Month: January 2017

This fast onto worship through song and dance has caused me to ponder the power of praise. There have been books written about the power of praise filled with testimonies of prayers that were changed from pleading for answers, to praising God for the good He intends from the situation. When words of praise and thanksgiving call forth what isn’t as though it were, the miraculous happens.

This is what I was pondering as I was worshipping one morning.

What makes praise so powerful?

What God told me is so profound and has lead me on a search for greater understanding and application in my own life!

God reminded me of this verse…

Proverbs 18:21 says,

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” 

Our tongues set things into motion!

There is power in our words!

Words are never just words, they are never neutral.

 They speak death or they speak life.

God reminded me of the angels that praise Him day and night with words of life.

“Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Revelation 4:8

But not only do the angels worship and praise God continually, He wants us to as well.

“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.” Hebrews 13:15

David, a man after God’s own heart, knew the importance of speaking words of life when he said…

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” Psalm 34:1

That morning when I was worshipping God He showed me that it is actually the power of words that encourage me and bring me such joy when I am in His presence. When I sing words that praise and glorify Him, when I read aloud God’s word, and when I pray for others, those words of life go into the atmosphere. They enter my ears, go into my mind, down into my heart, and then flow throughout my body. Those words of life actually bring life to me, to my every cell!

Those words of life have the power to literally change me from the inside out!

Words of life bring life!

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” John 1:1-4

Jesus is the Word of God.

The Bible is the written Word of God.

So God is the source of words of life, truth.

The other voice,

Satan is the source of words of death, lies

And because there is no other source of words…

There are no neutral words.

Wow, this is a wake up call to cause me to consider my words…

This helps me understand why the time of worshipping God through song and dance brings such joy and empowers me as I go throughout my day.

It also helps me understand why worship is such a battle between my spirit and my flesh. Satan hates life and will use any strategy to keep me from the words of life that will change me and empower me for God’s glory.

As a child of God, alive in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, the source of my words should be God. My words should speak life. They should be truth.

“People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” James 3:7-10

Okay, so I’m not alone in this dilemma. God realizes that on my own I can’t tame my tongue. He knows that blessing and cursing will come from my mouth. But, He lets me know that it’s not right. It’s not what He wants of me. So, if it’s not right there must be a way to speak what is right. God never asks us to do something that He won’t enable us to do.

So, how do I speak words of life?

I believe it is similar to the way a baby learns to speak. Who the baby spends time with, who he listens to, will determine what the baby says. Babies learn by imitating. For the most part we continue this process the rest of our lives. What we listen to, who we spend time with, still have great influence over us. We will imitate those around us.

Who do I spend time with? Who do I listen to? Who am I imitating? What words am I saying?

This concept of influence is something I have known forever, but sometimes a well-known truth comes and penetrates to a deeper level.

I know there is much more to ponder concerning the power of words. The Lord has shown me some things about what I can do with the words of death I have spoken in the past, and ways He wants to redeem and restore them.

Also, the Lord has shown me ways we are affected by self-talk. I challenge you to take some time this week to think about the words you say about yourself. It may be a good idea to write down some of the words that you find yourself saying over and over.

Words come from a source, they become a habit, and depending on the source you will either live the abundant life God intends for you, or you will live in the harm the enemy means for you.

I expect there will be several more blog entries about the power of words! Thanks for joining along! Would love to hear your comments. I’m sure I’m not alone in this dilemma of considering the power of my words.

My fast unto worship, spending an hour each day in song, dance, and prayer has been amazing! Pushing through the “important things”, and my negative feelings has paid off in some ways I am so thankful for.

One day while I was worshipping, the Lord put on my heart to go into my daughter’s room to worship and pray. I brought my music with me and began to pray for her. I prayed against the strategies of the enemy meant to harm her, and I invited the Holy Spirit to come into her room and fill it with His love, His truth, and the good that God intends for her. I took her Bible and prayed over it, that she would love the Word of God; that she would read it, and that it would change her from the inside out. This time of worship was so satisfying. I was able to pray the things that I long for her to know, to be.

Often my words to her don’t come out right, or they aren’t received the way I intend them. Our words to one another can be as a wrestling match; my will for her against her will. The Lord reminded me that I don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, and the wrestling with words rarely accomplishes anything good. It just drives us apart.

This worship, this prayer in her room, feels so right. I am so thankful that I pushed through my flesh so I could hear God call me to worship and pray for my daughter in her room. It is something I will continue to do even after my fast is over and I trust that not only will my soul prosper because of it, but that her soul will also prosper!

So this hour of worship has proved valuable. But what about the other 23 hours of my day?

