Worship is not about us. It's not about what we can gain from the transaction. It's about worshipping (which means "giving worth to") and thanking God for what He has done, is doing, and is going to do.
And that's where we actually gain something, because letting go of what we're thinking about - our issues, situations, mindsets, feelings - and focusing our eyes on Jesus: that is a gain. Worship is giving honour and glory to God, and that act of taking your eyes off you and your situation - that is where the peace comes from.
You can't go into worship wondering what you're going to get out of it; that's not how it works. You can't come into worship and think "Yes, I'm going to get peace." You only get that peace by letting go of your situation. Letting go of you and surrendering to focusing on Him and loving on Him gives so much freedom. Worship is a beautiful connection between your spirit and God's.
Worship is that recognition that He is above what you are going through, that He has it under control and He has you safe in His arms. Worship involves letting go and trusting that He does hold you. That surrender of what you think you need. That acknowledgement of no matter how much you do and how much you dwell on it, it will not get better until you take your hands off and let Him get involved. Worship is giving worth to the God that has the world in His hands. He holds the stars in place, but still has room in His palm for you. Worship is awe of the fact that He still loves you, and even when you aren't gazing back at Him, He still has His eyes on you.
Some worship songs are missing the point and not truly grasping what worship is. They are very self-focused, and delve into how much God loves us, and don't sing enough about how much we love Him. He absolutely does love us, but that's not what worship is. Songs that revolve around what we need from God, take away from the opportunity to thank Him for what He's already done. It is important to have songs about the Christian walk, and our relationship with God, about walking with God and what that may look like. But worship songs specifically add another level of expectation. Worship means adoration and reverence, and not all Christian songs are worship. This isn't a bad thing! These songs are still powerful and nice to listen to, and reach people in ways that not all worship songs may, but they should not replace worship. It's important to ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern between these.
Matthew 6:33 states "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Note that it doesn't say "Worry about everything and work it all out, then you can seek God better." No, seek Him first, and everything else will come together because you will have Him at your side guiding you. If you prioritise, for example, material things, you will obsess and worry about that more than necessary because you have decided to put that in a place of priority. When God is your priority, other worries will back into a corner, because your primary focus is on Him, and you are trusting that with Him, it is under control. It will not always look like what you want or think you need, but it will be good. He has plans "to prosper you and not to harm you" (Jeremiah 29:11).
Worship is a heart-to-heart between you and God, it's a special time of communion with Him. He wants us to be in that special place not because He needs it, but because we do more than anything.
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