Doing it Wrong!

Toward the end of last year, I began to feel a gentle but persistent prompting from the Holy Spirit: “Worship Me more.” So, I leaned in. I started playing more praise and worship music, singing as often as I could—on my way to work, at home, whenever I had a free moment. It became my rhythm and heartbeat in that season.

About a month in, I had a dream.

In the dream, I saw a group of people watching something on television with intense focus. Curious, I stopped to see what had captured their attention. It was a preacher, and he looked exactly like Apostle Michael Orokpo—one of my personal favorites. As I watched, he leaned closer to the screen and looked straight at me:

“You—why are you not doing what God asked you to do?”

Shocked, I replied, “Hian! (Nigerian exclamation for goodness) What has God asked me to do that I haven’t done? Except I didn’t hear Him or I misunderstood, but if I hear God clearly, I obey! The only instruction I know He gave me was to worship Him—and I’ve been doing my best!”

He didn’t argue. He simply repeated: “Go and do what God has asked you to do.”

I woke up, disturbed. It was Sunday morning, and the dream deeply unsettled me. I know how my dreams speak to me, and this one was vivid—too direct to ignore.

At church that day, the sermon was—guess what? —about worship and praise, as we were preparing for our end-of-year Thanksgiving. I listened even more intently, wondering what God was trying to tell me.

After the service, I talked with my friend Boma and her husband. I shared the dream and how it bothered me, how I was unsure what I was missing or doing wrong. I was flying out for a training later that day, and I told them, “You know what? While I’m away and alone, I’ll spend even more time in worship.”

And I did. I worshipped with sincerity. During the Thanksgiving service, I joined online and gave my best dance moves. But even then, deep in my spirit, something still felt off. Incomplete. Like I was obeying—but not quite hitting the mark.

When I returned home, the sermons kept pointing in the same direction—worship and praise. Even in the new year, during our fasting and prayer period, Saturdays were specifically dedicated to worship. I stayed committed. But the question lingered: “God, what am I missing?”

That’s when I began asking deeper questions about what worship really is.

One day at work, I had a chat with a young contractor helping us renovate the office. We started talking about God, and he shared that worship was his greatest strength. I lit up and said, “Ah! I need help with that. I’m doing what I believe is worship, but something doesn’t feel right.” We talked for a while, but I still didn’t walk away with a clear answer. I was still searching.

Then came Monday—Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). It’s one of my favorite parts of the week. We’d been studying the Book of Revelation since the previous year, and that particular day we were in Revelation 13.

And then, it happened.

As we read verse 12, the Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks:

“He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.”

Right there, the lightbulb went on.

Worship wasn’t just about singing or dancing. It was about what I was giving my full attention, allegiance, and heart to.

And suddenly, I saw it clearly:
I had been bowing—unconsciously—to things that weren’t God.
Anxiety over delays.
Worry about not making mistakes.
Concern over the kids.
Stress about the property and whether we’d get it.

Yes, I thought I was looking to God, but my heart posture was tilted toward fear and control. I was worshipping my worries—showering them with attention and energy. And God didn’t like that.

Then the Holy Spirit took it deeper and gave me this analogy:

“Imagine you’ve dressed up beautifully to attend an event with your husband. But when you arrive, he showers all his attention on another woman—someone you know you outshine in every way. You’d be hurt, right? Now imagine he even seeks her help or advice in areas where you’re clearly more experienced. You’d be thinking, ‘What in the world is going on?’

Now flip the script. What if it were your wife (question for guys) giving another man all her attention—one who’s always competed with you for no reason—and she’s full of admiration and praise for him all evening, barely looking your way? How would that feel?”

I laughed, but I got the message.

That’s exactly how God feels when we give our affection, focus, and trust to other things—especially things that have nothing to offer us—while He, the source of everything we need, waits for our gaze.

That’s why Scripture says in Isaiah 42:8:

“I am the Lord, that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.”

And that’s why the first two commandments are so clear (Exodus 20:3–5):

“You shall have no other gods before me… You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…”

By the time God was done with me, I understood exactly what He meant when He said, “Worship Me.”

It wasn’t about the songs or the music. It was about my heart. My attention. My focus. My surrender.

He wanted to be my priority, not my background soundtrack.

That’s why He says in Matthew 6:33:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

God doesn’t want to be second to anything—not even good things like family, work, a hobby, or ministry. I don’t like it when my husband gives more attention to anything else at the expense of our relationship. And God, as our divine Lover, feels the same. He created those emotions in us—they’re part of His nature too.

So now, when I say I’m worshipping, it’s not just with my voice—it’s with my eyes, my mind, my trust, and my time.

Have a worship-filled April. Make God your focus. Your first. Your everything. 💛