“Growth in grace” pleases God. It may seem a wonderful thing, no doubt, that anything done by such creatures as we are can give pleasure to the Most High God. But so it is. The Scripture speaks of walking so as to “please God.” The Scripture says there are sacrifices with which “God is well-pleased.” (1 Thes. 4:1; Heb. 13:16.) The husbandman loves to see the plants on which he has bestowed labor flourishing and bearing fruit. It cannot but disappoint and grieve him to see them stunted and standing still. Now what does our Lord Himself say? “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” - “Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:1, 8.) The Lord takes pleasure in all His people - but specially in those that grow.
J.C. Ryle

The Worth Of Worship

The Worth Of Worship

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THE WORTH OF WORSHIP

By

Phil Scovell

INTRODUCTION

“Worship” is an old English word which originally was (worthship). It was used with royalty to express honor and respect. Its basic meaning is to value, to elevate, minister to, praise, or to favor. I like (favor) because it can be illustrated in a practical way.

I have a friend who used to own a 1954 Cadillac. He owned two other cars -newer models, but he rarely drove them. He preferred his 1954 Cadillac. In other words, he favored it. Similarly, a right-handed person will favor the right hand over the left because it feels natural to do so. So it is with worship. Our Heavenly Father is our choice of favor. We prefer him over all else because He is worthy. To worship Him, therefore, is simply to favor Him always.

Worshiping God is a form of prayer, but not all prayer is worship. Prayer is, “Breathing in the Spirit.” As natural as physical breathing is to the body: so should prayer be to the Believer. Worship, on the other hand, is “Oneness with God.” It is spiritual intimacy. It is the expression of one’s life lived in perpetual awareness of His presence and power.

God has created us “spirit, soul, and body;” (I Thess. 5:23). Once we have received Christ as Saviour, we are “Complete in Him,” (Col. 2:10). We have been “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” (Eph. 1:13). It has been the human spirit which has been “regenerated,” and “renewed by the Holy Ghost,” (Titus 3:5). The soul, that part of man which is the mind, will, and emotions, is saved, (made to conform to the image of Christ) by the “engrafted word,” (James 1:21). The body, our physical flesh, will be redeemed (glorified) upon the return of our Lord, (I Cor. 15:51-55). The need for a clear Biblical understanding of this doctrine on the body, soul, and spirit, will become more evident as we look at the effects worship has in the spiritual realm.

I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20

“What! Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For you are bought with a price: Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

What does it mean to glorify God in both your body and spirit? I was always taught that this passage referred to living a clean life – abstaining from all worldly pleasures. There additionally was always a very long list of things from which to abstain too. The word “body” in I Cor. 6:20, does not simply mean our physical body. It is a term which can also mean wholeness or completeness. The Holy Spirit does not simply inhabit our physical bodies but all of us. In other words, He, the Holy Spirit of God, indwells all of body, soul, and spirit; although He resides within our human spirit. Thus the Apostle Paul is attempting to teach us that we should glorify God in wholeness. This can be accomplished through worship. PART I

THE REASONS TO WORSHIP

  1. It Pleases God.

If this were the only reason to worship God, it would be enough. King David, even in the most adverse circumstances, was able to get God’s attention because he had learned how to worship. His Psalms of the Old Testament are definite evidence of his skill in worship. God is pleased, honored, and favored when we begin to focus on Him rather than the adversities.

2. It Paralyzes The Devil.

The Devil finds it impossible to function in an atmosphere of worship. It is totally contrary to his nature. He, the Devil, seeks to get us to see and hear circumstances rather than God. An attitude of worship, however, causes us to see and hear God.

One day, while meditating on spiritual things, I was reminded of James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” The question is, “How do we resist?” I suddenly realized that often the problem is where I am in relation to God and not where God is in relation to me. When facing difficult, or even impossible circumstances, we often have allowed the Devil to come between us. The solution, James reveals, is to submit ourselves to God and to draw near to Him. Of course this means, in a manner of speaking, that we are drawing closer to the Devil because he has somehow invaded our personal relationship with God. What happens then? If you begin to approach the Heavenly Father through worship, the Devil will be paralyzed. In fact, he will, as you draw near to God, be forced to depart. Worshiping God is emulating God’s nature; which is Holy. Satan is unable to remain in the presence of God’s Holiness and just as light dispels darkness, worshiping God will paralyze the Devil and force him to vacate.

3. It Powers The Holy Spirit.

As much as unholiness is the nature of Satan, so holiness is the Holy Spirit’s nature. Thus, as we worship God, the Holy Spirit takes note. In fact, the Holy Spirit cannot minister in an atmosphere of unholiness because it is not compatible to His nature. Unholiness occurs when we focus on the circumstances rather than God. If we will, on the other hand, begin to worship God, the Holy Spirit will be able to minister in our behalf. He is the amplifier of truth. The more we worship God, even in the most difficult of circumstances, the greater the manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power.

