Tag: Adoration

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Worship

Thankful

Let’s be honest. Do we like being around someone who is always an ungrateful grump? Who never sees anything good in anyone or anything?

A true worshiper is thankful. It will be very difficult to worship God if one is not grateful.  

We read in Psalm 50:14 (NLT) “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God.” I love how Spurgeon describes this Scripture as “thankful adoration before the Lord.”  

Oh, to simply and purely adore Him, to stand in awe of Him.  

Recently, we held an anointed and powerful worship and prayer night at a place that we had never imagined possible. The next morning, as I was sitting at my desk, I was literally overcome with gratitude and amazement of who our Lord is and what He had just accomplished. I stopped typing, stood up from my desk, lifted my hands and my face towards heaven, and with tears streaming down, I cried out to Him, “I simply stand in awe of You, Lord God!”  

Psalm 48:9 (NLT) says, “O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your temple.” It is interesting to note that both thankfulness in Psalm 50:14 and worship in Psalm 48:9 is the same Hebrew word: todah. which means “an extension of the hand, adoration, confession, praise, thanks (thanksgiving offering).”  

And Psalm 147:7 instructs us to “Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving [todah].” Let us commit to doing this. 

As we are filled to overflowing with gratitude to our incredible, faithful God, it becomes a delight, an absolute joy, to worship Him with thanksgiving and cheerful, gratified hearts!    

If you enjoyed this devotion, you may want to check out my devotion book How Can We Not Worship Him? at the following link:  https://howcanwenotworshiphim.com/

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Worship

We are Invited into His Presence

Isn’t it amazing the God of the universe, Creator of all things, the One mighty angels bow before His throne in adoration, praise and worship – invites you and I into His presence?

We are instructed in Psalm 100:2 to “Come before His presence with singing.” This breathtaking statement tells us several items to deeply consider with awe and reverence. The One who split the earth wide open, created the Rocky Mountains, and formed the baby we have held in our hands is personally inviting us to come and spend time in His presence.

This Scripture also is shedding light that we are not only invited, but we are able to come into His glorious and splendorous presence. Can our small finite minds comprehend this? And how? With singing! Yes, the Holy and Majestic One is inviting you and I into His hallowed and unimaginable presence with singing.

We are also admonished to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving” (Ps. 100:4). Think about this – this is informing us there are gates to go through to get to Him – and our Lord is asking us to come through those gates with thanksgiving. We also read it in Psalm 95:2 “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;” The Hebrew word in both places for thanksgiving is todah which means thanks, thanksgiving, adoration. This is how our Holy God is asking us to approach Him; with adoration and thanksgiving.

We are also encouraged to come into His courts with praise (Ps. 100:4). We have come through His gates with thanksgiving, now He wants us to come closer; into His courts – with praise. The praise here, in Hebrew, is tehillah and means laudation, celebrate, praise. Wow, singing songs of praise, exultation, and admiration of our great and awesome God brings us right into His glorious, wonderous, magnificent and sacred presence. This is where He wants us! This is where we belong.  

Oh Lord Jesus, help us comprehend what you are asking us to do, inviting us to do – everyday of our lives. May we get this deep down in our soul. The One who rules and reigns over all and of Your Kingdom, there shall be no end. The One who died and rose from the dead so we could live an eternity with You and made a way for us here on earth to come into your glorious, splendorous and majestic presence now. Let us pray through these Scriptures and gladly do as You are requesting. To daily enter into Your gates with thanksgiving and into Your courts with praise and bask in Your magnificent, beautiful, heavenly, holy presence. This is where we want to be. Amen

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Worship

Looking for an Answer?

Have you ever found yourself so frustrated, so tired and worn out trying to find an answer to a problem you are facing? An issue at work you just cannot resolve. A dilemma at home that is getting worse. A predicament with your children you simply cannot find a solution. A disagreement with your spouse that is at a boiling point, and you are at a loss as to what to do. A relationship with a close friend that has gone south, and you are completely stumped as to how to rectify it. You find yourself weary and exhausted with the direction of your life and have no answer as to how to change it.

We find an answer in the Bible – Psalm 77:13 encourages us and inspires our soul with “Your way, oh God, is in the sanctuary;”

What was in the sanctuary? His presence. What went on in the sanctuary? Worship.

When people of God, like Hannah, David and Asaph, were perplexed, troubled, and needed an answer, they went into the sanctuary, His presence, to wholeheartedly worship without abandonment and obtained the perfect answer—from God Himself.

