Joanna Harris is an author and blogger with a tremendous passion for God. You can contact Joanna here. For more on Joanna and her ministry, check out her website here. There you can also find links to her other blogs.
www.newlineministries.com
-Psalm 92:1-2
It
is good to praise the Lord! After nine years of chronic illness, I've learned
that one of the most healing and beneficial things I can do is simply to
worship God.
We
are commanded numerous times in Scripture to worship God, because clearly He is
worthy of our worship – and He is the only One who is. But in recent years, the
Lord has shown me that worship is also His gift to us.
Worship
redirects our thought patterns away from the challenges of here and now to the
eternal reality of who God is. We were created for much more than what we can
see today. Worship reminds us that God is working out His eternal plan for us.
It renews our sense of awe and restores proper perspective to our lives.
I
think worship also helps connect our mind, emotions, spirit, soul and body.
Chronic illness often made me feel disconnected in many ways. But as I sang
praises to God, I was able to focus my whole being in the same direction. I
believe focused worship helps to restore whole and complete function of who we
are and who God created us to be.
Neuroscientist
Dr. Caroline Leaf explains that when we worship God our brains actually grow,
increasing in intelligence and wisdom, and flooding our minds with peace.
Worship not only blesses us spiritually, it’s good for us physically.
Worship
also enables us to express our love for God and to embrace His love in return.
This is a profound mystery – how a finite, imperfect human being can somehow
commune with an infinite, holy God. Through worship we become more aware of
God’s presence, we get a tiny glimpse of heaven’s glory, and we find a healing
balm for our souls.
While
we desire to live lives of worship (as living sacrifices, Rom. 12:1-2), clearly
praising God with music and song is a vital part of worship. If we limit times
of worship to a weekly church service, we miss out on the joy of personal
worship time with the Lord. The Psalmist said he proclaimed God’s love and
faithfulness morning and night. Corporate worship with other believers is a
tremendous blessing. (Believe me, after six years of missing church due to
illness, I’m thrilled to be able to worship with my brothers and sisters again!)
But we also have the opportunity to enjoy daily time in worship, just us and
God.
Two
years ago, I began spending several minutes a day in focused worship to the
Lord. No other noise, no distractions, no agenda. Using hymns, praise choruses,
and worship songs, I spent precious time telling Jesus how wonderful He is and
how much I love Him. This time with the Lord quickly became the best part
of my day. I love every minute I spend in worship to God! At the same time,
it's probably the hardest spiritual discipline for me to do consistently. I
think that shows how important it is for my spiritual and physical
health.
More
than anything I want to live in love with Jesus each day! Any love relationship
needs intentional cultivating. I’ve found this habit of personal worship is an
amazing way to cultivate my love relationship with Jesus. It is God’s precious
gift to me.
If
you haven’t considered this before, I pray you’ll begin a personal worship time
with the Lord. If it’s already a habit in your life, I pray you'll be blessed
as you continue to worship and adore your worthy Savior. And you can pray for
me also to not neglect this awesome gift.
Blessed are
those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence,
LORD.
(NIV)
Happy are those
who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your
presence, LORD. (NLT)
How blessed
are the people who worship you! O LORD, they experience your favor. (NET)
-Psalm 89:15www.newlineministries.com
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