5 of the Best Reasons to Worship (When You’d Rather Stay in Bed)

7 / 5 / 176 / 2 / 18

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5 of the Best Reasons to Worship (When You’d Rather Stay in Bed)

It’s dark outside as I creep gingerly from my bed. Trying not to wake my husband, I gently close the bedroom door and stumble my way to the office. It’s 5:10 a.m. This is my time.

I crave this time to be alone with the Lord.

With a busy family, multiple responsibilities, and an ever-expanding to-do list, I have to jealously guard my devotional time.

The truth is, every morning doesn’t look the same. I have this goal to make it more of a routine — a habit. But life just happens. And I have to fight to make this time consistent. Meaningful. And when I do, it is oh so worth it.

There are mornings that I don’t feel like getting up. I’m sure you can relate!

So what is it that gets me out of bed in the mornings?

Here are 5 reasons I rise to worship God.

1. God loves me

God loves me with an intense love. So much that he chose to give up His one and only son for me.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

2. God forgives my sins

Knowing that I can stand anew before God, in spite of all the wrong I have done is more than reason to celebrate!

In Him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7 NIV

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19 NIV

3. God is Sovereign, and yet…

God made “the world and everything in it”. He is all powerful, all mighty, all everything!

It might be tempting to wonder like David, ‘why would the creator of the entire universe care about little ol’ me? (Psalm 8:3-4 NIV).

For God, it’s not a matter of need. He doesn’t need me to complete His plan. Yet, He created me at a specific point in time and put me exactly where He wanted me to be. He did this for you too. Just so we would reach out to Him and find Him. Acts 17:24-28 NIV

4. God fills me up

Every hunger, every thirst, God satisfies.

You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 63:1-4 NIV

5. God delights in me

When I think of God, I have this image of a mother singing a sweet lullaby to her baby. That intense love and joy is what God experiences when He thinks about me.

For the Lord, your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, He will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

I get to choose worship

Recently I heard this quote from Michael Hyatt that says, “Inspiration doesn’t show up until you do.” In the same way, praise doesn’t show up until I do.

If God wants he can make the very rocks shout out and worship Him. Worship can certainly happen without me. Question is, will I be a part of it? If I want to experience God, I’ve gotta show up. I get to choose.

Your Turn

There are so many reasons to worship God! What about you? What gets you out of bed in the mornings to spend time with God? Why do you worship Him? Please share a few of the reasons you worship God in the comments below.

In the meantime, let us offer ourselves ready to worship Him! I hope this worship song inspires you. (Click here).

Wishing you blessings!

Marva is an island-living, sun-loving Christian wife, mother and wearer of many hats. Inspired by John 10:10 she encourages women to slow down and enjoy life to the full, brilliantly. You can find all the latest sparkle on her blog SunSparkleShine as well as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. Get a free copy of her e-book You Were Made to Sparkle when you sign up for her Sparklelights newsletter here.

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When Life Makes it Hard to Worship – “Thy Will Be Done”

10 / 24 / 1610 / 23 / 16

I googled Why Should You Worship When You Don’t Feel Like it and wasn’t surprised to find millions of possibilities. What I did find interesting was that most of the things listed on the early pages had to do with not feeling like going to church.

And I get it. That’s an issue. But we’ve determined this month that worship is so much more than sitting in a row for an hour or so each week.

So, the question remains . . . why should you worship when you don’t feel like it? When life is hard. When you’re worried or heartbroken. When you’re disappointed. Let’s be honest here—when you feel like God has let you down in some way.

Today we’re going to look at reasons why we should worship when it isn’t coming naturally or flowing freely.

The other day, I was driving home from having coffee with a friend and blasting my Christian radio stations. I have the buttons set up on my car radio so I can quickly switch from our local Christian station to The Message on XM radio.

Hillary Scott’s song, “Thy Will” started playing.

I love that song and sang along with full-on abandon just a little while earlier.; so, when it started playing again I decided to find out what was playing on the other station.

You guessed it…

Hillary Scott’s – Thy Will.

I just started laughing, said, “Okay Lord, I get it,” and sang along.

Thy Will Be Done.

Hillary wrote, “Thy Will” following painful and devastating circumstances.

And worship is hard when we’re hurting—when His will doesn’t line up with ours.

But look at Job…

He had it all and then he didn’t. But what does he say?