Oh Jesus, You hold all things together — the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains, from the seas to the dry land. For the earth is Yours, and everything on it, the world and all who live in it. Your Word promises us that You uphold us with Your righteous right hand; that You know all things. You are the Designer and Creator of all creation. You hold the sun, moon, and stars in Your hands. You knew us before we were in our mother’s womb. Why would we ever consider going anywhere else for an answer? Oh Jesus, the joy of running into Your presence to worship You unhindered, unashamed, without restraint. Please forgive us for trying to figure things out by ourselves. Thank You for reminding us in Your Word, that You alone have the answer, which can be found prostrate on the floor in heartfelt worship of the One Who gave His life for us, and is now seated on the throne in heaven at the right hand of Father God. Oh, how we love You. How can we not worship You? Amen

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Worship

Lord, I Believe

We read a fascinating story in John 9, where Jesus heals a blind man since birth. After the blind man was cast out of the temple for claiming the man who healed him was from God, Jesus found him and asked him “Do you believe in the Son of God?” (John 9:35).

When he came to understand the man speaking to him was Jesus, the Son of God who healed him, “Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped Him” (John 9:38).

This man gave the perfect response and following action to Jesus’ question, the response and action that He desires from everyone. And when we are reading His Word and we come across a Scripture that stirs us, grips us, convicts us, and/or our behavior, may we quickly fall to our knees and cry out “Lord I believe” and move into pure, heart-felt, unbridled worship of the One who loves us and died for us that we would spend eternity with Him. Oh, how He loves us.

Oh Jesus, thank You for Your Word that we can read, pray, and shout out loud Your truth. We are so overcome with gratitude and amazement of this story; our soul literally jumps with excitement. May we bow down to You, oh Most High, and gladly, yet humbly cry out Lord, I believe and worship You unashamedly, with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Amen

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Worship

Give Thanks to the Lord

One of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 92:1-2, as I find myself praying or singing it out loud many times throughout the day. Praying these verses always humbles me, and propels me to stand in awe with a heart of worship of our incredible, faithful God, that loves us so. 

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night” 

Oh Jesus, how can we ever thank You enough for Your written Word that stands forever. What a refreshing joy to sing, shout, and pray out loud Your promises… that stirs us to unrestrained, unbridled worship of You. To remind ourselves throughout the day to give thanks to You, singing praises to Your name, O Most High. Declaring Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night! Oh how we love You Jesus. How can we not worship You?!

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Worship

Pray to Know Our Gracious Father God

We pray to deeply and intimately know our gracious Abba, Father God. After I asked Jesus in my heart to be my Lord and Savior in February 1985, the Holy Spirit taught me how to pray by praying Scriptures out loud. During that time, He led me to pray Exodus 34:6-7 (NIV1984) “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”

This Scripture so touched me, humbled me, broke me to tears as He revealed to me Who He was, and what He did for me, a broken, messed up man, lost in sin. Since that time, probably more than any other Scripture, I declare who my majestic, loving and awesome God is praying out loud Psalm 103:8 (NIV1984) “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”, and Psalm 145:8 (NIV1984) “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” Oh, how can we not fall down on our knees and worship Him?!

I love the little extra that Psalm 86:15 adds: “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” And reading Jonah’s complaint against God always puts a smile on my face: “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2).

Nehemiah knew Who He was when he prayed out “But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. Now therefore, O our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders, upon our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people” (Neh. 9:31-32).

The prophet Joel received an urgent and powerful word from the Lord in Joel 2:12-13 that was just as important for God’s people then, as it is today for us: “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”

Can we not actually know and feel David’s heart-cry in Psalm 51:1 as he cries out to his great God of compassion: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” And Isaiah also sheds light on our gracious God in Isaiah 30:18-19 (NKJV) Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you…He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you.”

Oh Papa God, Abba Father, we stand in awe of You as we marvel at your great compassion for us. Help us to grasp in heart, mind and soul how very gracious You really are to us. That when we cry out to You, You hear and answer! Oh may we bow down in pure, unashamed, unabashed, worship of our faithful Lord, Who is overwhelmingly compassionate on us, immensely gracious to us, shockingly slow to anger to us, and so excessively abounding in love towards us. Oh, how deeply we love You, Abba Father, we really do; How can we not worship You?

