-it-begins/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [“Worship begins in our prayer closets and breaks forth in corporate worship with other believers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rohrmayer/worship-begins-in-our-prayer-closets-and-breaks-forth-in-corporate/) [Gary Rohrmayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rohrmayer/) > [A heart aflame with worship begins with the kindling of song and prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/a-heart-aflame-with-worship-begins-with-the-kindling-of-song-and/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [We are taught in an especial manner to pray that God would give his Holy Spirit unto us, that through his aid and assistance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/we-are-taught-in-an-especial-manner-to-pray-that-god-would-give-his/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [The Devil doesn't fear austerity but holy obedience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/the-devil-doesn-t-fear-austerity-but-holy-obedience/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [“Mind the Light; come under Holy Obedience. pg.33 in Prayer and Worship”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-steer/mind-the-light-come-under-holy-obedience-pg-33-in-prayer-and-worship/) Douglas Steer > [Holy obedience confounds all bodily and fleshly desires and keeps the body mortified to the obedience of the spirit and to the obedience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/holy-obedience-confounds-all-bodily-and-fleshly-desires-and-keeps-the/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) ## More by Richard J. Foster > [Prayer is - listening for the still small voice of God. Listening with the "ear of our hearts."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-listening-for-the-still-small-voice-of-god-listening-with/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Over-consumption is a cancer eating away at our spiritual vitals. It distances us from the great masses of broken bleeding humanity. It converts us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/over-consumption-is-a-cancer-eating-away-at-our-spiritual-vitals-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“To believe that God can reach us and bless us in the ordinary junctures of daily life is the stuff of prayer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/to-believe-that-god-can-reach-us-and-bless-us-in-the-ordinary/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Prayer is simply saying "thank you, bless you, praise you."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-simply-saying-thank-you-bless-you-praise-you/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [There is an old proverb to the effect that 'all those who open their mouths, close their eyes!' The purpose of silence and solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/there-is-an-old-proverb-to-the-effect-that-all-those-who-open-their/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [It is an occupational hazard of devout folk to become stuffy bores. This should not be. Of all people, we should be the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-an-occupational-hazard-of-devout-folk-to-become-stuffy-bores/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Lord God, you deserve my best. Forgive me for the times I have offered you only the dregs, whether it be half-heartedly muttered prayers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/lord-god-you-deserve-my-best-forgive-me-for-the-times-i-have-offered/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/superficiality-is-the-curse-of-our-age-the-doctrine-of-instant/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [If worship does not change us it has not been worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/if-worship-does-not-change-us-it-has-not-been-worship/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“I want to mention one other reason why we shy away from commitment. It is, very simply, the fear that we will not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/i-want-to-mention-one-other-reason-why-we-shy-away-from-commitment-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“It is one thing to act like a servant; it is quite another to be a servant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-one-thing-to-act-like-a-servant-it-is-quite-another-to-be-a/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“we hold on so tightly to the good that we do know that we cannot receive the greater good that we do not know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/we-hold-on-so-tightly-to-the-good-that-we-do-know-that-we-cannot/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Once we have made generous latitude for individual differences and schedules, we must firmly discipline ourselves to a regular pattern of prayer. We cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/once-we-have-made-generous-latitude-for-individual-differences-and/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Freedom in the Gospel does not mean license. It means opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/freedom-in-the-gospel-does-not-mean-license-it-means-opportunity/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“The tongue is our most powerful weapon of manipulation. A frantic stream of words flows from us because we are in a constant process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/the-tongue-is-our-most-powerful-weapon-of-manipulation-a-frantic/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) [Explore all 239 Richard J. Foster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) ## More Christian worship quotes > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [“So it is precisely our allergy to repetition in worship that has undercut the counterformative power of Christian worship—because all kinds of secular liturgies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/so-it-is-precisely-our-allergy-to-repetition-in-worship-that-has/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [Awe combined with intimacy is the essence of Christian worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/awe-combined-with-intimacy-is-the-essence-of-christian-worship/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Formative Christian worship paints a picture of the beauty of the Lord--and a vision of the shalom he desires for creation--in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/formative-christian-worship-paints-a-picture-of-the-beauty-of-the/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“At the heart of early Christian worship was table fellowship. Throughout the first three centuries Christian communities gathered once a week for a meal.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kreider/at-the-heart-of-early-christian-worship-was-table-fellowship/) [Alan Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kreider/) > [“The Eucharist is usually not considered an essential aspect of Christian worship by those concerned with church growth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-w-chilcote/the-eucharist-is-usually-not-considered-an-essential-aspect-of/) Paul W. Chilcote > [“According to Tertullian, impatient actions do not produce what they promise. Instead, impatient actions make things worse, bringing about massive misfortunes. “Now, nothing undertaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kreider/according-to-tertullian-impatient-actions-do-not-produce-what-they/) [Alan Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kreider/) > [The foundation of true holiness and true Christian worship is the doctrine of the gospel, what we are to believe. So when Christian doctrine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/the-foundation-of-true-holiness-and-true-christian-worship-is-the/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [All Christian worship is a witness of the resurrection of Him who liveth for ever and ever. Because He lives, "now abideth faith, hope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-abbott/all-christian-worship-is-a-witness-of-the-resurrection-of-him-who/) [Lyman Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyman-abbott/) > [“The body of Christ is that unique community of practice whose members own up to the fact that we don’t always love what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/the-body-of-christ-is-that-unique-community-of-practice-whose-members/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“Wise Christian worship takes fully into account the fact that creation has gone horribly wrong, has been so corrupted and spoiled that a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/wise-christian-worship-takes-fully-into-account-the-fact-that/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [To worship God 'in spirit and in truth' is first and foremost a way of saying that we must worship God by means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/to-worship-god-in-spirit-and-in-truth-is-first-and-foremost-a-way-of/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [For the Christian, worship is co-extensive with life. Life is already an expression of worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/for-the-christian-worship-is-co-extensive-with-life-life-is-already/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Proclamation, the preaching of the Gospel, should be central to Christian worship. The sermon is the central dynamic in the worship experience. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-s-hawkins-2/proclamation-the-preaching-of-the-gospel-should-be-central-to/) O.S. Hawkins > [It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/it-is-in-the-process-of-being-worshipped-that-god-communicates-his/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) [Browse all 36 Christian worship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-worship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard J. Foster" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-ends-in-holy-obedience/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christian worship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-ends-in-holy-obedience/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/richard-j-foster-1460_christian-worship_worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-end_1814581.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/richard-j-foster-1460_christian-worship_worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-end_1814581.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/richard-j-foster-1460_christian-worship_worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-end_1814581.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience.” — Richard J. Foster", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard J. Foster", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Worship begins in holy expectancy, it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-ends-in-holy-obedience/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/worship-begins-in-holy-expectancy-it-ends-in-holy-obedience/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```