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!
Wonderful. Just what I needed to be reminded of today. Please pray for me my friend…25 years of misdiagnosed lyme. A new raging case of acute lyme due to a snowboarder crashing into me and sending me flying last year, bringing latent lyme into a new acute case. Then meds that inflamed my gut instead of killing pathogens. I lost hope in healing today. God invited me to His table to anoint my head with oil…psalm 23…and then He led me to this. Rich words of truth and encouragement. Thank you.
I will be praying, my friend. So sorry for this difficult journey. May God’s words of life bring amazing grace to believe past the pain, past the words of man, and bring alignment to your every cell! I pray against all doubt that attracts attack, and pray renewed confidence in the promise of Ephesians 3:20, “Now glory be to God, who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.”