Sing with the Spirit and Understanding

Monday, October 30, 2006  From a study on worship from Jack Hayford's book "A Heart of Praise"

Psalm 47:6-7  “Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King over all of the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm, and with understanding.”

I Cor 14:15  “I will sing with the spirit and I will also sing with understanding.”

How often do we merely mouth the words without ritual understanding?  Certainly in our worship leaders we need to cultivate our best talents and hone our skills, but we need the Holy Spirit’s enablement and sensitivity in understanding.  That causes our song to soar.  It can then flow to God’s honor and glory through a dedicated single-minded heart and not through a technically accurate, but double-minded musician whose spirit is not in tune with the Spirit.

Our singing in a worship service is not a preliminary “warm up” to the main event called a sermon.  It is an integral part of the worship, made vibrantly alive in us as we sing with the Spirit and with understanding. 

Psalm 30:11-12

Psalm 33: 1-5

Isaiah 12

Acts 16: 25-34

Worship and the Meaning of Life

Friday, October 27, 2006  From a study on worship from Jack Hayford's book "A Heart of Praise"

Psalm 90:12  “So teach us (me) to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

When life seems hard, defeating, unfulfilling, and aimless, we must be as honest in our prayers as the psalmist was.  Cry out to God, not in dark unbelief, but in the light of HOPE.  Worship God!

The fact that our heart isn’t overflowing with blessings or abundance need not be a hindrance to our worship.  We should never stay away from our public, or private, worship because ‘we don’t feel like worshiping.’

Even in the dark times we must realize the vast power of worship to give our lives meaning and purpose.  If we surrender to the liar who is veiled in feelings of despair and aimlessness, we will bow before hopelessness, exchanging the Almighty God for a lesser god.

When we worship God even in despair, we defy the enemy and declare our valuing of the good, the best – the Lord.  There is no more worthy purpose to praise and no more worthy time for it. 

In worship of our Lord putting God first enables us to focus on His Love, our blessings, instead of temporary feelings of despair.

The despairing moments will pass.  We will overcome by remaining in God’s presence.  In our times of confusion and aimlessness, remember that the power of worshiping in the darkness will enable us to order our days aright and to finish them, not with a sigh, but with a SHOUT.

Lord, grant me, as I praise You, a vision of who I am and what I am to do.  Enable me to order my days in ways that glorify Your name, and even when I cannot see my way, to trust Your providence. 

In Jesus, my Lord! Amen

Enter His Courts with an Offering, Too

Wednesday, October 25, 2006  From a study on worship from Jack Hayford's book "A Heart of Praise"

Psalm 96: 7,8  Give to the Lord, oh kindreds of people, give to the Lord glory and strength.  Give to the Lord the glory due His Name; bring an offering and come into His courts. 

It is impossible to talk about worship in the biblical framework without talking about offering to God our material substance – our money.  He doesn’t need it, but the fact is, giving our financial resources is a proper response that opens the way to the spiritual law of giving and receiving. 

Giving generously is the measure of how generously we can receive, how open we are to the impouring of God’s blessing. 

II Cor 9:6  “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”   God wants to pour into our lives His blessings, but our capacity to receive depends on whether we ‘let the plug out’ at the giving end of our lives.   We are created to be channels of blessings. 

Here is the process:

*  He provides

*  We trust and give

*  He blesses our gifts

*  He fills us again with His abundant provision

God’s intended blessings of material resources are far more abundant than we can imagine or ever repay.

Let praiseful obedience break any stingy spirit and according to His generosity and grace let us worship with abounding financial gifts of gratitude.   

Jack Hayford's words say it well, "God of good and gracious gifts, I praise You for blessing me with so any good things"   

Increase my capacity to be content with what I receive, and as You enable me to become a generous giver, make me an example of one You can trust to give aboundingly as You have increased my ability to praise You in this way.  

Through Him who gave His all for me - AMEN!