Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Revelation 4:9-11 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.’
2 Chronicles 20:22 As they (men who had been appointed to worship) began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
We worship God in many ways. We worship Him with our lives, our time, our energy, finances, and much more. One of the ways we worship is by singing to God. This is something that we do when we gather together as a community but it is also something we can do wherever we are; at home, in the car, on our own or with a few others. The Bible encourages us many times to worship with our voices in sung worship. It is a foretaste of our worship of God in eternity. The reading in Revelation gives us a picture of the throne room in Heaven. The reading in James shows us that when we draw near to God, He draws near to us. That is what happens when we worship. As we enter His throne room in worship, He meets with us in powerful ways.
Worship is often used in the Bible as a battle cry. Sometimes when we don’t know what else to do or where to turn, worshipping the Lord who knows all things and is all-powerful, brings us peace, perspective, and often, victory.
Questions to ponder…
How have I experienced God in a time of worship?
How can I make time in my personal relationship with God to worship Him on my own?
Do I choose to worship God even when life is difficult?
Take some time to make yourself fully present and open to God, to rest in His presence. This could be in a quiet place in your home, out for a walk, or doing a regular activity that helps you to think clearly.
Then pray the prayer that Jesus taught us. You can read it in the Bible in Matthew 6:9-13. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your prayer. Rest or even stop on particular words where you feel led, let them resonate with the longings of your heart, and then pray around them.
The Lord's prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
Now and forever,
Amen.
Perhaps something stood out for you in today's reading. Talk to God about it and ask Him to show you more, to help you process it, and to help it have an impact in your life.
After you have read the bible and spent time in prayer, we invite you to take a moment to invite the Holy Spirit to join you in thinking over your interactions with people over the past day. You might want to ask yourself some questions like:
Is there anyone I need to forgive? Is there anyone I need to apologise to and ask to forgive me?
Who can I bless or encourage? Who am I thankful for today?
Let's be people who keep short accounts with God and with others.
