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Awaken the Worship

“So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God, who made us!”
Psalm 95:6 (The Message)

During my growing up years, Sunday morning worship consisted of two hymns, the offering, another hymn, the Doxology, followed by the choir or special music, and then the sermon. As a young adult, I grew tired of this “tradition” and found myself embracing the ‘Praise and Worship’ music that began to take precedence in the 1980’s. It was a welcomed change with a newness and excitement to it.

However, I distinctly remember declaring a few years later – If we’re not careful, this new praise and worship style will become a tradition just like the format of hymns, offering, and special music did during my era. In many churches that has been the case.

I’m not saying there is anything bad or wrong with “tradition”. Regardless of your preferred worship style, the real issue is what does worship look like for you? All too often we associate it with the corporate worship we experience on Sunday mornings. But what about your own personal times of worship with God? How do you revere, honor, and acknowledge Him for who He is?

Let’s explore some ideas that might prove useful in establishing or awakening your worship time.

  • Do a word study of worship and see how it is defined as well as lived out in the Bible.
  • Don’t limit worship to “singing” only; read a Psalm, a prayer book, or Scripture to the Lord as an act of worship.
  • Pay attention to the lyrics you sing to Him; as an alternative, simply read them to fully grasp what you are offering to Him.
  • Spend time in adoration of the Father, asking for nothing, focusing totally on Him.
  • Worship God in a new place and/or in a different position (i.e. bowing; kneeling; outdoors)
  • Intentionally worship God while you are involved in service/ministry to others.
  • Speak forth His praises around your family members as you are working, playing, or making memories.

As you worship the Lord this week, I pray you will ask the Holy Spirit to quicken your heart with a creative new zeal to give Him the glory due His name. After all, He alone is worthy of our praise!

[Digging deeper – 2 Chronicles 7:3; Nehemiah 9:3; Psalms 2:11, 29:2, 99:5,9; Matt. 28:9; John 4:23; Rom. 12:1]

Because of Him,

Beverly <><

 

 

Photo Credit:  Image courtesy of Art4TheGlryOfGod by Sharon, “Shout for Joy to God, All the Earth!”…at www.flickr.com