4. It Penetrates The Supernatural.

As we worship the Lord, we are entering the supernatural realm because worship is an unnatural act. It is spiritual by its very nature. This is often the reason why worshiping God feels so uncomfortable and sometimes so difficult to do; especially during times of impossible circumstances. We worship, however, not because it is natural or the convenient thing to do, but because it is spiritual.

A close examination of Eph. 6:11-18 reveals how and when we penetrate the supernatural realm. We are not fighting a physical battle but a supernatural one. This is why psychological techniques so often fail when Christians attempt to apply them to problems which are spiritual in nature. Worshiping God, however, supercedes the natural and touches God where He is – in the spiritual realm. A careful look at Eph. 6:18 should warn us that spiritual warfare should be prepared for through prayer and supplication; “in the Spirit.” This is worshiping God. When we do so, we have penetrated the spiritual realm.

5. It Produces Holiness.

When we focus on personal problems, unfavorable circumstances, or impossible situations, rather than on the truth of God’s Word; we will not produce holiness. We will, without question, produce fear, anxiety, resentment, and anger – but not holiness. Worship does produce holiness and that not only pleases God but makes room for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Begin to worship God, even in the most difficult of circumstances and you will produce the Holiness of God and thus spiritual intimacy will be experienced as well as power when the Holy Spirit begins to intercede in your behalf.

6. It Perfects Our Relationship.

The easiest way to renew your relationship with God is through worship. Your human spirit, if you are born again, has been created anew; I Cor. 5:17. The old man, (old nature,) is dead; see Rom. 6:6, Col. 3:9, Rom. 8:1-17, and Gal. 5:24. Thus you will never be any more spiritual than you are at the moment of salvation. Grow – perhaps; become more conformable to the image of Christ – most definitely; become more Godly – without question; but never more spiritual. No matter the sin committed or the failures experienced, I John 1:9 is always available to the repentant heart: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This text is often misunderstood. It does not say we should ask for God to forgive us of our sins as Christians; it says we are to confess to God our sin. He does the forgiving. Worshiping God exposes unholiness. As you worship, you will find yourself confessing sins revealed by the Holy Spirit and, as you do so, they will be forgiven. Thus, your relationship with Him is renewed.

7. It Prepares.

Worshiping God causes us to think as God does. If practiced faithfully, we will likewise begin to see things as God does. Eventually we are able to hear God clearly when He speaks. Worshiping is an exercise affording spiritual fortitude. There may be a prolonged period of preparation just as it takes an athlete a long time to gain skill and strength, but the faithful will receive from God when they are prepared to do so.

An example of this is waiting for fruit to ripen. My three children are always asking if they can eat newly purchased fruit from the grocery store before it is ready to be eaten. It seems no matter how much I try to explain to them that the fruit is not ready to be eaten, they still want it. They are, of course, always disappointed when biting into the hard peach before it is ripe. Waiting for an answer to prayer is similar. Worshiping God assists us in preparing for the answer to be received.

8. It Primes The Soul.

As I mentioned earlier, the soul is our mind, will, and emotions. According to James 1:21, this part of our being must be controlled through God’s Word. As we worship, we find ourselves becoming more conformable to God’s Word because we are beginning to think as God. Focusing on God’s Word as we worship allows us to hear from God more clearly and thus to become obedient.

The mind is generally filled with things secular. It becomes an act of discipline therefore to think things spiritual. Worshiping the Lord makes this possible and primes our mind, our will, and our emotions to receive the spiritual from God. As we worship God, the things of the world will not only become less acute, but the things of God will become more defined. Worship is a way of allowing the human spirit to lead the soul in obedience.

9. It Projects God.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of worshiping our Lord, is that it places Him out in front where He belongs. When we consider circumstances, we often question God’s concern for us.

“Why isn’t He doing something about this? I thought God could do anything. Doesn’t He know what I’m going through?”

All of these thoughts are evidence of both considering circumstances and a lack of worship. The circumstances cause the Lord to be invisible. Worshiping Him, on the other hand, makes Him visible and if practiced, it places Him out in front where He rightfully belongs. If you are at this very moment facing sadness, defeat, discouragement, or disappointment of any kind, begin to worship God and you will soon find Him projected as the sovereign Lord of your life.

10. It Purifies The Heart.

The things of this world continually attempt to attach itself to our hearts. The mundane, the secular, the worldly, all affect us daily because we live in the natural realm. If we will take time to worship God, we can experience spiritual cleansing and purification from the effects of the world. Such worship will allow us to maintain intimacy with our Lord even in the midst of adversity; causing our heart to beat in harmony with the heart of God. It is accomplished through the worship of Him.

