WORSHIP

How does the dictionary define worship? It is defined as: reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.

 

I happen to believe that only my God, in the form of Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Ghost, deserves my worship. No other person or thing deserves that degree of honor from me, or deserves first place in my life. I learned a while ago that my personal relationship with Jesus must take first place in my life to enable everything else to fall into place. I wish I had learned this earlier in my life, but for now I’m grateful I did learn it.

 

So, as I write on the topic of worship, my focus is on worshipping God, nothing else. Reverent honor of God can take many forms, but my comments will pertain to worship music as it relates to healing.

 

For you skeptics out there, I just want to let you know that there is a whole industry in the secular world devoted to Music Therapy.  The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) website (www.musictherapy.org) includes the following: "Music therapy interventions can be designed to:

 

  • Promote Wellness
  • Manage Stress
  • Alleviate Pain
  • Express Feelings
  • Enhance Memory
  • Improve Communication
  • Promote Physical Rehabilitation

Research in music therapy supports its effectiveness in a wide variety of healthcare and educational settings.”


Honestly, I don’t doubt this one bit. How could I? I believe that God, the creator of music, created it for our benefit, but primarily to worship Him. If so, then how could I not believe that He would bless/heal me as I worship Him in song?


So, it’s not that I doubt the findings of the AMTA at all. I just believe that what they found out was what God intended, whether they realize it, or give Him credit for it, or not. God came up with it first and I give Him the glory for it!


There is so much truth to the benefits of music alone. Such peace can be sensed through music as it fills my spirit. Thinking back now on my childhood, I remember music surrounded me a great deal. My mother loved music --- it was playing in our house often. When my parents built the house I lived in from middle school through high school, they included an intercom system that was popular at that time. I remember my mother used that intercom to pipe music throughout the house on all levels. I don’t think I fully appreciated it then; I do now.


So, if music alone can have that effect on a person, how much more effective is it when coupled with God’s Word? I happen to know it is an amazing experience. I can’t do it justice with this writing. I just pray that you will experience that blessing for yourselves. It is like none other.


Let me explain it this way. During times of worship at our church, I sometimes sense a “nudging” by the Holy Spirit to leave my seat and go to the altar. Why the nudging? I’m not really sure --- but if God is asking me to, I just need to obey. Perhaps it’s because I need to get away from others, away from distractions that keep me from hearing something that He wants to speak to me. Perhaps it’s to “break the ice” for someone else to whom He’s telling the same thing, but he/she is hesitant to take that step of faith. Perhaps it’s simply a test of my obedience. Whatever His reason, it doesn’t matter --- I am never disappointed when I obey Him.


There is a time of worship that specifically stands out to me. Not too long ago, I was going through a tough period in my life, surrounded by a barrage of hurtful things on many fronts. I was in significant emotional pain. Again, He called me forward. Believe me when I say that I didn’t want to go up to the altar of the church at that moment. But I went up anyway. I remember we were singing “Word of God Speak.” And there, as I sang through my tears, He met me. During the instrumental solo, I simply prayed “Lord, speak to me.” And He did. It was when I was alone at the altar that I heard Him say this to me: "I see all you are going through.  I miss nothing. Remember, I am right here with you." Tears of joy streamed down my face.


I walked back to my seat and listened as one of our pastors shared scripture before we joined in prayer with one another. The scripture?Genesis 16:13 “The LORD talked to Hagar. She began to use a new name for God. She said to him, "You are 'God Who Sees Me.” She said this because she thought, "I see that even in this place God sees me and cares for me!" (ERV) Coincidence? No, I think not. It was the move of the Holy Spirit.


I don’t want to forget to emphasize that worship via music is not limited to church. I have worship music as background music while I do lots of things --- right now as I write, sometimes as I pray, cook, dust, drive, etc. Let it flow freely around you whenever possible. I am thankful to my son and daughter-in-law who tipped me off to Spotify, a free service for playing music on my PC. (Check it out at www.spotify.com.)


When you’re in the midst of any battle, grab hold of your favorite worship music and bathe yourself with it. Meditate on the lyrics of God’s Word. When I battle health symptoms, I play healing CDs (or CDs of healing scriptures). I have even gone to bed at night with these CDs playing softly in my ears. Works every time. Rejuvenates me. His Word with song has a healing touch to my life. Keep the healing flowing in your life!


I have two additional thoughts to share. I learned a couple of new perspectives on worship while my husband and I attended our first year of Bible College. The first scripture comes from John 4:23-24“But the time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. In fact, that time is now here. And these are the kind of people the Father wants to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit. So the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."(ERV)

 

I learned that true worshippers worship Him in church and in their everyday lives by what they say and how they live. That’s what God is looking for, so I want to make sure He finds it with me. As indicated in this scripture, I need to worship Him in spirit (what’s inside) and in truth (what’s outside).

 

I also learned this from Zechariah 14:17“And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.” (NKJV) What does this mean to me?

Without worship, I cannot expect to be blessed by the rain (i.e., the latter rain of healing, deliverance, blessings, safety, long life, etc.)


I realize there may be “doubters” reading this that have a difficult time believing what I write here. I also realize I can’t control that. I can just speak the truth as I have experienced it and pray you will be open to experiencing it for yourselves. I cannot do that for you. No one can do that for you. Each of us has to decide for ourselves. I fully understand I will be held responsible for the consequences of every decision I make.


Be blessed!



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