2 Kings 23:21-23 (ESV)
Josiah Restores the Passover
And the king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the LORD in Jerusalem.
One of the benefits of restoring your relationship with God is not just getting the sin out of your life, but also coming into great worship with Him. Note what David says in Psalm 51 after he spent the first verses telling us about his confession:
Psalms 51:13-19 (ESV)
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
After we confess sin and purify our house (what Josiah had just done throughout all Judea) we can come into great fellowship and worship with Him. The above passage is about Josiah reestablishing the Passover in Jerusalem (the place were God dwells). David prayed the same thing in Psalm 51. Once we are free from sin we can turn to God in worship. It is always in the order. Here is what Paul said:
1 Thessalonians 1:9 (ESV)
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
God saves us to solicit worship from us.
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