11. It Prepares For Battle.

In the Old Testament we find something unusual in Israel. Because of David’s influence, great choirs were formed and actually became part of Israel’s military. These choirs were actually professional worshipers and in many cases they were used to prepare the army of Israel for battle. They were sent in advance of the approaching army and were required to sing the praises of God. What a strange sight it must have been to see these great choirs marching down the hillsides into battle. They were not afraid, however, because they were worshiping God and they had learned the power behind their praises. “But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3). We need to be professional worshipers as well. If we will worship the Lord, He will inhabit our praises as we march into everything we face as Christians. Our battle is not physical or in the natural: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” (Eph. 6:12). If we desire victory, we must prepare for it; we must learn to worship. PART II

THE REVERSE OF WORSHIP

  1. It Rewards The Devil.

Focusing on the problem, considering the circumstances, or meditating on the severity of the situation, does nothing more than reward the Devil for what he has done. Certainly he deserves the credit; but we do not need to glorify him for his accomplishments. What do we do then? Some may suggest that we ignore the problem in hopes that it will disappear. Could it be considered faith if we do ignore the problem by saying, “I’m not really sick,” when we are? Or, “I don’t have cancer,” when we do? No! We need to turn to God instead. Do not become guilty of confessing the impossibility of the situation to the Devil but rather present this “impossibility” to God in prayer, “But in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God,” (Phil 4:6), and confess Him as the God of the impossible, “With God all things are possible,” (Matt. 19:26). In this way we are confessing the problem; not to the Devil, but to our Heavenly Father; who is the only one that can do something about it. We are, in this way, worshiping God.

2. It Restricts The Spirit.

When we worry, exercise fear and faithlessness, we only create an atmosphere in which unholy forces are able to function. Such an atmosphere is incompatible with the nature of the Holy Spirit. He is thus restricted. In a very real sense we control the Holy Spirit. I know that many Christians teach that if you are filled with the Spirit you are thus controlled by him, but the reverse is actually true. When one is filled with the Holy Spirit, everything that person thinks, says, and does, either makes room for the Spirit or quenches (restricts), His ministry. Begin to worship God, and thus provide working ground for the Holy Spirit.

3. It Reduces Strength.

How do you feel when worried, upset, or depressed? In such cases we find it difficult to pray and seem to get nothing out of God’s Word. We often begin skipping church services and often isolate ourselves from other fellow believers. After all, when you are miserable, who wants to be around “happy Christians?” The results of such actions will always reduce spiritual strength. It is also medically established that prolonged depression and discouragement leads to physical illness (emotionally-induced illnesses). That is a sophisticated way of saying that there are physical effects to spiritual weaknesses. It may be often noticed that discouragement and improper thinking often leads to colds, viroses, and even more severe illnesses. Worshiping God will always reverse this process but it must be practiced consistently.

4. It Retains Pain.

All Christians are sinners saved by grace. That means we all, no matter how early in life we were born again, have a past. Often the Devil will remind us of past failures. If we focus on these failures, we will be exercising the opposite of worship. A past argument with a friend or mate, a past sin committed, or harsh words spoken, all resurrect pain, hurt, and guilt. In a real sense, we often will relive these painful experiences simply because they have reentered our mind. The results of such memory is both physically and spiritually damaging. Stop the feelings of guilt and pain by learning to worship intimately.

5. It Regards Circumstances.

Have you ever reversed a pair of binoculars and looked through them the wrong way? Everything looks far away and very small. This is what we do when we regard circumstances rather than God. The circumstances actually become bigger than God and, “How could God help me with these monstrous problems anyway?” When we begin to worship God, we turn the magnification instrument around. God then becomes bigger and the more we worship Him, the bigger He is. Eventually, the circumstances become so small, in comparison to God that, somehow, it seems that, “God can do anything,” we confess. Meditating on circumstances will always reduce the power of God in your life. Worshiping God amplifies God’s power, and if we remain faithful in our worship of Him, we will begin to see as God does, “Behold, I am the God of all flesh: Is there any thing too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27).

6. It Rejects Truth.

When we regard circumstances and begin to worry and wonder, “Why hasn’t God done something by now?” we have literally reversed worship and thus have rejected truth. In a manner of speaking, we are confessing that, “God just simply isn’t able to do anything in this situation,” or, “I’m just a poor Christian and that’s why He isn’t doing anything.” These confessions are not only untrue but unscriptural as well. As long as we continue to reject truth, God’s Word will not, cannot, work for us. How do we get God’s Word to work? We worship Him. Then His Word will live because we begin to see as God does and the Holy Spirit begins to minister in our behalf.