He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” Job 1:21

Praise the name of the Lord!

If you’re like me, Job’s situation may be the very reason you struggle with the words, “Thy will be done.” I spent decades terrified God’s will for me would include devastating loss. So I held back just a little . . . afraid of the cost of complete surrender.

But all the fear, anxiety, and holding back didn’t prevent loss. God allowed some really tough stuff.

And I learned something.

When I turn to Him, completely surrendered with nothing left to offer but my broken mess . . . God shows up.

Rick Warren, who lost his 27-year-old son to suicide, wrote…

“Your most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your darkest days – when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you’re out of options, when the pain is great – and you turn to God alone.”

It’s true!

You and I can take our broken surrendered souls to God in worship and receive the gift of His comfort and healing peace.

Jesus taught the words, “Thy will be done,” in the Lord’s Prayer.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

And then prayed them again in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” Matthew 26:42

Remember worship is “taking your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.” Romans 12:1–2 (MSG)

Worship says, “Thy will be done.”

It’s hard. No one wants to suffer. All we have to do is look around to know…

In this world, you will have trouble. John 16:33

We’re afraid. We worry and try to control.

But the rest of the verse makes worship both possible and a blessing.

I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world, you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world.

Have peace. Be brave. Jesus has defeated the world.

Any trouble this world offers is only temporary. Jesus has already won the victory and He’s sharing it with you and me.

God calls us:

Friend – John 15:15
Free – Romans 8:2, Galatians 5:1
Accepted and Loved – Ephesians 1:3–6
Chosen – Colossians 3:12
A New Creation – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Child – Galatians 4:7
Citizen of Heaven – Philippians 3:20
Blessed – Ephesians 1:3
Loved – 1 Thessalonians 1:4

That’s why we worship and how we are able to say, “Thy will be done.”

I’ll admit if I had my way I’d end suffering and set up world peace but in this sinful world faith often gets lazy when life is easy.

So, you and I trust the Sovereign God. The One who sees the beginning from the end and knew it would take the death and resurrection of His only Son to save us and knows every life that will be touched and transformed when you and I worship Him by saying, “Thy will be done.”

Elisabeth Elliot said…

“I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done. Acceptance of whatever this means is the great victory of faith that overcomes the world.”

Her husband, Jim, was only 28-years-old when he died in 1956 while serving in the mission field in Ecuador. Elizabeth didn’t join him in heaven until last year.

When you and I worship through our suffering, when life is hard when we don’t feel like it . . . people notice.

God is glorified and lives are touched by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles, who spent the majority of her adult life with an undiagnosed debilitating illness wrote…

” . . . the moment we come into any trial or difficulty, our first thought should be, not how soon can we escape from it, or how we may lessen the pain we shall suffer from it, but how can we best glorify God in it . . .”

and

“How wise should we be if, with joyful certainty, we accepted each unfolding of His will as a proof of His faithfulness and love!”

I’m humbled by these saints who have gone before me leaving an example of faithful worship through suffering. By God’s grace and with His help I will worship Him and sing, “Thy Will” Be Done.

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7 Powerful Scriptures to Help You Worship God

10 / 19 / 1610 / 19 / 16

I walk outside in the morning and lift my eyes. Trees blow in the breeze as clouds drift across the sky. Birds sing as squirrels and chipmunks scurry and I stop for just a moment to watch my little world and worship the Creator.

The One who alone is worthy of my praise.

Then I start my day and busyness creeps in and my thoughts wander (not always in a good or worshipful way) and I fail again to give Him my all.

Like Paul, the good I want to do, well . . . I just don’t do it.

I know there is nothing good in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do good but I do not. Romans 7:18

I want to be completely surrendered to God’s love . . . to give Him my heart, mind, soul, and strength. But in the daily, in the living, I fail to worship Him fully and faithfully.

Look at this quote from Brother Lawrence…

“To worship God is to admit that we are entirely contrary to Him and that He is willing to make us like Himself.”

Don’t you love that?

God already knows you and I are contrary. He knows we’re not going to do life “right”not any part of it—even worship.

So, He’s given us what we need. Examples. Words of worship in the Scriptures to get us started.

Because…

“Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father.” ~Richard J. Foster

7 Powerful Scriptures to Help You Worship God

Psalm 103:1-4

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

It is believed David wrote Psalm 103 later in life because it is written with humble awareness of God’s amazing grace and tender mercy.

