Intimate Moments with the Lover (of my Soul)

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Worship is an Amazing Thing.

Like a sunflower following the sun as it races across the sky, worship sets God as the focus and allows Him to shine into our hearts.

If you think “I don’t have time” then you may need to change some things. I had to start getting up early to make the time.

Something about setting aside those first morning hours with God has amped up my relationship into a hyper-drive that I never thought I would have.

Worship allows me to get still before God and just bask in His goodness.

It allows God to bring to the surface the stuff I may not have been aware of. Stuff He wants me to give up or give over to Him. It allows me to be like the sunflower and just grow.

Worship is More Than a Song

I am a singer, so I love to sing. You may not be a singer, but I bet, in the safety of your shower or car you have been known to hum a few bars, maybe even break into full scale operatic mode. This means that you have it in yourself to be a worshipper.

Not just a singer.

Worship has less to do with how you sound and more to do with on whom you focus.

When we turn our hearts and affections onto God, we show Him our love, our devotion. He created us for Himself. He wanted us: desired us. Like a lover He waits for us.

Worship is an intimate moment with the One who longs for us. Worship is a way to get into God’s presence and be changed.

The Heart of Worship

Does the tempo matter? Does the timbre of instruments matter?

No. Your heart matters.

Do not let the music become a distraction or your focus. Remember the sunflower. Focus on the Father of Lights.

Be open. Be humble. Be Loving.

Honor God for Who He is, for what He has done, and for what He is yet to do.

Make Love to the Father

Have I shocked you? 

Are you still with me? 

Because that is what I have meant every time I said "intimate". 

Now I say it plainly. Make Love to Him. Love Him with your whole body, your soul and your mind. Love Him with all you are, all you have been and all you will ever be. 

Worship can make us pregnant with purpose.

Out of those intimate moments of worship God will plant in you the seeds you will need to supply your dreams: to reach your purpose. Worship creates clarity of vision and hones us for the race we are running. 

Worship will leave you sated like nothing else. Full to the brim with His love and purpose for you. 

What is your favorite worship song right now?

How to Have Peace in Our Lives

The world doesn't stop. Round and round it goes and we can get caught up in the never-ending cycle of wake, work, eat, sleep, repeat. 

We can look like ants, in a line, following blindly because we think this is what we are meant to do. Think I am wrong? Watch what traffic looks like at rush hour. 

I want us to take a moment and be still. God is in the quiet. 

When we take the time to turn off all the noise of the world something amazing happens. We can get in the presence of God and be renewed. We can be made stronger, more resilient, firmer in our faith and more focused for the tasks we have to do. 

This quiet time can be found by shutting off the TV, walking away from the computer, getting in a room alone, and worshiping. 

Psalms 100:4 says this: 

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 

In God’s presence there is peace and fullness of joy. 

Take your cares to Him. Bring your prayers, your pain, your hopes, your dreams. He wants it all. He wants your whole heart and your whole life, because He wants to make your life whole. 

Psalms 119:73-80 (MESSAGE) 

With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. When they see me waiting, expecting your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad. I can see now, God, that your decisions are right; your testing has taught me what's true and right. Oh, love me—and right now!—hold me tight! just the way you promised. Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to. Let the fast-talking tricksters be exposed as frauds; they tried to sell me a bill of goods, but I kept my mind fixed on your counsel. Let those who fear you turn to me for evidence of your wise guidance. And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high. 

Watch this video, listen to the words of the song. Ask God to breathe His peace onto you. Your world may continue to spin chaotic and you may feel stuck in a never-ending cycle, but God is with you. Do not be overwhelmed by the world, but let God’s peace overwhelm you and you can face anything. 

If God is for us, who can be against us?

My prayer in the night!

Father, I cry out to you. You, O lord are in Heaven, full of grace and mercy on Your throne. You who dwells in the hearts of man, whose love pours out over the nations, whose eyes roam the earth to and fro. To You I cry and come before You now.


In my soul I am disquieted. I ache with the pain of my lack. I have failed to trust You. I have raised money to a status above You. Forgive me O lord; I know what You have said. No man can serve two masters. Lord, I repent. I have not truly looked to You as my source. I have not relied on You as I should. I repent and I am determined to change.