Late one afternoon, after being up most of the night with a high fever, I was laying on my bed being miserable. I was thinking about how poor of a Christian I really was and how weak my faith must be and wishing that God would show a little more concern. As I meditated on my misery, I suddenly sensed the presence of God and heard the Holy Spirit say, “If you will get up and walk out to your office, I will heal you as you go.” I laughed! Why? Because I did not believe it. Sure, I believe that God heals and, yes, I had even been healed on many occasions. “But He wasn’t going to heal me this time because I was a lousy Christian.” I hadn’t been exercising faith lately. “See! I’m sick. How plain could it be?” I knew I was just making the whole thing up. Yet that voice of encouragement kept returning throughout the afternoon. I refused to obey and eventually the encouragement faded and I was still sick. A few weeks later I recalled this experience and realized I had missed God because I had refused to worship. If I would have obeyed, I would have actively been worshiping God. Instead, I chose to reject truth; thus, God’s Word would not work.

7. It Reports Failure.

When we choose not to worship God, and instead, choose to worship the circumstances, it will always report failure. “It isn’t going to work this time. Remember the last time? It didn’t work too hot that time, did it? You even believed God then. Remember? Just give up this time. It isn’t worth it.” Sound familiar? Try worshiping God instead next time you begin to think this way. I can almost hear someone saying, “I tried it once and it didn’t work.” Once? My! You’re brave! How about making a commitment to always do it from now on no matter what the circumstances ? “But what if God fails?” Of course, what you really mean is, “What if you fail?” Join the club. We are all a bunch of failures, but God has always used losers. Moses, David, and even the apostle Paul were all murderers yet they were mightily used of God. Refuse to listen to the voice which reports failure and listen to God’s Word as you worship Him.

One of the biggest mistakes I find Christians making when they begin to practice worshiping God, is that they expect the circumstances to immediately, if not sooner, to change. It will not happen. The Lord never promised He would change circumstances; although He often does. He did promise, however, that we would have problems. “In the world ye shall have tribulations,” (John 16:33). Fortunately, He did not stop there. “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Did you notice He said, “I,” not “you,” have overcome the world? My point is, that worshiping God, prayer, reading your Bible, being a member of a good church, or for that matter even being in the ministry yourself, will not change circumstances for the better. Worshiping God changes you and when you are changed, “All things are possible with God,” (Matt. 19:26).

8. It Returns Defeat.

If you are like I am, failure has been, and will be, experienced many times. I personally believe that one reason for continual failure is the lack of worship in a person’s life. If we confess what Satan has done or is doing in our lives long enough and loud enough, we will eventually believe his lies. When this occurs, defeat is inevitable. I did not say you would be totally destroyed, although it may feel like it at the time, but simply defeated. What should we do when we suffer defeat?

First, become thoroughly indoctrinated with Psalm 37:23-24. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not utterly be cast down: For the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.” You will fall but the phrase “he shall not utterly be cast down,” in the Hebrew literally means, (it will not be fatal). No matter what you have done; no matter when it was; and no matter the consequences you have had to face for your sin; it is not fatal for the believer. If it had been, you would not now be reading this booklet.

The second thing you need to do is to begin to worship your Lord. From wherever you are and in spite of everything you may be currently facing, begin to worship God. Although sometimes the process seems to be slow, you will be reversing the defeatist attitude through your praise and worship of God; who is never limited by any circumstance.

9. It Ruins Our Relationship.

The real thing the Devil is after, of course, is our relationship with God. He will, and does, any thing to accomplish this task. He does this quite successfully by getting us to consider the circumstances over God.

“How could God love anyone like me? I’ve failed Him so many times.”

This is certainly the reverse of worship. My favorite verse in all of Scripture is Col. 2:10: “And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.” If Christ is the head of all principality and power (Satan and all unholy forces that are unseen), then we cannot be told otherwise. If you feel unworthy, unclean, and unwanted, you are simply believing a lie. The best way of reversing this trend of thought is to worship God. It makes him, the Devil, uncomfortable when you worship and praise your Lord for making you totally complete in Him through the finished work of His Son Jesus on the cross. Such worship is resisting the Devil and drawing nigh to God.

10. It Retards Victory.

Many Christians never seem to experience perpetual victory in their life because they have never learned to worship. Some even come to the very edge of victory on many occasions but somehow always seem to fall short and because they have experienced this pattern many times before, they now have a mind set: “I’ll never be able to live for God.” Untrue! You, nor anyone else, has ever been able to live for God. Everyone lives for God through Christ. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” (Phil. 4:13). Additionally, we have been, “Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,” (Eph. 1:3). Reverse any mind set by learning to worship consistently. PART III

THE RIGHT WAYS TO WORSHIP

Thus far, many good reasons have been given for the practice of worship and even what to expect when we exercise the reverse of worship. Now it is time to find out exactly how to worship God.

