I’ve got good news for the discouraged worshiper.
Everything you possibly need to be a fully engaged, passionately committed worshiper of God has already been given to you. Everything. Don’t believe otherwise.
God gave you the Holy Spirit:
indwelling, guiding, empowering, revealing, interceding, convicting, and transforming
(Read back over that list considering how each word affects your worship life – knowing you’ll receive as much as you need and allow.)
And He gave you the Bible, the word of God:
revealing truth, unveiling God, and piercing the soul
(Again, as much as you need and allow.)
Because we can’t do this worship thing on our own. We were never supposed to.
If you feel inadequate, that’s because you are. So am I. God never expected us to accomplish His purposes and satisfy His will without Him. And that includes worship.
What he commands us to do, he empowers us to do. His will always comes with a way.
And we embrace His help by embracing Him. By embracing a lifestyle of waiting, seeing, believing, loving, and worshiping – in that order. That’s where we begin.
Waiting → Seeing → Believing → Loving → Worshiping
So when it comes to passionately pursuing and intimately engaging the God of the Bible in worship, stop trying to do it on your own OR giving the responsibility to somebody else (like a worship leader).
Admit your inadequacies and accept His provision. Release your struggles and welcome His perspective. Forget your preconceived ideas and embrace His plan. Stop your striving and invite His power. Give up the excuses and pursue His purpose. “ . . . we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3).
The “My ways are not your ways” (Isaiah 55:8) truth reaches deep into our relationship with God and our worship of Him.
I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad His ways aren’t my ways. I’m glad that my limited view of God isn’t all there is. And I’m glad I’m not left to figure out how to get to His throne confidently on my own.
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
“But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You” (Psalm 5:7).
What grace. What love. What power. Everything you possibly need to worship.
Photography copyright: anelina / 123RF Photo
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