June 20th
“The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.” Isaiah 30:31-32 NKJV
“After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.” As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” 2 Chronicles 20: 21-22
Praise and worship of the Lord God is an effective and powerful weapon against the forces of evil. The Bible contains numerous examples of what happens when people praise and worship God. The above verses illustrate how singing praise and worshipping God with instruments can bring about mighty moves of God.
The heart of worship is to be in spirit and in truth. Jesus explained, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23 NIV). God wants us to be honest and sincere when we come to worship him. If we’re doing it as a show or because we want to fit in with everyone else in a church service, we’re not acting in truth. If we’re allowing our minds to daydream while we worship, chances are our spirit is not involved in the worship.
Too often people put barriers up between themselves and God that prevent them from really getting to know him. For example, some people allow pride to prevent them from showing reverence for God. For those people, publicly lifting the hands in adoration or kneeling before the Lord might be unthinkable. Some people just don’t want to get “emotional” and resist letting down their guard enough to let God in. Other people get hung up on the style of the music or the instrumentation or the way the singers sing it, completely missing the meaning of the words. There will always be the potential for barriers and distractions, but we can choose to ignore them and press into God.
When we really get to know God, authentic praise and worship will begin to naturally flow from us. If we have yet to have a revelation in our hearts about God’s splendor and majesty, we can ask him to help us catch a glimpse of his glory. We can also study and meditate on the scriptures which will help us appreciate God’s amazing qualities and character.
Questions for further thought:
How does true praise and worship help us counteract any prideful tendencies we may have? (James 4:7-8)
How does having secret sin in our lives affect our praise and worship?
If you have some barriers or distraction that have been weakening your praise and worship, what steps can you take to return to worshipping God in spirit and in truth?
Prayer:
“Ah Lord God, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched hand. Nothing is too hard for you. Thank you for redeeming me from destruction and giving me new life through the precious blood of Jesus. I confess any barriers or distractions that I have allowed to corrupt my worship: ______________(list). Please show me how to resolve these things and return to worshipping you in spirit and truth. I pray also for fresh revelations of your glory that will help me better understand how much you deserve all honor and praise. Thank you, Father! I praise you now and forever, Amen.”