  1. Praise.

I am confident you have encountered many (slap-happy) Christians in your life. They always seem to be joyful and never affected by anything, good or bad. They are always praising God and they somehow make you feel uncomfortable when you are in their presence. This kind of Christian has always made me suspicious. Undoubtedly there are some Christians that are genuinely like this and who are never effected by anything that happens in their life, but there are precious few. They are really like the rest of us; trying to push and cram what is on the outside down into the inside in hopes that it will become reality. The true spiritual life, however, works in just the reverse: the inner man effecting the outer. One of the major reasons for difficulty in worshiping God, especially when circumstances are severe, is because we attempt to worship God from the outside.

Attitude

Praise is first an attitude. Not necessarily an attitude of joy or perpetual laughter or even happiness but it is an attitude of being. In other words, it is a position taken, or quite simply, a (stance). I like what my old Webster Dictionary says about (stance): “The manner of standing or being placed.” Illustration: A batter’s stance.

I never really liked baseball as a kid because I was more into track and field; but I played it enough to know that there is a batter’s stance. If you do not think this is so, next time you play baseball, try to swing at the in-coming ball while standing on one foot. I know many Christians today that try to live a spiritual life by standing on a single principle, a single teaching, or a single message they have heard. I am not saying that it is wrong to claim a specific promise from God’s Word for a particular needed area in one’s life until victory is experienced, but it can often be a fatal mistake to assume that simply praising God with one’s mouth will solve all problems.

Have you ever heard of a batter’s box? That is where the batter takes his stance, or position, before he swings. He is not even allowed to swing unless he is standing within that designated area. Are you in the batter’s box spiritually speaking? You can answer that question by determining your attitude. Is your attitude one of praise or when difficulties come your way, do you gripe and complain? Where is your (place of being)? You are married to Christ through His finished work on the cross. Are you committed to this marriage? Do you often consider divorce whenever facing hard times? If so, you have the wrong attitude. Begin to worship the Lord through praise. Simply make the commitment: “I will praise the Lord. I will take my stance in a position of worship regardless of the circumstances.” Keep in mind that this attitude is a condition of the heart. Your praise may not always be able to be expressed outwardly but it should always be present in your heart. This form of praise is a place of being; being in the presence of God through worship.

Action

Praise is also an action; something we do deliberately. An action involves the taking of more than one step and occupying some time for accomplishment. A procedure; or in other words, a process. For example, walking is an action. Such should be the attitude of praise. It is one who worships God continually; stepby -step, day-by-day, and is an act of one’s own will. It is quite literally a discipline.

Appreciation

I think praise, as a form of worship, is best defined as (appreciation). I am not suggesting, when facing difficult circumstances, that we should like them. I am suggesting that we appreciate their spiritual value, that is, “Here is another opportunity for God to work in my behalf.

“But that’s hard!”

There isn’t any doubt about that! But you don’t expect the Devil to make it easy for us do you?

How do we appreciate a personal problem or impossible situation? Through praise! As we worship God through praise, we begin to see each situation individually as God does. As we praise God, we need always to remember, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,” (Heb. 13:5). Yes, it may even seem that God is not present in the difficulties we face; but that is only a rationalization. God’s Word is what we must live by; not what we think or feel. We must appreciate the situation; knowing that God is aware and He desires for us to worship Him, even in our darkest hour, in order that He might minister to us.

Before leaving the subject of praise, I need to mention three verses. Take note of the words which are underlined:

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Phil. 4:6.

“In everything give thanks: For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thess. 5:17.

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Eph. 5:20.

Each of these three Greek words translated “thanksgiving” or “thanks” in these verses are all the same basic word. It is the word for (gratefulness)
or (gratitude). Praise is an attitude of gratification. It is not thanking God for the situation or the pain you feel nor is it thanking God for allowing this to have occurred in your life. It is affording God the pleasure of being your God and being the God of all situations. It is the use of grateful language in an attitude of praise. When we exercise this form of praise, even if it is only inwardly, as the tears are expressed outwardly, we are worshiping God. Such worship brings us into a realm of spiritual intimacy not experienced by most Christians. It is “Walking in the Spirit,” Rom. 8.

2. Prayer.

A verse I always used to be uncomfortable with is I Thess. 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” How could God expect us to do something that was humanly impossible? I have met people who were certainly godly and spent many hours each day in prayer; but is that what it means to pray without ceasing? If so, there is no human being on earth that could obey that command. Even if we could find a person that could go without sleep and pray, literally, twenty-four hours a day, do you think that would actually be fulfilling I Thess. 5:17? What does it mean then? It means making your life a perpetual prayer to the Lord and that can be accomplished through worship.

