Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Gift of Worship

By: Joanna K. Harris
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

It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. 
-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 89:15


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