How do I keep God on the throne of my heart when there are so many things always fighting for my “worship”? How do I worship God all throughout my day?

There are many examples of worship in the Bible that I can learn from.

“There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord.” Genesis 12:8

Abraham worshipped God after God spoke to him. God may not speak in an audible voice, but am I listening for His voice throughout my day?

Do I hear Him when I awake to a new day?

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Do I hear Him when I see the sky spread in the splendor of pink and orange as the sun rises?

“Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.” Psalm 65:8

Do I hear Him when I read His word?

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105

Do I hear Him in the offense of a friend?

For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5

Do I hear Him in the midst of the storm?

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” Psalm 91:1-2

Do I hear Him when I lay my head down at night?

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8

I believe God is always speaking…

will I choose to listen for His voice?

will I respond in worship?

But God isn’t the only one speaking…

There are two voices which speak to me…

The voice of God, truth.

The voice of Satan, lies.

And it is these two voices that are at war to gain my worship.

I am a child of God, filled with the Holy Spirt, possessing a soul that will live forever, alive in a body of flesh…

I have been placed in this world that was created by God, sustained by God, held in God’s very own hands. I have been strategically positioned for such a time as this to know God, to hear God, and to worship Him forever!

But though this world was created by God, and for God, it is a world where the enemy of God, Satan, roams around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

And so I find myself in a world that is in tension between truth and lies.

The voice of truth, the voice of my Creator, speaks to my spirit. It is the voice that keeps my soul at peace… causing it to prosper.

The voice of the liar, the voice of Satan, speaks to my flesh. It is the voice that keeps my soul in confusion…keeping it from prospering.

When I consider these two voices in this way it is obvious which voice I should listen to, but when I live this life out, it is incredible how difficult it can be to choose the right voice.

Paul described this battle in Romans 7. I like the way the Message summed up Paul’s frustration…

“I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.” Romans 7:24-25

Paul’s conclusion to this tension, this battle for his soul…

Jesus!!

Praise God, Jesus is the answer!

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!!! (John 14:6)

Jesus makes right all that is wrong.

Jesus is the truth that exposes lies and deception.

Jesus brings peace into the chaos.

May the truth that all creation was made to worship God inspire you to listen for His voice in the midst of the chaos of your day. May you choose to hear His voice above the voice of the enemy and to respond in worship. For God is worthy of all your praise, all your worship!

 

 

When God called me to a fast unto worship through song and dance He reminded me that I was created for His pleasure. And that…

I was made to worship God,

and to bring Him glory.

“Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.” Isaiah 43:7

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” Revelation 4:11

I was excited for the hour each day when I would find some new songs, dance unto the Lord, read scripture out loud, and intercede for others. I knew it would be a time commitment, but I wasn’t expecting it to include dying to self and I wasn’t prepared for the battles between my spirit and my flesh.

It didn’t take long for other things to become “very important.” There were things that “needed to get done.” A battle would go on in my mind as I tried to justify why I needed to skip worship that day. Some mornings it seemed I was just going through the motions. My worship seemed mechanical.

But then I remembered, this is a fast. Just as with a fast of giving things up, of saying “no” to certain things, this fast unto worship requires obedience, a pushing through of the flesh no matter what else may seem “very important.” No matter how I may feel.

I’m so glad God gave me this verse…

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2

I’m finding this fast is giving me some understanding of how my soul prospers; that when my soul prospers everything else lines up. I know God has called me to fast an hour a day, to worship Him through song and dance, and the Holy Spirit within me longs for the fellowship and the intimacy that provides, but my flesh isn’t always convinced.

I am body, soul, and spirit. I am created in God’s image and my spirit has been made alive through faith in Jesus Christ. I have a soul that will live forever because God’s Spirit lives within me, and my spirit and my soul are housed in my body of flesh and bones. While my spirit cries out for this fellowship, this intimacy, my flesh has its own ideas, its own plans.

My soul (my intellect, my emotions) is caught between my spirit and my flesh.

The one I choose will determine whether my soul prospers or not.

My soul prospers when I deny my flesh and obey my spirit.

There was one particular day of this fast that I experienced an amazing hour of singing and dancing unto the Lord. I can’t put into words the way my soul was so filled, so satisfied! That fullness carried me through my day with a joy and ease I have rarely experienced. The verse, “for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” became real, tangible. I realized in a new way that, yes, when my soul prospers, everything else prospers.