I mentioned earlier that worship is a form of prayer but not all prayer is worshiping God. When we are making request of God, that certainly is not a prayer of worship. When we agree with another Christian for God to answer a certain request, that certainly is not worship either. We can, and should, however, spend time in prayer simply worshiping our Lord. Stop and think about it. Do you ever worship God when you pray? Usually prayer is employed whenever we are in a jam and need God to bail us out. Often our prayers of petition take on the form of complaints: “Why is this happening? What have I done to deserve this? If you really loved me, why would you allow this to happen?” Does that sound like worship to you? Nor does it to God. In some respects I am again speaking of attitude. What is our attitude when we pray? Do we honor Him in prayer as the Sovereign Lord of our lives, as the Creator of all things, as the Holy One?

The Lord’s prayer begins with, “Our Father which art in heaven.” This reveals two basics on the subject of prayer. First, we have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father; “Our Father which art in Heaven.” He is your Heavenly Father and should be favored as such. Remember, we are talking about worship in prayer.

Secondly, the place of our Father: “Which art in Heaven.” Yes, it is certainly proper to petition our Heavenly Father with specific requests but we must remember that to do so means we must fix ourselves on where He is; “in Heaven.” One good reason why we find it difficult to worship is simply because we have allowed our mind to remain fixed on earthly things instead of on Heavenly things as we pray. Little wonder, therefore, that our problems seem too big for God to handle. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth,” (Col. 3:2).

I feel it necessary to point out that what I am referring to is not necessarily a verbal conversation which we carry on with God. It, just as easily, can be done mentally. Speaking verbally in prayer often assists us in fixing our thoughts on that which needs to be spoken to God but as we learn to worship God through prayer, you may find it just as easy to commune with your Lord from your heart without ever opening your mouth. As this begins to occur, you will then understand what it means to pray without ceasing and your life will become a continuous prayer to God.

3. Pondering.

Another form of prayer, as well as worship, is pondering; that is, to meditate. Pondering is to weigh in the mind, to balance, to dwell in thought.

A preacher friend of mine once told me he had heard that ninety-eight percent of all people do not think. I laughed and said, “That doesn’t bother me. I’m more concerned about what the two percent are thinking and I think I know what that is. They’re thinking of ways on how to keep the other ninety-eighty percent from thinking.” This seems to generally be true even with Christians. We are perfectly willing to think about what someone else has taught, preached, and written. We will even go to church and Sunday school and listen to someone teach us faithfully and will confess, “Boy, that’s good.” We, however, rarely attempt to examine God’s Word for ourselves.

Meditation, (pondering) is work but it is not difficult work and anyone can do it. King David confessed that some times he found it difficult to fall asleep at night because of his meditation on God’s Word (Psalm 119:148). Have you ever been kept awake at night because your mind was filled with the Word of God? Don’t feel bad. Few Christians have ever had this experience. Why? They do not meditate on God’s Word.

“But how do I meditate on God’s Word?”

You know the answer to that question as well as I do. If you know how to day dream, you know how to ponder. Simply take a portion of God’s Word; a particular doctrine, a Biblical principle, or even a single thought from a single verse of Scripture, and apply day dreaming techniques and you will be meditating. Allow it to be turned over and over in your mind. Look at it from every angle. Ask God what He thinks or inquire as to the true meaning. Do not stop meditating on that subject until you have received an answer from the Holy Spirit who will “Guide you into all truth,” (John 16:13). As you ponder the things of God, you will find yourself worshiping Him. Yes! You will be communing with God through a form of prayer that Scripture calls meditation.

4. Psalms.

David said something of interest in Psalm 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord my strength, and my Redeemer.” The Hebrew word for “meditation” in this verse is (music). Music can play a very important part in the Believer’s life. Music is a passive form of meditation, which is a form of worship. As we sing the words, our hearts become fixed upon God and the truth of His eternal Word; especially if we are singing songs with Scriptural lyrics. As we sing with our mouth, our spirit confirms God’s Word is true because the Holy Spirit “bears witness with our spirit,” (Rom. 8:16). What happens next? Well, David said it, “Let the words of my mouth, and the music of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord my strength, and my Redeemer.” Do you see it? As the music of David’s heart escaped from his lips, his mind and heart became fixed upon the truth of God’s Word; He, God, is our strength and Redeemer. Music is the easiest way to cause us to fix our minds and thoughts upon God. Even if your heart is broken and the words simply cannot be released verbally, put on a good Christian music tape and listen. As you do so, your spirit will confirm God’s Word is true and although you may be experiencing deep sadness and find it impossible to sing with your mouth, your spirit will be worshiping God.

