Founder and President of LoveWorld Incorporated, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has cautioned Christians not to confuse excitement in worship with true spiritual blessing.
Speaking during a recent teaching, the cleric emphasized that there is a “big difference between feeling good and being blessed.”
“When you are blessed, your life is improved. You can feel good without your life being improved,” Pastor Oyakhilome declared. “The truth is a lot of Christians have not been able to distinguish between being blessed and feeling good.”
He explained that many churchgoers mistake emotional expressions of worship for genuine transformation, noting that some believers focus more on the physical act of dancing rather than the spiritual impact of God’s word.
“So many go to church on Sunday and dance and dance and dance until they sweat,” he said. “Yes, David danced before God in the Old Covenant, and that was acceptable then. But under the new covenant, it is not the physical dance that brings blessing.”
Drawing a comparison, Oyakhilome pointed out that worship in the Old Testament often involved outward demonstrations, while the New Testament calls for spiritual alignment and understanding of God’s word.
“They worshiped him with all their might. They danced in the flesh. Under the new covenant, it is not useful,” he stressed. “There’s nothing wrong in singing, clapping, rejoicing, or even dancing, but your spirit must be attuned to God. Where that dance is what you’re looking forward to, and that is what blesses you, then you’ve missed the point.”
He also warned against divisions in the body of Christ caused by disagreements over worship styles, especially those who form churches based on personal grievances or minor doctrinal issues.
“For example, there’s a group that says you’re not supposed to use musical instruments in church because in the New Testament it doesn’t talk about them,” Oyakhilome explained. “All musical instruments were in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, some say no clapping, no drums, no cymbals—just sing and lift your hands. But that’s not enough to start a church.”
The preacher concluded by urging Christians to focus on what truly improves their lives spiritually, insisting that true blessing comes through God’s word, not merely through emotional or physical excitement.