Change my heart Father God. Renew in me a right spirit. One that is upright before you, one without shame, shade, or turning. Let me be transparent before You now. Cleanse me and purify my heart o Lord. I want You, and the things of You in my life. I do not accept lack, I do not accept my “place” when it is inferior to what You have designed for me. I will not be weighed down by these lies. I deserve more as Your child. You have plans for me. You have a path for me. You o Lord have designed me for a purpose. I am yours to wield.


Where I lack You are enough. Where I need, You are sufficient. You are my supply, and You are endless. YOU ARE MY SUPPLY AND YOU ARE ENDLESS! Your love and mercy are new every morning. You are more faithful than the sun. You are the mighty creator, and You love me. You make covenant with me, you broke Your Son’s body for me; Your love is endless, matchless and without measure. Teach me O Lord to be like You. To trust You. To lean into You. To sit and be still to know that You are here. In your presence IS fullness. I will not go hungry, I will not be left a beggar, In you I have everything I need. In you I LIVE, I BREATHE, and Have my being!


You sing over me, songs of love, songs of comfort, and songs of life. You are all I have needed, and I will look to You. I will look to Your holy hill and know my help is on the way.


Examine me lord. Open me up, lay me bare. Grow me from the inside out. Rejuvenate, remake, remodel me into Your image, as You intended from the beginning. You o Lord are my shelter, my fortress. Under Your wing will I stay and I will trust in you all the days of my life.


You knew me in my mother’s womb, You saw me before I was ever made. You knew all my faults, mistakes, and failings and you loved me anyway. You are so good. I praise you O God! To you I declare my love and abiding faith. In you I am grafted. In You I dwell. In your city, on Your holy hill, I will kneel before You, singing your praise and weeping in Your presence.


You Father know my needs before I do. You are already making a way where there seems to be no way. You are the one whose footsteps I follow. I listen for Your melodic, warm voice as it leads me along still waters. You are the lifter of my head, the lover of my soul, my true and mighty king. You are all I need. I will not forget, but when I do forget, Your Spirit will remind me. You are my help in this and every moment. I love You, I worship You. Majestic Righteous, Omnipotent Savior. Mighty God, in whom I will place my trust! To Him who sits on the throne, all glory, all power, all might. You are great and greatly to be praised. Lamb of God, Eternal Brother, Savior, King. I love You Lord. Amen.

Psalms 151- My song.

Arise! Arise!

                In Jesus, Arise!

Dance! Dance!

                In Jesus, Dance!

Sing! Sing!

                In Jesus, Sing!

Do not be moved

Do not be swayed

Our foundation firm

Our debt is paid

Arise! Arise!

                In Jesus, Arise!

Dance! Dance! 

                In Jesus, Dance!

Sing! Sing!

                In Jesus, Sing!

There is hope

There is freedom

When a child is

In His Kingdom

Arise! Arise!

                In Jesus, Arise!

Dance! Dance!

                In Jesus, Dance!

Sing! Sing!

                In Jesus Sing!

For we are bought with a price

God’s only son, the sacrifice

Lift Holy hands to His name

Sing to Him and Proclaim

He is worthy

He is Holy

Father, Savior, King

Arise! Arise!

                In Jesus, Arise!

Dance! Dance!

                In Jesus, Dance!

Sing! Sing!

                In Jesus Sing!

I am no dancer, but before my God I dance. 

I am no singer, but before my King I sing!

In the morning my song will rise,

At noon my feet are lithe.

My father sees me and is pleased.

I am no great orator, but before my King I plead. 

I am no artist, but before my Master I am clay.

In the evening I cry to my Father

In the night I rest in His presence

My Father holds me and I am safe.

Arise! Arise!

                In Jesus, Arise!

Dance! Dance!

                In Jesus, Dance!

Sing! Sing!

                In Jesus Sing!

The Names of God

The names of God describe His character to us. There are at least 217 names for God in the Bible. He is Yehweh. He is our peace, our Shepard, our Lord who is our provider, our healer. our Savior. He is our all in all, the King of Kings, The Lord of Lords. 