No sin too great. No sinner too flawed. God redeems broken people and that alone is reason to worship Him.

Isaiah 25:1

I honor you and praise You because You have done amazing things.
You have always done what you said you would do; You have done what you planned long ago.

God keeps His promises.

We can count on it in a world where we can’t count on much. God’s promises are faithful and true. Isaiah said it . . . God always does what He says He will do.

What promise are you holding close today? You can count on God. He keeps His promises.

Psalm 63:3–4, 7–8

Because Your love is better than life, I will praise You.
I will praise You as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in prayer to Your name.

Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely.

Scholars believe Psalm 63 was written while David was in the wilderness running from his son, Absalom, and those who were attempting to dethrone him.

Can you imagine? Stopping and writing a song of praise while you’re running for your life from your own child.

No matter what is going on in your life . . . God is there. He loves you. He will never leave you. Cling to Him, His mighty strong right hand is holding you securely.

Ephesians 3:20–21

Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul wrote this from a Roman prison. Why was he imprisoned? For preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When you are discouraged or afraid because of the way Christians are being persecuted around the world remember, God is on the throne. He is at work and able to accomplish far more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Exodus 15:1-3

“I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; He has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.
This is my God, and I will praise Him—my father’s God, and I will exalt Him!
The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is His name!

Imagine yourself trapped next to a sea and you see your enemy coming for you when the waters part. You cross safely to the other side and then those chasing you are destroyed as the waters return to normal.

Exodus 15 is Moses’ “Song of Deliverance.”

Are you going through a storm? Do you feel like your enemies are gaining on you? Are fear and anxiety making it hard to worship?

God is with you. He is the God of miracles. Stop and worship Him. He is able.

Psalm 100

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.

Any collection of worship verses has to include Psalm 100. It’s a favorite. We don’t know who wrote it but many believe it was written as a call to worship for the restored Temple.

The Lord God made you and claims you as His own. He is good and His love is unfailing. This is a great Word to write in your journal so you have it close when life makes it hard to find words of worship. No matter the circumstances God is worthy of our worship and praise.

Revelation 4:11

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.
For You created all things, and they exist because You created what You pleased.”

And the song will continue for all eternity.

You were created because it pleased God to create you. He wants a relationship with you.

Imagine that . . . the God of the universe loves you and wants a relationship with you.

I can’t think of a better reason to praise and worship Him today, tomorrow and forever.

Finally, a quote to inspire you…

“Many Spirit-filled authors have exhausted the thesaurus in order to describe God with the glory He deserves. His perfect holiness, by definition, assures us that our words can’t contain Him. Isn’t it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?” ~Francis Chan

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12 Reasons Why You Need to Reject Celebrity Worship

10 / 17 / 1610 / 17 / 16

Who do you worship?

You know, this is my place to ask questions, to wonder…

And today, I’m wondering about celebrity worship. Not the “syndrome” that affects some but the fascination that influences so many.

Admiring people for their abilities and accomplishments isn’t a bad thing when it motivates and inspires us to do and be our best.

But…

When you and I glorify and model some media version of who they are, well . . . we have a problem.

There are dozens of celebrity gossip magazines, television shows, and online destinations. People want to know what the rich and famous wear, how they dress, what they believe, and where they live.

And I wonder why?

At what point do you and I give the rich and famous too much influence in our lives?

And at what point is celebrity worship harmful to society?

The following conversation took place during place as Satan tempted Jesus…

Then the devil took Him [Jesus] up and revealed to Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’” Luke 4:5–8

So…

12 Reasons Why You Need to Reject Celebrity Worship

Plus questions I want to ask myself…

1. It counterfeits our idea of beauty.

Do I compare my appearance and the people around me to the air-brushed images of celebrities I admire?

It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from within you—the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God. 1 Peter 3:3–4

2. It leads to coveting what you think you’re missing.

Do I buy things I don’t need simply because they are endorsed by my favorite celebrity?

Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:4

3. It glorifies wealth and materialism.

Do I neglect my time with God and/or my family to make more money and have more stuff? Do I favor people who dress and live more comfortably over those who don’t?

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! Ecclesiastes 5:10

4. It contributes to personal dissatisfaction.

Do I feel like my appearance, wardrobe, home, car, and position are lacking when I watch television, read magazines, and scroll through social media?

