Worship, Prayer, and America

Years ago after reading a book by Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Ministry, I became convicted about the importance of prayer in the ministry of our choir and around 12 years ago began to challenge the choir to become a praying group.  We live in a culture of "let me show you, let me do it, or this is the way you do it." But God says, "Let Me show you, let Me do it.  And the way that is released in our lives, our ministries, and our country is through prayer.
"We must face the fact that for our churches and ministries to be all God wants them to be, they must be saturated with prayer.  No new revelation or church-growth technique will change the fact that spiritual power is always linked to communion with God.  If you and I are prayerless, if our churches have no appetite for God's presence, we will never reach our full potential in Him." - Jim Cymbala
"Prayer catapults us onto the frontier of the spiritual life.  It is the discipline of prayer itself that brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit.  Real prayer is life creating and life changing." - Richard Foster
"Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness." - William Carey.
"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - God
Our Church's ministry needs to be saturated in prayer.  Our worship needs to be bathed in prayer.  (Thanks to our worship leaders and worshipping prayer warriors who are seeking to do that.)  America is crying out for fervent prayer on every hand.  Are we up to the calling?  Are we up to the challenge?  Do we really want to see God move in might and power?  mjm

Worship Requirement

What does the Lord require?  "With what shall I come before the Lord . . . what sacrifices?  The Lord requires that we do justice, love mercy and kindness, and walk humbly before our God."   (My paraphrase of Micah 6:6-8.)  The beginning of our worship is the full realization of the difference between creature and Creator, the finite and the Infinite, the sinful and the Holy.  Only redemption can lead us to begin to understand the beginning of worship.  Worship should become the humble walk as we acknowledge these truths.  

We must not be like the child who says, "thank you" for something he or she is not willing to share with others because of selfishness.  We can not experience passionate worship apart from doing justice, loving mercy and kindness, and walking humbly before our God.  This is the real stuff of worship.  If our worship does not lead to this, again, it is just a lot of noise and worked up emotion with no outlet or result.  Where do your worship experiences, both private and public, lead you???  mjm

Some Thoughts and Concerns on Worship

I spent a total of about five days this month in workshops and conferences with Worship Leaders/Ministers of Music from all over the US and several other countries.  Some of the happenings in churches surrounding worship and worship leadership really concern me.  

It seems that in today's church there is more concern about personal music and/or worship style preferences than any direction from a Biblical or theological basis.  And even more concerning is the un-Christian way that some people express their preferences.  There is nothing wrong with discussion among believers about music and worship styles, but to do so in divisive and hateful ways is destructive to the Kingdom and to one another.  What happened to the scriptural admonition to "yield one to another in the body"?

The same God who created man, volcanos, glaciers, huge mountains, hummingbirds and gnats is the same God who gifts us to be creative and to create for His glory.  And, just look and see the wide expanse  of differences in God's creation.  

I heard a long time Church Musician say this week that we will always get in trouble when we can't separate our cultural preferences from theological and Biblical absolutes.  

We must remember that whatever we do, it is always about the message - loving Jesus with all that we are and that whatever we are able to do is a gift from Him for the sole purpose of His Glory.  I must remember that worship is about Him, not me.  

To God alone be Glory!  mjm

Is Your Worship Missional?

Psalm 96 says, "O SING to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!  Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples! . . . v.7 - Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, . . . v. 10 - Say among the nations,  'The Lord Reigns!'"  I would encourage you to go and read the whole Psalm.  But, we see the phrases - tell of His salvation from day to day, . . . declare His glory among the nations, . . . families of the peoples, . . . and say among the nations." 

Our mission is so very tied to our worship.  Psalm 96 is one of many places in Scripture where we see the tie between mission and worship.  In fact, in the great hymn book of praise, the Psalms alone, there are over 70 references directly tying worship and and our mission together.  