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Worship

Unto You I Lift My Eyes

“Unto You I lift my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens
Behold, as the eyes of the servant look
to the hand of their masters,
as the eyes of a maid to the hand of
her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God”

Psalm 123:1,2

Oh Jesus, who but You would we earnestly and passionately desire to behold Your face? We look to You, as our hope, our trust is in You and You alone. Oh to stop, to stand still, and to lift our eyes to the heavens from which comes our help. You, and You alone are our admiration, our affection, our hearts desire. To simply stand in awe of You as we pour out our hearts like water offering You our unbridled, unhindered, unashamed worship to You, the Lover of our souls. Oh, we love you dear Jesus… how can we not worship You?

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Worship

Worship the God of Steadfast Love

How can we not be moved to bow down and worship our God of steadfast-love when we read and ponder the amazing and incredible story of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to provide a wife for his son, Isaac, in Genesis 24? (I encourage you to slowly read all of 24.)

We read in Genesis 24:2-7 of Abraham instructing Eliezer, his oldest and faithful servant, to go to the land of Abraham’s birth and obtain a wife for Isaac. To which his servant said “what if she is not willing to go”? Abraham then spoke out such a faith-filled statement it astounds me: “The Lord God of heaven… will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son”.

With that encouraging word, his servant arose and traveled to the land Abraham spoke of. Upon arriving, he prayed with expectant hope: “please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham” (Gen 24:12).

Then, with faith arising, he prayed again “Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master” (Gen. 24:14).

Oh, how we serve the great Promise Keeper, as we dazzlingly read in v15 “And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah… came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.” How can we not stop, bow down and worship our spectacular and marvelous God?

Upon seeing Rebekah, the servant ran to her asking her to provide water for him and his camels, and if her household had room for, he and his group. To which Rebekah replied “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge” (v17-25).

“Then, the servant bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord” (v26). Think about this a moment; God, fulfilling His promise, moved this man to bow down to the ground and offer unashamed, unabashed worship to God Almighty! Father God has fulfilled a promise to us to send His Son that you and I could be forgiven, redeemed, and sanctified to live with Him for eternity! How can we not bow down in deep awe and respect and worship our Lord, who loves us and gave His life for us?  

And as the servant was bowing down to the ground worshiping God with awe-struck wonder, he cried out “”Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren” (v27). Absolutely astonishing and breathtaking is our Holy God Almighty!

Oh, Jesus, your steadfast love never ceases to amaze us. You have never forsaken Your never-ending mercy and truth towards us. Regardless of our mistakes and failures, Your mercies are new every morning. How can we not be enraptured to bow down to the ground and worship You as we read and ponder the amazing, incredible stories of the fulfillment of Your promises?

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Worship

The Power of Praise & Worship

We read an amazing story in 2 Chronicles 20 where three armies, labeled “a great multitude” came against the people of Judah. Fear came over the king and all his people moving them to seek the Lord and proclaim a fast in the land. May we ask ourselves, is this how we handle fear?

A word of the Lord was spoken, encouraging them they would not need to fight this battle, but to go out the next day and set, stand, and see the deliverance of the Lord (see v17).

Upon hearing this word from heaven, the king and all the people bowed, with their face to the ground, and worshiped the Lord (v18). What a response to our holy and majestic King of Glory, we all should follow!

Early the next morning, they arose to sing and praise the Lord, and as they were singing, with their “voices loud and high” (v19), God brought confusion in the enemy’s camp, causing them to turn on each other.

There are multiple benefits to praise and worship our Lord God Almighty, but one we should not forget is: Never underestimate the power of praise and worship, as it confronts and confounds the enemy’s camp!

Thank you, Jesus, for preserving Scripture for us to read, ponder and pray through, building our faith as we do. Faith in a God that hears our cries for help, and answers us with a solution no one would ever conceive. These are examples for us to learn from and emulate that bring all glory to You and You alone. May we rise each morning praising and worshiping You with voices loud and high, for You alone are worthy of it all. Oh, how can we not worship You?!

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Worship

We Stand Faultless Before a Holy God

What can we do but weep tears of joy as we humbly read in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Can we pause and pray for a deeper revelation of the fact that our Lord Jesus, who knew no sin, took on our sin, so we might be the righteousness of God?

Let this truth overwhelm our soul. Our righteousness, our right standing before a Holy God, comes from Him, and Him alone (Rom. 3:21–26), all due to the finished work on the cross.

What should our response be to the truth in Jude 24 “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy”?

Oh, to grasp that we stand faultless before a holy God, humbled and in awe of His immense demonstration of love toward you and me. Let us lift our hands in appreciative and affectionate worship to Him in response.