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24

4. It perverts our thoughts about God’s commands and Godly values.

Have I adjusted my beliefs about God’s will because celebrities and my friends say they are outdated and no longer applicable?

When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person. Ecclesiastes 12:13

5. It gives significance to celebrity opinions without knowledge of their character.

Am I influenced by the political and religious views of people I see on a screen or read about rather than praying and asking God to reveal His truth and will to me?

Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect. Romans 12:2

6. It inspires an obsession for fame and fortune.

Do I neglect the eternal for the temporary?

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 1 John 2:15–16

7. It endorses the desire to be served and not to serve.

Do I admire and aspire to live a pampered and indulged lifestyle?

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10

8. It becomes an extreme waste of time.

How much time do I spend watching television, scrolling through social media, reading celebrity and lifestyle magazines, and talking about all the above?

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. Psalm 39:4

9. It promotes personal comparisons and leads to criticism.

Do I compare myself and my children to friends and neighbors? Do I play fashion police and publicly or privately criticize those who don’t conform to current trends?

We do not compare ourselves with those who think they are good. They compare themselves with themselves. They decide what they think is good or bad and compare themselves with those ideas. They are foolish. 2 Corinthians 10:12

11. It distorts our views about our personal talents and abilities.

Do I complain and question why God made me this way? Do I give up rather than trying to be the best version of me for God’s glory?

You made my whole being; you formed me in my mother’s body. I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. Psalm 139:13–14

12. It interferes with pure Godly worship.

Have I ignored God’s truth and believed the age-old lie that He is holding out on me . . . that He is not enough? Who or what am I really worshipping?

You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you. Exodus 34:14

Oh Friends, when I started writing this I didn’t think I had a problem with celebrity worship because I don’t have anyone I follow, model, or celebrate. But some of those questions really convicted me.

I realize I’m guilty! I’ve placed too much value on what’s unimportant . . . things like appearance and stuff. I’m influenced by the culture in which we live. Just like you are.

But it’s not too late.

I can limit celebrity worship and influence, I can…

Ask – Pray and ask God to forgive me for worshipping anything or anyone besides Him and ask Him to help and guide me going forward.

Seek – Turn to His Word for truth and compare every through, opinion, or word of advice against His promise that lasts forever.

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

Do – Obediently follow His will as He reveals it to me . . . even when it doesn’t trend with culture.

Will you pray with me?

Father, forgive me. Help me worship You alone. Help me follow You alone. Help me know Your truth and obey Your will as You reveal it to me even when it goes against what the rich and powerful think or what society promotes. I need Your help to keep my eyes on things eternal when the temporary shouts so loud. I need You, Lord. Amen.

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How to Have More Joy – Make Obedience Worship

10 / 7 / 1610 / 25 / 16

I’ve been reading through Leviticus and Numbers lately. I know. Who reads through Leviticus and Numbers?

Obedience. Worship. Lists. Rules. Count this group. Assign this task. Offer that sacrifice.

And we can’t help but wonder why?

What is the message of these two hard to read and harder to process Old Testament books?

In Leviticus, Israel is camped around the base of Mount Sinai while God meets with Moses giving laws that set His people apart from the nations around them.

What set God’s laws apart?

Love. His love for people and His desire for them to love Him and love each other.

Every law of God is based on love.

Jesus summed it up in His conversation with an expert in Moses Law:

Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Luke 10:26–27

Obeying God is an act of love and failure to obey . . . well, it feels like a lack of love.

Obedience is not a way to earn God’s love and favor. God has already given us His love and favor. Obedience is our worshipful loving response to everything He has already given.

I remember when our children would stand up tall, puff out their little chests, cross their arms and say, “I can do it myself.”

And you know what? That’s exactly what I’m doing when I regress into a “good little church girl” mode . . . I know the rules and I can keep them all by myself.

Or the times they said, “I don’t want to.” AKA “NO.”

I have a friend who tells the story of the day her young son ran out in the street. She’d told him a million times it was dangerous but they day he decided to test the boundaries.

So, she grabbed him out of the street and took him inside and had a moment of “discipline.” She asked him to sit and think about it and after several minutes asked him if he was ready to go outside and try again.

He said he was . . . so out they went.

Guess what? As soon as they got outside he looked over at her and promptly ran out into the street.

She told that pattern repeated a half dozen times that day.