Along with my verse for the New Year, God prompted me to watch the movie, “War Room.” God has used this movie profoundly in my life. I have no idea how many times I have watched it, but I do have most of the lines memorized! I remember after Mark, Kayla, and I watched it in the theater, Kayla turned to me and said  “We need to buy that movie and watch it every day.” I came away from that movie with a passion to be like Clara. I can relate to her role…she experienced some things in her past that she regretted. But rather than living in regret, she chose to obey the Lord, and to speak from that regret with warnings, encouragement, and godly counsel, to another woman who was going through similar situations, so she wouldn’t “step on the same land mines.” I had the awesome opportunity to meet “Clara,” to get her autograph, and to even give her a hug of appreciation for all she represented in that movie. She was a woman who knew the importance of spending time alone with God. She knew the importance of denying self, and of fighting the battle between the spirit and the flesh.

She made room in her day for prayer.

She made room in her house for prayer.

Because she denied herself and won the battle between spirit and flesh, she was able to fight the real battles of life…

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

There is a battle taking place for my soul in the spirit realm. Though my spirit has been made alive, and God’s Spirit lives within me granting me abundant and eternal life, as long as I live in this body of flesh, the battle for my soul remains. The enemy of my soul wants to keep my flesh at work so that my soul doesn’t prosper. As long as I listen to my flesh, to its cravings, its feelings, and rely on its understanding, my soul will not prosper.

This is the strategy of the enemy…to keep my flesh striving so that my soul doesn’t prosper, so my health doesn’t prosper, so my life doesn’t prosper.

Satan can’t keep me from heaven, but his strategies can keep me focused on the things of this world so that I am deceived and make choices from my flesh instead of my spirit.

Now that I am aware of the enemy’s strategies against me to keep my soul from prospering,

and now that I have experienced the incredible, tangible joy of how my soul prospers in the presence of God.

I pray I will push through the striving and the feelings of my flesh, listen to the desires of my spirit, and experience the prosperity of my soul, my health, and my life!

For I have been made to worship God!

 

 

 

 

Several years ago I gave up making New Year resolutions. I guess mainly because I never did very well with keeping them. But I also decided that since God already knew everything that I would go through in the coming year He may have a verse that I could hold onto, a promise, or an encouragement for whatever I faced. So again this year as I was praying for a verse God showed me…

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2

I’ve been on a journey for many years concerning my health. The Lord has been opening my eyes to many lies and wrong thinking that have affected me spiritually and physically, but that is a story for another time…

But because of this journey the word “health” caught my attention.

So with health on my mind, and since I have often gone on a fast this time of year to hit the reset button, away from sugar, and to lose some added pounds from the holidays, I asked God if I should go on a fast.

As I waited to hear His answer I realized that I don’t remember ever going on a fast for purely spiritual motives. I have always had my health, specifically my weight, in mind. With this thought I considered the rest of the verse, “just as your soul prospers.” 

It was then that the Lord did call me to a fast. But it was unlike any fast I have ever gone on.

He called me to a fast that would prosper my soul.

God called me to fast the first hour of my day onto worship of Him through song and dance. And then He said…

Wilma, the things of your life, yes, even your health, are all contingent on the condition of your soul. When your soul prospers everything else in life lines up. The condition of your soul determines how you think, and how you think determines everything about you, even the very cells of your body.

(If you want to find out more about how your thinking affects your life, your health, listen to Dr. Caroline Leaf.  She has scientifically proven this verse to be true. Amazing how science proves God’s word!)

God then reminded me…

Wilma, you have been created to worship Me!

I have put a song in your heart and words in your mouth to sing to Me.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I can’t sing, or dance for that matter! But that excuse was as useless as Moses telling God he couldn’t speak. Just as God put words into Moses’ mouth that were used for deliverance and prosperity, I believe the Lord has words to put into my mouth to sing unto Him that will bring deliverance and prosperity to my soul. When Moses stood before Pharaoh he told him to let God’s people go so they could worship God. The Israelites were in slavery, they were held captive. But God had freedom for His people so they could worship Him. Slavery, captivity from the lies of Satan, have kept me from truly worshipping the Lord. They have kept me worshipping self and bowing down to things that benefit me, and they have brought compromise and imbalance to my health. The Lord has reminded me of the power of my words and the power of my thoughts and I pray the fast onto worship will transform me from the inside out. As I embrace my true identity as a worshipper of God, and as I hear His praises come from my mouth I trust my soul will greatly prosper.

For when your soul prospers…

your life becomes a life of purpose,

your life becomes healthy.

As you enter this New Year, whether it is with the hope of keeping your New Year resolutions, encouraged by a promise from God, or you are just glad you made it through 2016, may you know the prosperity that comes from a soul that is after God’s own heart. As David said..

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” Psalm 103:1-5

After all it is your soul that will live for eternity as you lay your crown before God’s throne and join with the angels saying…

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11