Worship that Rekindles Wonder

When the Familiar Becomes Sacred Again

There’s something about September that invites us to see differently. The light shifts. Mornings carry a hint of crispness. Leaves start to flirt with change. It’s as if creation itself begins to whisper, Look again.

After the high energy of summer and the spiritual focus of LIBERTY and REST, the theme of WORSHIP—When Our Relationship Serves Him In Praise—meets us right where we are: back into routines, school drop-offs, early commutes, and maybe even Bible studies or book clubs resuming. But amid the return to rhythm, there’s a real risk: the wonder can wear off.

Worship is how we resist that drift.

When Worship Becomes Routine

Let’s be honest. Worship can become background noise. Sunday songs, playlist fillers, well-meaning prayers at meals. None of them bad, but over time, they can become mechanical. The emotion is gone, and

We serve a God who flung galaxies into being, who split seas and raised the dead, yet sometimes, we can yawn in His presence. The problem isn’t in Him. It’s in our attention.

Wonder leaks when familiarity creeps in. And when we stop being amazed by God, our worship becomes muted.

Rekindling Wonder Starts with Seeing Again

In Mark 8, Jesus heals a blind man—but in stages. The man first sees “people… like trees walking around,” then Jesus touches his eyes again, and “he saw everything clearly.”

Sometimes, we need a second touch too.

The word wonder implies astonishment, admiration, a sense of “how is this even possible?” When was the last time you paused in worship. Not because the music moved you, but because God moved you?

You don’t need to wait for a worship night or a retreat. Wonder starts right where you are.

A Real-Life Wake-Up Call

A few years ago, my daughter asked, “Why do we close our eyes when we sing to God?” I told her it helps us focus. She said, “But then we miss the clouds.”

That stopped me.

How often have I turned inward in worship and missed what God was revealing in the world around me? We forget that the heavens declare His glory and creation pours forth speech (Psalm 19:1–2). Worship isn’t just singing—it’s seeing.

That fall, I started walking again in the evenings. No music. No podcasts. Just prayer and pavement and noticing. I began to worship in whispers: “Thank You for that moonrise… for that tree ablaze with color… for that chill in the air.” And slowly, wonder returned.

Worship That Rekindles Wonder Doesn’t Require a Stage

Worship isn’t reserved for Sundays or stages. It’s not confined to the gifted vocalists or the passionate prayer warriors. Worship that rekindles wonder happens when:

• You pause at the sink and thank God for clean water.
• You look up from your to-do list and catch the light on your child’s face.
• You whisper praise while folding laundry because you have clothes to fold.
• You take communion not out of habit, but out of reverence for the Cross.

It’s in the noticing, the slowing, the savoring.

Make Space for Awe

If we want our relationship to serve Him in praise, we have to create margin for awe. Here are a few ways to cultivate that space:

• Schedule a worship walk once a week—no earbuds, just you and God.
• Switch out your alarm tone for a worship song that starts your day with truth.
• Keep a “wonder journal” and write one moment each day where you saw God’s beauty, provision, or presence.
• Read a different Psalm every day this month and rewrite it in your own words.
• Light a candle during your quiet time and let it represent the presence of God—physically anchoring your spirit in His nearness.

Wonder doesn’t usually shout. It whispers. Will we be quiet enough to hear it?

Awe Leads to Adoration

Psalm 33:8 says, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”

Awe is the soil where adoration grows.

When we begin to feel small in light of His glory—not in shame but in gratitude—our worship deepens. It’s no longer a routine; it’s a response.

And in that space, when we turn our eyes back to God, we remember just how big, kind, creative, just, and holy He is. And how incredibly loved we are.

Return to the Wonder

Worship that rekindles wonder doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. It chooses to see God in this moment, this breath, this season.

Don’t let fall slip into the mundane. Let it become sacred.

Your heart was made for awe. Your soul craves wonder. And your worship was never meant to be small.

Open your eyes, friend. Worship is everywhere.