I’m happy to say her strong-willed child has grown into a wonderful adult.

Truth is, I’m like that too.

When I’m impatient, quarrelsome, selfish, jealous . . . you get the idea.

Any time I fail to love well, I’m disobeying. I know God wants me to love well but I still “run out into the street.”

So, I’m trying to change my thinking. I don’t want to think of obedience as following God’s list of rules. Going forward I want to think of obedience as an act of worship.

I made a simple acrostic to help me remember.

O.B.E.Y.

O – Only = Without the addition of anyone or anything. Alone. Solely. Exclusively. Only God’s Way – given in love for my good.

B – Because = For this reason or due to the fact that. I choose to obey because of all that God has done for me.

E – Empty = Containing nothing of its own. Being empty of my own stubborn selfish attitude. Worshipful obedience is not about me.

Y – Yielding = To give up, give in . . . to surrender. Yielding to God’s will. Surrendering to His plans and purposes by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Put it all together…

I am able to obey God’s Law of Love—Only Because (I am) Empty and Yielding.

Yielding love reminds me of the movie The Princess Bride. I love the moment when Buttercup realizes that every time Westley says, “As you wish,” he is really saying, “I love you.”

It’s what Jesus said in obedience in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Mark 14:36

When you and I empty ourselves of stubborn pride and selfishness yielding to God’s plans and purposes with an attitude of loving worship we’re saying, “as You wish,” — “because I love You.”

“I want your will to be done.”

A theme of the Bible from beginning to end is that God loves people . . . every rule and command comes from a loving Father who wants our lives to be blessed and beautiful. And obedience is our loving worshipful response to Him.

The fact is, I can’t do it myself. On my own, I will continue to try to be “a good little church girl” or “run into the street.” But with God’s help, I can surrender . I can be empty and yielding.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

With my heart and mind focused on God’s all-sufficient grace, His healing mercy and perfect love I can surrender all and worshipfully obey trusting His will is for my good and His glory.

That’s exciting.

It takes obedience out of the “have to follow the rules” category and puts it into the “get to worship” one.

And like everything else, it’s all about my attitude. Where my heart is.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Luke 12:34

And the desire of my heart is to trust and obey my Father.

To know without any doubt His will is best because He loves me. Then I will enthusiastically respond with “As You wish, Father.”

Quotes to Remember Obedience is Worship

“True worship is obedience to God for no other reason than that you delight in God.” ~J. D. Greear

Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:4

“It’s one thing to worship and praise God at church; it’s quite another to move out into the real world and worship Him through daily obedience.” ~Dave Branon

So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Romans 12:1

“God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes him look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that he really is. This is what it means to be created in the image of God.” ~John Piper

Father, by your grace, help us to worship You through obedient living. In Jesus name. Amen.

Now it’s time for…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

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I’m excited to share the following posts with you this week.

Why All People Have Dignity and Worth

by Dawn Klinge

@ Above the Waves

Last Friday a gunman entered a mall and killed five people. My mind has gone back to this news, over and again, often, over these past days- more than is usual for these types of things. It happened less than sixty miles from where I live, and when I first heard the news, I had only just returned from a shopping trip at a different mall. I know people in the community where it happened. It was too close to home.

and

How to be Spiritually Fit

by Valerie Murray

@ Cord of 6

Every Friday, I drag myself to the gym and stand in line for the most intense workout of my week—cycle class. It’s here that I know I’ll be pushed to my limits. I feel like I’m literally going to die or fall off my bike because my heart is going to explode from beating so fast.

Thank you, Dawn and Valerie, for partying with us!

No More Rules Link Party

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
Then just make friends and have fun.

I would really appreciate it if you would
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May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!

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25 Promises – God is Worthy of All Worship

10 / 5 / 1610 / 5 / 16

In response to Satan offering Him everything in the world for His worship, Jesus replied, ”

Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,

‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only Him. Matthew 4:10

Who is this God you and I worship?

The “I AM.” The One who insists that He alone is worthy of our worship and praise.

I want to know, don’t you?

So, I went digging through Scripture to make a list of verses of Who God is.

