I WORSHIP because…..
Worship is my response t’wards who God is to me….
It is my freewill offering, with endless joy, I bring
Because I know of this great love……It is my gift to Him
I choose to hold back nothing, but to seek Him, O my King
Worship is God’s gift to me, He speaks, as I sing
When His Spirit touches mine, I’m changed from deep within
We cannot be filled with streams that flow until our hearts are free
With no room for the Saviour, no freedom cos of sin
I worship because I hunger and thirst for you, my saviour King
~ @ONEKidsMinistry2016~
WORSHIP IS A TWO-WAY GIFT
Worship is a two way gift between God and man. Because of what God has done, we bless Him through worship. Worship is our gift to God and that pleases Him.
Because we are His precious children, worship is also God’s gift to us. It is a means of allowing God to shower His love upon us. He speaks, as we wait on Him. An unexplainable joy and supernatural encounters that changes us happen when we choose to worship Him.
God is sovereign and all-powerful. Indeed, when His children are instructed to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5), He deserves it! After all, He is the creator, saviour, alpha and omega, who created us for the purpose of worship. He has done over and beyond what we can ask for or deserve. This unconditional love deserves a response from us.
Miriam danced (Exo15) to celebrate the freedom from slavery. She was grateful and rejoiced in the goodness of God. All creation in heaven bowed down in spontaneous praise and worship when the scroll was opened, revealing who God is and the victory we have in Jesus (Rev 4,5). They worshipped the King of kings and Lord of lords, worthy of all praise. When the ark was brought back to Solomon’s courts, there was a great celebration and rejoicing (2 chronicles 5:3), as the people welcomed the presence of God! Throughout the book of Psalms, we read of the psalmist’s poetic praises that reflect thanksgiving and trust in a God whom he knows loves and cares for us.
God received continuous praises, He was blessed and honoured. The freewill gift of worship through praise and thanksgiving touches His heart. We can do the same today for Him, as a response to His greater love for us.
What has God done for you that deserves your praise and worship?
Worship is a gift from God. Children often call Him daddy God. An intimate love relationship exists between God and His children, if we choose to let Him love us so. Daddy God is a good good Father who has lavished his love upon us (1John 3:1), despite our wickedness and sinful nature. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are now able to choose to receive His love through having a relationship with Him.
Worship moments are times we draw near to God. As we wait on Him and rest in His presence, He speaks (1 Samuel 3) and reveals His heart to us. He heals emotionally, spiritually and physically as we allow His Spirit to touch our hearts (2Kings3, 1sam16).He comforts us and unexplainable joy is released as we declare freedom from our chains that bind us. He reveals His thoughts and downloads it to us through His word so that we can lead safe and saved lives. God ministers to us, and we encounter Him as we choose to worship Him. Worship is God’s way of loving us as we draw near to Him.
When was the last time you experienced this love or comfort? Will you give God your time to sit at His feet to hear from Him?
WHAT HINDERS US FROM WORSHIPPING
There are many reasons why we may be lukewarm towards God in seasons of our life. Many have experienced dry seasons where we give in to our human pride, human wisdom, our insecurities and fears. Some others may have faced distractions that lead us unconsciously into idolatry. The reasons are many. Whatever the reasons, we need to ask God to rekindle our first love! God is a jealous God. He does desire our love and affection. When our first love for God fades, we become “neither hot nor cold, lukewarm and ready to be spat out (Rev3:16)
One reason that we struggle with worship is that our hearts are empty. Our relationship with God is shallow even though we may know His word. Attending church services may have become a routine or social event that we have lost focus on the creator Himself. Hence, we leave weekly feeling filled with friendships, or feel good songs and discussions but we have no actual encounters with God. There is a lack of relationship with God or desire for God Himself.
We could also be empty because nothing in our life calls for a celebration, we experience no successes, only failures. No joy, only pain. We are insecure with family or friends, lacking in love, lacking in joy. Miriam danced because her heart was full of joy in her new found freedom, she could worship God because there were reasons to celebrate. She was filled with God’s love, experienced God’s love personally and worship became her response towards that great love in thanksgiving!
We can overcome this emptiness if we begin to focus again on things we can give thanks for. We can invite the Spirit to fill us again. Thanksgiving and praise frees us to worship! Be thankful that we are alive, breathing, have a roof over our heads, a family! We can ask our daddy God to fill us and the Spirit to overflow in us so that we can worship Him again!
What can you give thanks for this day?
Will you ask the Spirit to fill you once again and empower you to draw near to daddy God?
Will you find time to read His word, turn back to the giver of life, so that he can fill your hunger and thirst?
Secondly, our hearts could be cluttered with things that are not from God. Our pride and sinful ways harden our hearts and cause us to reject the goodness of God. We turn away from Him and place other idols in our lives such as money, friendship, or the strife for success. When we are so full of self, our “no need for God” attitude shuts Him out of our lives. The word tells us that “ALL we like sheep have gone astray” (isa 53:6). God knows we have turned away from Him but He waits for us to turn back to worship Him. He is calling out to us to return to first love, to give up the things that fill our hearts, empty the trash and let Him take His place once again. His love far surpasses His anger towards our disobedience.
God has promised that if we turn back to Him, He will give us an undivided heart and put a new spirit in us; He will remove from us the heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, and He will put his Spirit in us and move us to follow His decrees and we will keep his laws that will keep us safe. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
What” junk” are you carrying with you that needs to be trashed out?
Will you allow God to forgive you and put in you a heart of flesh?
Some of us are in chains and waiting to be rescued! We feel enslaved in our unconfessed sins, constantly living in guilt and shame. We need a saviour, to deliver us, so that we can be free!
Time and time again Moses was instructed to tell pharaoh to let God’s people go so that they can worship God (Exodus 5-10). God sent many deliverers then to set the children of Israel free. They were enslaved and had no freedom to worship. When we live in sin, we too are like slaves and cannot worship God. The chains have to be broken and we need to be free!
Jesus came into this world to set us free from our sins. We can choose to let Him take away our sins by confessing Him as Lord and saviour. We can turn from our wicked ways and follow after Him. We can choose to allow our old selves be crucified with Christ (Romans6:6-7) and receive this undeserving Grace of God that gives us freedom to worship Him. The chains of sin is heavy and burdensome. A broken and contrite heart is what results from receiving that Grace of God! One that will be free, humble and repentant!
Have you been freed from the chains of sin? If not, would you give your heart to Jesus today and receive that freedom to worship?
WORSHIP IS MORE THAN A SONG
Worship is more than a song, It is a response towards God involving our heart, mind, soul and strength. It can be expressed in many ways. We can
Wait on God
Obey God
Read His word
Sing to Him
Hear from Him
Inspire others
Pray in the spirit
Will you too let worship be your gift to God? To bless Him and respond in love to Him?
Will you set aside time to wait on Him, sing to Him, hear from Him and read His word?
In what areas of your life is God calling for obedience that you have ignored? Will you turn back to Him, pray and ask Him for His leading?
How have you been a stumbling block to others in worship? Will you commit to inspiring others to worship God?