The apostle Paul referred to this form of musical meditation when he wrote on the subject of the Spirit filled life in Eph. 5:17-22. He said one way to maintain the Spirit filled life was through “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). Stop and read that verse again. Note, it says “speaking to yourselves,” and later, “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” This suggests that it does not have to be done on the outside but it must be from the heart; the inner man. Furthermore, Eph. 5:19 concludes with “Unto the Lord.” Because of what you are currently facing, you may find it nearly impossible to express yourself publicly with others and to others with a spirit of joy and happiness, but it is not necessary for it to be done publicly; only to the Lord: “And Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward you openly,” Matt. 6:18. As we practice this form of musical meditation, we are exercising the Spirit filled life and worshiping God.

5. Pleasing God.

I know the word “pleasing” is unusual when trying to teach on the subject of worship, but pleasing God is a form of worship. Let me explain.

When my first son was about three years old, he began to have severe abdominal pain occasionally and usually late in the night. The pain always became so acute that he would eventually begin screaming as loudly as he could. Our pediatrician could not find anything wrong yet occasionally he would have these attacks.

At the age of nine, he experienced one of these attacks late one night. I carried him from his room into ours and laid him on the foot of the bed. He immediately got up and dropped to the floor; folding up with pain. He was in a dreamy like state and we found it difficult to communicate with him. As I lay in bed, listening to his anguish, I suddenly became angry. I had recently been studying the Scriptures thoroughly on the subject of petitioning God and tossing the covers aside, I leaped out of bed and knelt by my son. Placing my right hand on his back, I asked him to show me where he felt the most pain. He placed my left hand on his lower left abdomen. I silently began to pray. My petition lasted no more than sixty seconds. During that time I said nothing out loud but I allowed my thoughts to skip over several Scriptures which promised God’s willingness to hear and answer my prayers. When I finished my short prayer, my son stood up and announced, “It’s gone!” As he curled up on the foot of our bed, I asked him if it had indeed gone away. He simply mumbled “Yes,” and fell asleep; never stirring till morning.

Late the following afternoon my wife came upstairs from the basement and said, “Listen to what Trenton just told me.” My son began to relate what he had felt the night before. He said that he knew when I knelt beside him that I was going to pray for him. As I did so, suddenly, he said, he felt a tingling all over his entire body. As he became aware of the tingling, suddenly he felt a snap in his abdomen right in the area of the pain. “What happened next?” I asked. He confessed that the pain and tingling both disappeared and that was when he stood up.

I was pretty proud of this experience, especially since I had done the praying and the laying on of hands. After I had told this story a couple of dozen times to anyone that would listen, and secretly wondering if I had not now been given a special anointing for healing, the Lord spoke to me and said,

“That was pretty spectacular that night you prayed for your son, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was!” I said with a grin. “I’d sure like to be able to do that more often, too, Lord.”

“Do you know what really happened?” the Lord questioned.

“Sure,” I said without hesitation. “I laid hands on my son, prayed and claimed your Word, and you healed him. Thank you Jesus!”

“No!” He said. “Would you like to know what really happened?”

“Yes, Lord,” I said sheepishly, “What happened?”

“You and your son agreed in prayer and your petition was answered.”

I knew what the Holy Spirit had revealed was true but I simply had been too caught up in the experience to see Scripture clearly.

Consider I John 5:22: “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are (pleasing) in His sight.” The word “pleasing” in this verse is literally the word for (agreement). How about that! It actually says that no matter what we ask, we can receive of God, because we are willing to agree with Him by keeping His commandments. Jesus said, in Matt. 18:19, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven.” My son and I agreed, without even speaking a word, and he was healed. What did we agree on? God’s Word and that He would heal. We literally worshipped God.

I am sure that this form of worship is vastly overlooked by most Christians. It is, however, a Scriptural form of worship. We should agree with God and with each other whenever possible that His Word is true. It most certainly is an active form of worship and must be practiced with faith.

I trust I have given some insight to various forms of worship. An entire book could be written on each of these five forms of worship and since I have briefly touched on them, you need to examine God’s Word yourself to see their truth. There are certainly many other forms of worship, but I have selected these because they are perhaps the most obvious. The key, however, is practice. The Holy Spirit is our teacher. Ask Him how these forms of worship work and to teach you how to employ them. Study the Word and pray if you want to learn how to worship. God certainly is not afraid of our questions and He will always answer them and the best way to hear from God concerning our questions is through the worship of Him. PART IV

THE RESULTS OF WORSHIP

  1. It Frees The Holy Spirit.

When we worship God, we are demonstrating spiritual compatibility with the very nature and person of God, thus, the Holy Spirit is able to respond: “He maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered,” and “maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God,” (Rom. 8:26-27). Without the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, worship would be fruitless. The result of a worshipful attitude is Holy Spirit freedom. The result of such freedom is power.