The Bible Shows us – God is Worthy of Your Worship

God is…

Trinity

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” Exodus 3:14

Then they will know that your name is Yahweh— that you alone are the Lord. They will know that you are God Most High, ruler over all the earth! Psalm 83:18 (ERV)

That men may know that Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth. (KJ21)

Then they may know that You alone, Whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth. (NLT)

Father/Creator

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NLT)

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. Ephesians 3:14–15 (NLT)

Jesus/Savior

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God! Psalm 42:11 (NLT)

But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! Luke 2:10–11 (NLT)

And now He has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. 2 Timothy 1:10 (NLT)

Spirit/Teacher/Comforter

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. John 14:26 (AMP)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT)

All-Knowing

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. Psalm 139:1 (NLT)

We cannot wrap our minds around God’s wisdom and knowledge! Its depths can never be measured! We cannot understand His judgments or explain the mysterious ways that He works! Romans 11:33 (VOICE)

All-Powerful

Tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Israel; His strength is mighty in the heavens. Psalm 68:34 (NLT)

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty powerthat raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1:19–20 (NLT)

Ever-Present

Where can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where can I run from you? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the grave, you are there.If I rise with the sun in the east and settle in the west beyond the sea, even there you would guide me. With your right hand you would hold me. Psalm 139:7–12 (NCV)

“I am a God who is near,” says the Lord. “I am also a God who is far away. No one can hide where I cannot see him,” says the Lord. “I fill all of heaven and earth,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:23–24 (NCV)

Truth

We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we can know the True One. And our lives are in the True One and in His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the eternal life. 1 John 5:20 (NCV)

Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. John 14:6 (NCV)

Wisdom

Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:25 (NCV)

But the Lord made the earth by His power, and He preserves it by His wisdom. With His own understanding, He stretched out the heavens. Jeremiah 10:12 (NLT)

Forgiveness

If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.But if we confess our sins, He will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done. 1 John 1:8–9 (NCV)

For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. Psalm 103:11–13 (NLT)

Love

This is how God showed His love to us: He sent His one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through Him.This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9–10 (NCV)

And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:16 (NCV)

We love because God first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NCV)

This is just the beginning, a small sampling. The more you and I get to know God, the closer our relationship to Him grows and the greater our worship.

We can’t help it! It’s a natural response to who He is and all He does.

God, Jehovah Yahweh . . . who alone is worthy of worship.

“Let us occupy ourselves entirely in knowing God. The more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly love Him. We will learn to love Him equally in times of distress or in times of great joy.” ~Brother Lawrence

“God must speak to us before we have any liberty to speak to him. He must disclose to us who he is before we can offer him what we are in acceptable worship. The worship of God is always a response to the Word of God. Scripture wonderfully directs and enriches our worship.” ~John Stott

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Truth You Want to Know about Worship

10 / 3 / 1610 / 3 / 16

It’s October. Three more months until we close The Faith Project 2016. Although, I do believe it is a life-long pursuit.

Thank you for joining me and digging deep into freedom, love, humility, patience, goodness, stillness, humility, wisdom, and prayer.

Now I want to explore worship.

Another word that is used often and comes with plenty of thoughts and opinions.

If you ask a friend or acquaintance about worship you’ll typically hear about a service they attended or about their favorite praise music. So, we’ll look at corporate worship too.

But I want to know more. The what, why, when, and who of our worship.

Paul wrote the following to believers in Rome…

Christian brothers, I ask you from my heart to give your bodies to God because of His loving-kindness to us. Let your bodies be a living and holy gift given to God. He is pleased with this kind of gift. This is the true worship that you should give Him. Romans 12:1

I like the way it’s written in The Message…

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.

Don’t you love that!

Worship as an offering of your entire life. Your everyday, ordinary, sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life.

Maybe it’s easier to compartmentalize worship into an few hours on the weekend than it is to think of it as a 24/7 attitude.

What is Worship Really?

The word worship is derived from the Old English weorþscipe, meaning worship, honour shown to an object, which has been etymologised as “worthiness or worth-ship”—to give, at its simplest, worth to something. (Wikipedia)

I like to think about worship as humbly coming before an all-worthy God in reverent praise and adoration.

Worship is commonly defined as follows (1): Noun- 1. The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. 2. Adoration or devotion comparable to religious homage, shown toward a person or principle. Verb- 1. Show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites. 2. Treat (someone or something) with the reverence and adoration appropriate to a deity 3. Take part in a religious ceremony. (Patheos – Dr. Michael Williams)

Look at the Webster’s Dictionary definition from 1828:

1. To adore; to pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration.

2. To respect; to honor; to treat with civil reverence.

3. To honor with extravagant love and extreme submission.

Adoration. Respect. Honor.

