When it comes to worship, the Bible is clear about who we should honor and praise. Join us in exploring scripture that guides us to worship God alone and not man. Discover the wisdom and reminders given to help keep our devotion true and unwavering.
Bible Verses About Worshiping Man
Exodus 20:3 – We should worship only God.
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
Isaiah 2:22 – Mortals should not be our source of trust.
“Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?”
Matthew 4:10 – The only one worthy of worship is God.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Romans 1:25 – Worship belongs to the Creator, not the created.
“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”
Acts 14:15 – Humans are not gods and should not be worshiped.
“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.”
Colossians 2:18 – Angelic worship is not permitted.
“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.”
Revelation 19:10 – Worship should be directed solely at God.
“At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.'”
Revelation 22:8-9 – Angelic beings refuse worship.
“I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, ‘Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!'”
Daniel 3:17-18 – Refusal to worship earthly powers.
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Psalm 146:3 – Do not put trust in human leaders.
“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.”
Galatians 1:10 – Pleasing people shouldn’t be our aim.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:21 – No boast in human leaders.
“So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours.”
Jeremiah 17:5 – Trusting in man makes one cursed.
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.'”
Deuteronomy 6:13 – Sole worship and fear of the Lord.
“Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.”
Isaiah 42:8 – God’s glory will not be given to another.
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
Philippians 3:3 – Believers serve God by spirit, not flesh.
“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.”
Psalms 96:4 – Greatness is ascribed only to the Lord.
“For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.”
Ezekiel 14:6 – Turning away from idols is God’s command.
“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!'”
Mark 12:30 – Love God with everything.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
John 4:24 – Worship in spirit and truth.
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
1 Chronicles 16:29 – Glory and worship are due only to God.
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”
Hebrews 12:28 – Worship God acceptably.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
Isaiah 45:20 – Idolatry is condemned.
“Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.”
1 Kings 18:21 – Sole worship to the Lord.
“Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.”
Philippians 2:10 – Every knee should bow to Jesus.
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
1 John 5:21 – Keep yourselves from idols.
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.”
Judges 6:10 – Worship God alone.
“I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”
Deuteronomy 4:19 – No worship to celestial bodies.
“And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array— do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.”
Jeremiah 10:2 – Do not follow the idolatrous customs.
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them.'”
Exodus 20:4 – No idols or images for worship.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
Psalm 115:4-8 – Idols are powerless.
“But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.”
Colossians 2:22 – Human teachings are futile.
“These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.”
Psalm 135:15-18 – Idols have no power.
“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.”
Leviticus 26:1 – No idols are to be made or worshiped.
“Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.”
Deuteronomy 8:19 – Idolatry leads to destruction.
“If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.”
Isaiah 44:6 – No gods besides the Lord.
“This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.”
Jeremiah 25:6 – Idolatry draws God’s anger.
“Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”
Zechariah 10:2 – Idolatry leads to deception.
“The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.”
Acts 17:29 – God is not like images made by man.
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.”
Matthew 6:24 – Serving two masters is impossible.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Psalm 81:9 – Do not worship strange gods.
“You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me.”
Also Read: 40 Important Bible Verses About the Beach
What Does the Bible Say About Worshiping Man?
The Bible provides clear guidance about the issue of worshiping man, and it is emphatic that worship should be directed exclusively towards God. Throughout the scriptures, we find numerous passages where the dangers and consequences of worshiping humans instead of God are highlighted.
In the Book of Exodus, when the Israelites create and worship the golden calf, God’s strong displeasure is evident. This event underlines the principle that our worship should be reserved for God alone and not shifted towards any human creations or figures. Similarly, in the Book of Acts, when Cornelius falls at Peter’s feet to worship him, Peter quickly corrects him, emphasizing that he is also just a man (Acts 10:25-26). Through Peter’s response, we see an important affirmation that no human, regardless of their spiritual stature, is worthy of worship.
Paul’s teachings also reinforce this concept. In Romans 1, he warns against the act of exchanging the worship of the Creator for that of created beings, pointing out that such behavior leads to moral and spiritual decline. These teachings make it clear that directing our worship away from God and towards humans is fundamentally flawed.
Furthermore, in the Book of Revelation, when John attempts to worship an angel, he is instructed to worship God alone (Revelation 19:10). This instruction from the angel further underscores the biblical directive that all worship and adoration belong to God.
From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the consistent message is that worshiping man is inappropriate and misdirected. We should center our reverence, adoration, and worship solely on God. This principle provides a foundation for a proper, God-centered worship practice that keeps us aligned with the teachings and intentions of the Bible.