| Waiting In Worship |
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| Written by Judith Gardner | |||
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Worship is revering God and affirming our love for Him, thanking Him for His unfathomable love, and telling Him how much He means to us. When we come into an intimate relationship with Him we become holy and whole. Worship is the place of beginnings, everything we do for God begins with worship. Psalm 96:9-10, “Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, The Lord reigns.” We worship because He is God, our Maker, and our Savior. In worship we minister in love to the Lord, praising the One who saved us. Everything we do in ministry is first conceived in the heart of God. He imparts His wisdom and direction to us as we enter into praise and worship. The Lord has called our weekly prayer team to strategic-level intercession, and we can’t begin to walk in that calling without making worship our way of life. To be effective ministers of the gospel, we must never try to minister without the presence of the Lord renewing our hearts. The more we lift our hearts in praise to our Lord the more we learn of Him. He reveals our destiny and calling in intimate times with Him. When we come together we ask the Holy Spirit to control our meetings, and we yield to His presence. When we wait in His presence He moves, and reveals His strategy to us. Spiritual battles are won when we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is our example, He left the crowds and went off to lonely places to pray. He asked the Father what He should speak, John 12:49-50, “For I did not speak of my own accord but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” When the Lord started sending me to the nations and led me into strategic prayer, I received this word from Him, “It is imperative that you say and do exactly what I tell you.” I was completely dependent upon Him, I had no plans of my own and waited on the Lord to give His plan to me. It was God who gained the victory and blessed what He had initiated. I was the vessel He chose to send to extend His love to the nation. We cannot fail Him, He wants to use us to touch the world with His love. Psalm 144:1-3, “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O Lord, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?” When the Lord speaks to us it requires a response. If we will be faithful to do each thing that He asks of us, He will continue to lead us one step at a time into His plan for our lives, and we will find ourselves in the midst of His purposes. The first thing we will be required to do is worship and pray. Prayer is something we do on behalf of others, it frees us from self centeredness. It is something we do out of love for people, and most of the time is unseen. God changes our hearts and transforms our character when we pray for others. We have received unmerited favor, and mercy from the Lord. He has chosen us to participate with Him in intercession. It’s impossible to love the lost without the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. This transformation will never happen if we don’t step out in faith and begin to pray. It’s in the place of prayer and intercession that we will begin to feel the Father’s heart and we will be transformed. Don’t wait until you feel motivated to pray or you will never start. Our feelings follow our actions, and we must step out in faith and begin to intercede for others. If we give God the opportunity He will change our hearts. He wants us to worship Him and show our appreciation for all He is. When we praise Him, in the beauty of His holiness, He will pour His love into our hearts and we will never be the same. When we wait in His presence He moves, and reveals His strategy to us. Spiritual battles are won when we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is our example. He left the crowds and went off to lonely places to pray. He asked the Father what He should speak, John 12:49-50, “For I did not speak of my own accord but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” When the Lord started sending me to the nations and led me into strategic prayer, I received this word from Him, “It is imperative that you say and do exactly what I tell you.” I was completely dependent upon Him, I had no plans of my own and waited on the Lord to give His plan to me. It was God who gained the victory and blessed what He had initiated. I was the vessel He chose to send to extend His love to the nation. We cannot fail Him. He wants to use us to touch the world with His love. Psalm 144:1-3, “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O Lord, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?” When the Lord speaks to us it requires a response. If we will be faithful to do each thing that He asks of us, He will continue to lead us one step at a time into His plan for our lives, and we will find ourselves in the midst of His purposes. The first thing we will be required to do is worship and pray. Prayer is something we do on behalf of others, it frees us from self centeredness. It is something we do out of love for people, and most of the time is unseen. God changes our hearts and transforms our character when we pray for others. We have received unmerited favor, and mercy from the Lord. He has chosen us to participate with Him in intercession. It’s impossible to love the lost without the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. This transformation will never happen if we don’t step out in faith and begin to pray. It’s in the place of prayer and intercession that we will begin to feel the Father’s heart and we will be transformed. Don’t wait until you feel motivated to pray or you will never start. Our feelings follow our actions, and we must step out in faith and begin to intercede for others. If we give God the opportunity He will change our hearts. He wants us to worship Him and show our appreciation for all He is. When we praise Him, in the beauty of His holiness, He will pour His love into our hearts and we will never be the same.
Prayer Of Praise: Heavenly Father, I worship and praise You for all You are. You are Lord over my life and I love You. I thank You that you formed me in my mothers womb with a divine purpose for my life. I thank You for your love for me. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You are my authority and I stand in awe of You. I want to praise and worship You above all things. You are my God in whom I trust. I know that You have called me to pray, and that I can do nothing without your enabling Spirit. I trust You to teach me how to pray. Holy Father, Your will is perfect, I yield my will to You. You are my first love. Amen. Psalm 113:1-4, “Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.”
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