My favorite…

Extravagant love and extreme submission!

I want that! It sounds like…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Mark 12:30

So, this week I will take a closer look at God. The “who” of worship. I want to know and trust everything that makes Him worthy of worship.

I have a friend who says God is All—”Almighty. All-knowing. All-loving. All-merciful. All-grace. All-powerful. All-present. All I need.”

Almighty God, Creator, Redeemer, Spirit of Truth! Worthy of worship and praise.

True worship confesses God and all His power and glory in everything we do and say. The highest form of praise and worship is to trust and obey God and His Word. Not because He needs it but as a response to who He is and all He does.

God’s grace and mercy give us everything. Underserved blessings: His forever love, underserved grace, unimaginable peace, complete joy, wisdom, faith, freedom, daily guidance, forgiveness, adoption, eternal life, strength, every need met, His Word, absolute truth, patience, and much more.

It’s easy for me to get caught up in my own little world and forget just how huge and complete God is. And it’s true, I will never completely know and understand God this side of heaven, and that’s okay. I don’t need to understand Him; I simply want to know Him. I want to be overwhelmed with awe.

“When our worship is small, it is because our concept of God is small. When we offer God little-bitty sacrifices, it’s because we have somehow reduced Him in our hearts to a little-bitty God… God is huge! He is ginormous! He is greater than every thought we have ever had of Him.” ~Louis Giglio, Indescribable

Worship with humble awe. Surrendered and trusting.

I can’t wait to learn more about this thing we call worship but more than anything I want to know about God, the One who is worthy.

Quotes to Inspire Worship

“As worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. Holy obedience saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing needs of modern life.” ~Richard Foster

Come, let’s worship him and bow down. Let’s kneel before the Lord who made us, because he is our God and we are the people he takes care of, the sheep that he tends. Psalm 95:6–7

“Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.” ~Charles H. Spurgeon

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.For our God is a devouring fire. Hebrews 12″28–29

“Sometimes I go to God and say, “God, if Thou dost never answer another prayer while I live on this earth, I will still worship Thee as long as I live and in the ages to come for what Thou hast done already. God’s already put me so far in debt that if I were to live one million millenniums I couldn’t pay Him for what He’s done for me.” ~A.W.Tozer

That’s worship!

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What is Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth?

5 / 18 / 152 / 23 / 16

“The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23–24

Is this one of those verses you read over and move on because it’s hard to understand?

What is Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth?

What is worship?

To give respectful and awe-filled honor and adoration.

“Worship is recognizing God for who He is; it is ascribing worth to Him; it is God’s people telling Him about the worth they see in Him. In fact, worship could very well be thought of as ‘worth-ship.'” ~Don Weaver

“Worship is recognizing God for who He is…”

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How do you and I honor and adore God in both spirit and truth?

By worshipping Him the way we love Him . . . with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

1. Worshipping with your heart – is adoring Him with emotions.

I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2

2. Worshipping with your soul – is like breathing . . . it is all-encompassing worship enabled by God’s Spirit living with us.

O God, you are my God;
    I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
    my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
    where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary
    and gazed upon your power and glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
    how I praise you!
Psalm 63:1–3

3. Worshipping with your mind – is using knowledge and the truth of God’s Word to honor and adore Him.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31–32

They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. Romans 1:25

4. Worshipping with your strength – is intentional all-in acts of adoration.

“To love the Lord with all our strength means to love Him “exceedingly” “richly”, “lavishly”, with reckless abandon out of simple devotion.” ~Greg Simas

There are many differing opinions about the best ways to worship God in community . . . the style of music, kinds of instruments, formality, attire, length of sermon/message, etc. And I can’t help but wonder if any of that makes a difference.

Worshipping in community draws us close to each other which is vital for a healthy faith family, but worshipping in spirit and truth is intimate and personal. Like love, spirit and truth filled worship doesn’t draw attention to itself or worry about the posture of others. It doesn’t demand its own way, but loves…

Worship loves and acts.

Worship does by loving God and doing His will.

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Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

Finally, a powerful quote by John Piper from his book, Desiring God.

“Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half full) of artificial admirers (like people who write generic anniversary cards for a living). On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship.”