Worship without mission is actually a waste of time and nothing more than a lot of noise.  If our worship does not lead us to be passionate about our mission, something is wrong with our worship no matter how great it may look or sound.  Our mission is to tell the world, every part of it, that He reigns.  Our worship, adoration, and praise is about Him.  And guess what, our Mission is all about Him.  Amen and Amen.  mjm

Does Anything Transcend the Worship of God?

It is amazing how many "things" in the American church seem to take precedence over the worship of God.  It is amazing the things we will quibble over that are of very little importance compared to the worship of God.  For many in the American church convenience transcends commitment to the worship of God the Creator and Redeemer.  

It takes commitment for worship leaders to be prepared to lead worship.  Commitment to preparation and to individual sacrificial prayer.  Years ago I committed myself to being prepared in the best possible way to lead worship, as God gave me that opportunity.   In Zimbabwe I became ill and was in the hospital with a bacterial infection in my lungs.  After a few days several doctors stood in my room and informed me that it had moved into my blood stream and there was nothing they could do.  That day I came to the surreal realization that I might not see home again.  But as I walked in a beautiful courtyard garden area of the hospital that afternoon an unbelievable peace came over me.  It was truly the peace that passes all human understanding talked about in Scripture.  I came to realize that nothing transcends the worship of God.  Nothing we do as believers in this life or the life to come.  Whether here or there, it's about Him and the worship He is worthy of.

In Psalm 71 we find the prayer of an old man whose deepest desire was to worship the living God with all his remaining strength.  The Psalmist says, "I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.  My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits.  I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only." When I thought I had very little time left, life and the opportunity to worship became precious in a different way.  Days later, those same doctors entered my room and said they had no explanation for the bacteria leaving my blood stream.  We knew one.  God wasn't finished yet.  No matter our age, we don't know how much time is left.  All of it is in God's hands.  But for sure, nothing is more significant in our lives than our worship of Him.  Nothing transcends the worship of God here or there.   mjm

Victory in Worship

The only victory we have in worship is our victory in Christ.  Victory is the faith life.  We said last time that worship is the fruit of our lives.  That fruit is shown in our victory in Christ.  It is not about us; it is about Him.  Worship is warfare according to Scripture and the only victory we have is in Christ.  It is simply believing that Jesus has done and is doing it all.  It's not about what I can do, but what He can do.  It is the consistent every day and every moment trusting our Lord's sufficiency.  Satan will tempt and discourage us when we fail.  But, we need to always be ready to say, "it is written" - If we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive  us our sins." (I John 1:9  Our Lord wants us to believe  Him for instantaneous cleansing and restoration.  

Satan will seek to convince us of defeat rather than victory.  He will try to convince us that we are unworthy, when in Christ we are worthy and victorious.  A victorious attitude is paramount in our living the fruit of our worship.  We don't depend on certain experiences, but on Him.  He doesn't want us to worship the fruit of the Spirit, but worship Him.  We see that victory is all of grace.  No work or works of our own are needed to accomplish it.  We need to rejoice in the fact that He will do it all.  Our only doing is to trust Him wholly. We can not worship effectively in defeat.  We must live convinced that He is our victory.   He is able and our victory is in Him. Hallelujah!!!  mjm

The Fruit of our Lips

I heard a statement this week from Mike Harland, Director of Lifeway Worship that has just stuck in my mind.  So, I decided to comment on it here on the blog.  His statement was, "Praise is the fruit of our lips, but worship is the fruit of our lives."  

Hebrews 13:15 says, "Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name." (AMP)

Interestingly, the writer begins that chapter with exhortation for us to love our fellow believers, "strangers" to the gospel and prisoners.  Then he challenges us to build our character and be satisfied with our circumstances.  Goes on telling us to honor our leaders and ultimately trust and depend on God remembering that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Then He reminds us that Christ is all in all and to not fall for false or alien teachings, as we have been set apart through the blood of the lamb.  

