Why I Worship

What Is Worship, Why Do We Worship, How to Worship

Does Your Praise Show What You Need Or What You Know?

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In 2 Chronicles 20 we read of the day when King Jehoshophat and the army of Israel faced a great enemy. They were seemingly outnumbered and surrounded. The prophet of God came to before the King and the people to deliver the Word of the Lord.

In Verse 17, he says this: “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

How many times have we come before our Lord in a worship service and in the back of our mind thought: “If I can just dance hard enough or sing with enough emotion, maybe God will bless me today” or maybe we’ve had some bad report from the doctor or gotten an unexpected bill that we weren’t able to pay and thought: “If I can just clap enough or shout loud enough, maybe God will heal me or take care of that bill.”

Ok, maybe it’s just me who has done this, but I suspect not.

However, I have learned that coming to God and praising Him out of my need does not get His attention. It’s only when I praise Him from a position of knowing that He IS and HAS everything I will ever need that He comes and inhabits my praise.

I encourage you today to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord in your own life knowing that this present battle is not yours… It’s His… and He NEVER loses.

Position yourself!

 

If I can Just SEE Him…

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Luke chapter two tells us the story of a man named Simeon.

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;30 For my eyes thave seen Your salvation31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

I have, over the past few years, become a very enthusiastic Oklahoma City Thunder fan. I decided for the 2011-2012 season to purchase season tickets to all of their home games. Great fun!

I am unable to go to some of the games because of my work as a worship leader at a church. When I can’t go, I sell the tickets.

It is amazing to me what some people will pay to watch a sporting event.

When the Miami Heat came to town, people were spending very large amounts of money for tickets. Why? Well, I will not say his name because I’m NOT a fan, but “you know who” was in town. People would say “I just want to see him play!”

We have heard time and time again that God is going to do something beyond our wildest imagination in these last days. That He is going to move in such a mighty way that it an only be attributed to His power and glory.

My prayer, for years, has been “Father, please just let me see it. Let me be close by when it happens. I don’t care if I’m involved at all, if I’m on a stage, or holding a microphone. Just let me see it.”

My expectation is at the highest place it’s ever been to see a move of our mighty God. I believe it’s coming soon.

What’s your level of expectation? Are you, like Simeon, waiting with great desire to see what God has promised? Or are you allowing the routine things of life dull your expectation for what God has in store?

My prayer for you today is that you will allow the joy of the Lord to become your strength for waiting. That just the knowledge that he has promised to move will awaken your heart and soul to seek Him and his purpose for your life.

Those verses at the top of this post mention that Simeon was “devout”, that He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and that the Holy Spirit was on him and had revealed to him a promise from God. Then it says he went to the temple…

My prayer for you is that you will not only be awakened and have strength for the waiting, but that you will also be so moved by the promise of God, that you will do something about it.

Don’t just sit there and miss your promise!!!

The rain is coming…

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Last week I was at work and I walked out of the break room which is in the interior part of the building.  As I walked out I took a deep breath realizing there was a familiar aroma in the air.  Rain… Unbeknownst to myself and my coworkers, it had begun to pour rain outside, but with the structure of our building we have limited view of the outside world.  Yet, even inside this huge building with all the windows closed the unmistakable smell of rain filled the air     and we all began migrating to the windows to see what was happening outside.

Over the last few months, there has been an aroma in the air that is familiar and refreshing to my spirit.  It is promising the arrival of something we’ve longed for and needed for years.  There is a thirst in the land for an outpouring of the presence of God in the earth…Heaven on Earth, and as we His people humble ourselves and pray, seek His face, and turn from those things that separate us from Him, He is hearing from heaven and the healing rain is coming.

Do you smell it?