2. It Frustrates Unholiness.

If you have not learned by now in your Christian walk, that there are unseen unholy forces which are attempting to frustrate your relationship with God, then you are about to discover their abilities as you begin to worship. Read Eph. 6:11-18 through carefully. We are, as Christians, at war with the Devil. Fortunately, Satan has already been defeated: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself Likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil; and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 2:14-15). When we begin to resist the Devil through the worship of God, He and all unseen forces which work against us, are frustrated in their efforts; at least Eph. 6:11-18 certainly seems to be teaching that. This is often why, when people really begin to worship God, perhaps for the first time, things seem to get worse instead of better. Do not give up; “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you,” (Jam. 4:7).

3. It Feeds Your Spirit.

The regenerated human spirit has been given a nature compatible with God’s and made a new creation (II Cor. 5:17). Your spirit, therefore, desires to worship God because it has now been made spiritually compatible. The Holy Spirit constantly urges us in spiritual things and thus, although, we do not often feel like worshiping; our spirit does. The real you wants to worship God. It is only the unregenerate soul, mind, will and emotions, that must be brought into subjection to your spirit.

Often Christians confess that worshiping God feels unnatural. It should be. Worshiping is supernatural. The soul, therefore, since it is only made obedient through the Word, rebels; attempting to rationalize. Our spirit, however, only desires harmony with God. You can see from this that a real conflict often occurs when you begin to worship. Override your soul and continue to worship. It may never seem totally natural for you to worship during difficult times but if you will do so, you will be conforming to the image of Christ. Your spirit needs to worship; especially during times of stress and difficulties.

4. It Fixes The Heart.

How do we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour? “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved,” (Rom. 10:9). There it is! First we confess with our mouth that Jesus is now our Lord. Secondly, we believe, (commit) with our heart that God raised Him bodily from the dead. Thus it is with worship. To fix your heart upon God and His Word you must begin to worship. You begin by using your mouth and as you do so, believe with your heart.

“But I really don’t believe it in my heart!”

That is not true. It is your mind, your intellect, that is telling you that you do not believe. Your mind, (soul) must be made to obey your regenerated spirit which has been created anew. If you continue to worship, you will be causing your soul and mind to be disciplined. Your heart will then become fixed upon God.

5. It Fortifies Your Faith.

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” (Rom. 10:17). Worshiping God amplifies His Word. Actually worship, in its most basic form, is focusing on God and what He has already said about Himself in His Word. Employing meditation disciplines our soul to see His Word as He does; and as has already been pointed out, meditation is a form of worship. The result of this form of worship is a fortified faith. If your faith has not been working very well recently, begin to worship the Lord and you will experience an increased faith.

Most of us, as Christians, worry about our faith. “Is it enough?” Many who hear me teach on the subject of worship will confess they try it but it does not always work for them. When we are in the midst of great sadness and defeat because of impossible circumstances, it is often nearly impossible to generate enough spiritual strength to worship God alone. This is one reason why you need a good church and close friends in the Lord to help you when worshiping God alone is impossible. No one is capable of negotiating their Christian life totally alone. Often, no matter who we are, we will find it necessary to solicit help from others. Worshiping God together is a form of agreement; and agreement will amplify our faith.

6. It Purifies The Soul.

I have referred often to the differences between body, soul, and spirit. It is our soul, (mind, will, emotions,) which constantly needs to come under the leadership of our spirit. According to James 1:21 this is done by the “engrafted Word.” Literally the implanting of God’s Word into the soul by the regenerated human spirit. Yes! This is difficult. It is, however, absolutely necessary. The (Paraklete,) the one who parallels our life, is the one who the Father has sent to help us do this very thing. The soul must be the servant of the spirit. It must be made to obey God’s Word and to believe it even when the circumstances say otherwise. In many cases, especially when things are nearly, or completely, out of control, worship will be the only thing that will purify your soul. Your soul will cry out for relief and beg God for mercy. Your spirit, on the other hand, does not desire mercy; it desires victory. When your spirit attempts to worship God, make your soul obey.

CONCLUSION

Spiritual maturity can be advanced through worship. Now that you have read about how to worship and its results, you will be tested. First, the Lord will give you opportunity, if you desire to learn how to worship, to exercise these principles. Secondly, the Devil will also put you to the test. You will experience failure but you are not a failure. Jesus died to make these things possible. He was bodily resurrected to confirm they are true. You must decide if you will worship Him to gain spiritual intimacy. We have been commanded to do so: “Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Cor. 6:20). Become spiritually sensitive to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Worship God and you will know Him.

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