Only then, we hear about the "fruit of our lips" being praise.  We usually allude to that "sacrifice of praise" as singing, but it is not just singing.  It would mean that constantly a sacrifice of praise would come from our lips whether we are singing or speaking.  And, I believe it to be even more than that.  It should become the "attitude" and consistent character of our lives.  Our whole life should be praise.

Then, again after v. 15, he goes into what our lives should be - "don't neglect kindness and goodness, give to the needy, submit to your spiritual leaders, do your part without groaning and complaining," a heavy emphasis on prayer, "strengthen and equip yourselves while HE, Himself works through you, with all glory going to Him."

So, it is interesting that before and after the v. 15 passage about, "a sacrifice of praise being the fruit of our lips," he is emphasizing our lives and that there must be fruit other than just the fruit of our lips.  It is the other part of Mike's statement - Worship is the fruit of our lives.  Without that, worship is nothing more than noise.  So, may we live in a spirit of Praise and may our lives show it.  mjm

In Spirit and Truth

Jesus teaches us in John 4 that we must worship the Father in spirit and truth.  We would say today, left and right brain.  But it goes further, indicating that mainly it is engaging the very spirit of man with the Spirit of God.  So, reaching emotions is not all worship is about, nor is it strictly reaching rational man.  Both should be the gateway to our spirit and God's Spirit becoming intertwined. 

Some have used the temple/tabernacle as a model for worship that helps us create an environment for John 4 teaching to take place in our lives.

The tabernacle and the temple are pictures of heavenly and perfected earthly worship.  Read Hebrews 8:4, 5 and also chapters 8, 9, and 10.  We would do well to remind ourselves of Psalm 100:4 as we approach church on Sunday morning, gathering as the Body of Christ for worship.  "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise."  Our focus is on our relationships as the body coming together to prepare ourselves for an encounter with the living God, and coming cleansed and purified before Him so that we may enter His presence as we gather.

Then we proceed westward to the inner court, the "Tent of Meeting," where together with the Body we encounter God more directly.  We join our hearts, minds, and voices in an encounter with Him which is enhanced by the fact that we are together before Him.

Finally, the Shekinah glory of God Himself dwells in the Holy of Holies, which in the OT could be entered only on the "Day of Atonement" by the high priest as he petitioned God on behalf of the people.  But, praise the Lord, we, as God's children, now freely enter by the blood of Jesus.  (Hebrews 10:19-23)  May we use the model above to assist us and create an environment for worship in spirit and truth.  mjm

Don't Waste Your Worship!

I am not even sure it is possible to waste your worship, but a couple of things came to my mind in this vein.  Think with me about a couple of things.  In I Cor. 6:19-20, God's word to us is: "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body."  God made us and bought us for this.  We were made to "glorify God in our bodies"; we were made to worship.  In a way, we belong doubly to God because He both made us and bought us.  For us to neglect full participation in private and public worship in our lives is to waste the worship God purposed in us.  So, we can waste our opportunities for worship and grieve our Creator and Redeemer.

Another way that we waste our worship lives is when we are more caught up in being happy than being caught up in joy.  Happy depends on "happeness" or our circumstances.  Joy is deeply rooted in the Lord.  We would avoid being tried, tempted, and even wounded, but unfortunately our walk with Christ is not about avoiding a wounded life, but a wasted life.  We must never treasure life above Christ.  Those are hard words.  It is sometimes in our suffering that our worship is enhanced not only for us, but for those who see us go through it.

Remember Psalm 40:3 which basically says that when we keep singing the new song that has been put on our lips and in our hearts, many will SEE and fear and trust in the Lord.  So, our song of worship is not wasted when others observe us going through trial and suffering, through the stuff of life and yet we keep singing the new song praising and glorifying His name.  If we fail to keep singing in the midst of it all, we again, waste our worship.  I am not saying we should want suffering, but we all know that we all do and will suffer.  Our choice is to not waste our worship!  May our God be truly glorified in our worship lives to where He is blessed and others are blessed also.  mjm