Worship

I wanted to share what the Lord has been showing me on worship. I think this will be hard for me to communicate and it has been brought to my attention how I have fallen way short in this area lately. I think everyone worships the Lord differently and I don’t think this I have this figured out by far.

I was reading a book at the beginning of this year, The Three Battle Grounds by Francis Frangipane on spiritual warfare. There is a chapter on worship in the book that really made me think about my own life. Then for the next month the Lord just kept putting worship in front of me by sermons, devotionals, and daily reading in the word.

I think it is clear from the beginning that God made us to worship and glorify Him. Which is great, but when we are not worshiping Him we end up worshiping many other things that take His place. This was a real problem for people in the bible and still is for us today.

I will use an example of when God sent Moses to free His people from slavery in Egypt. Part of Exodus 6:1-9 And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the LORD.’ You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them. “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.  I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.  I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the LORD!’”  So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

The main point in this scripture to me is Moses told the people what God said but their hearts were hardened to God and discouraged by their enslavement to their circumstances. That’s the way we were until God opened our hearts to Him and set us free from our slavery to Satan and the world. Exodus 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. Its clear from this verse that God wanted to free is people so they could worship Him. I like this quote from Os Hillman: ‘Interesting that God didn't say, "to serve Him." Above all else, God desires our worship. A person cannot enter into true worship of God while still in slavery and bondage.’

“One does not have to penetrate deeply into the revelation of John to discover that both God and the devil are seeking worshipers. In the mist of warfare and battles to whom will we bow, God or Satan. You will remember that the Lord’s call to the Israelites was a call to worship and serve Him in the wilderness. But when trials and pressures came they fell quickly into murmuring complaining and rebellion. Their worship was superficial self-serving and conditional- a form without a heart of worship. The same condition of shallow worship can prevail in much of Christianity today. As soon as the pressures of daily living arise or temptations come, how quickly we can rebel against God and resist His dealings. The enemy has easy access to the soul that is not protected by the true worship of the Almighty. For what we bleed when we are wounded by satanic assault or difficult circumstances is the true measure of our worship. You see what comes out of our hearts during times of pressure is in us but hidden during times of ease. If you are a true worshiper your spirit will exude worship to God no matter what battle you are fighting.” ~ Francis Frangipane

A human mind will limit God. The real basis of idolatry, other than ignorance, is that self-willed man refuses to surrender himself to worship God as He commands. Remember, worship is our response to God, and it occurs in many ways every day.

The two things that really speak to me about this is, that worship is not just Sunday mornings during music at church although I really love to listen to music and prepare my heart for a great word from God. I love to worship God this way. But it is the attitude of my heart toward God and my response to Him even in difficult times. God set us free to worship and glorify Him. When we are focused or enslaved to our circumstances we limit God and sometimes our focus and heart is not on worshiping Him. There are so many things in life we can be focused on that keep us from worshiping God. Even the calling or good works we do that God has given us can be an idol for us and enslave us and keep us from worshiping Him in the spirit.

Galatians 4:9 & 5:1 “But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

I like the NIV translation, it says ‘miserable principles.’  Worshiping God in the spirit is a beautiful thing. The enemy is a very crafty  and certainly doesn’t want us to be in this place with God. I think we have to cheat the system and fight for this. If you live by everyone else’s rules or expectations you will be worshiping something else. 1 Corinthians 7:23: “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”  In other words please God and worship Him in the Spirit, don’t become enslaved in trying to please others or miserable principles.