God is. Jesus read from Isaiah and used the verbs in the first person. HE DECLARED who HE WAS! 

Luke 4:17-19

King James Version (KJV) 

 17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

God said to Moses tell them I AM has sent you. Whatever problem you face, where ever you find yourself in life RIGHT NOW, He is I AM! 

He reigns over every problem, He sees every obstacle, He works all things to your good if you love Him and are called to His purpose. 

Romans 8:28- 30 says this: Amplified Bible (AMP)

28 We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
29 For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was [b]aware and [c]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.
30 And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].

God sees what we can not, He moves and works on our behalf. He is God and He loves, HE is God and He saves, He is God and He Reigns. 

Do not be afraid, do not be shaken, Rest in Him and know He has called you to be in Him, Alive and Free. 

Be blessed and be a blessing and remember God IS! 

Copyrights belong to:
(c) 2009 Hillsong Church, Hillsong Music Australia

Impetuous Peter and the Journey to Self-Discovery in Christ

When you think of Peter, what is the first thing you think of? Cutting off a guy's ear? Standing in front of the "Pearly Gates"? 

Who was Peter? 

Impetuous Peter had a whole slew of qualities. Let’s look at some of them.

Peter walked on water; he slashed off a man’s ear. Peter recognized Jesus as the Son of God, and then he denied Jesus three times. Peter was a fisher of men, but could not watch and pray for a few hours. He was prone to legalism but dreamed of freedom from the law. He did not see the big picture before the crucifixion but preached on the day of Pentecost and thousands got saved. 

Peter ran from the horror of a trial and then hanged out in a cramped room full of believers in the days following Jesus’ death. Peter was a man of God and he had a temper. He was a fisherman and he was a brother. He was not rich but gave what he had. Peter heard a voice in the desert then followed a Savior. He was a twin with identity issues and he stood out to all those around him. He was prideful then let Jesus wash his feet. He failed then he was restored.

We are like Peter! 

Every time I think I have life figured out, I seem to find one thing or another to fail in and mess things up. Peter was no stranger to this phenomenon. But God still used Peter and He can use you and me! God uses the things the world puts no faith in, and He confounds conventional wisdom because there is success anyway, strength anyway, peace anyway.  

Peter was an Expert

Peter had something that we need. He had time with Jesus. I have heard it said that it takes 10,000 hours of work, research and time with a subject before you become an expert. That is 1 year, 1 month and 21 days (roughly) of one on one with the subject of study. Peter walked and talked, and was taught by Jesus for nearly three years. He was an expert. He was a believer. He was a founding apostle developing doctrine and teaching countless men and women throughout his life. And he still had issues.

So if all this is true, what does it mean for us? 

It means we can be an Impetuous Peter too. 

We can make mistakes, and have tempers, and fall on our face with pride issues, but if we continually surrender to God and allow Him to grow us, guide us, and lead us by the belt, then we can impact the world too.

Growing up I always thought of Peter as a weak willed man. He denied Jesus. I had no empathy at all for him. I could not figure out why Jesus went out of his way in John 21 to restore Peter and encourage him the way He did.  Part of my confusion was a lack of understanding the Jesus’ character, but now, I understand what it takes to be a real follower, and I know that Jesus is the lifter of my head. This was Jesus’ whole purpose on earth: restoration, forgiveness, and teaching. Now I realize that I am an Impetuous Peter, and I need restoration, forgiveness and understanding that can only come from Jesus.

I know that there is a long history and spiritual ancestry that is behind me. I know that like Peter, I will make mistakes. Like Peter, I have a calling on my life. Just as you do. For this purpose did I come, to testify to the truth!  

Like Peter I cannot get caught in the past, but have to allow myself to be renewed, and restored and made usable every day. I have to proclaim the glories of God and remind people the time is NOW.  Tall order? Maybe, but with God all things are possible.

So I want to close with a few questions.

1. Are you like Peter or is there another person in the Bible that you identify with more? Why?

2. What is your purpose? Have you defined who you are supposed to be in Christ yet?

3. Have there been moments in your life that made you think “That’s it, I really blew it now!” and made you feel like there could be no way you could move forward?

4. If you answered yes to #3, has there been a moment that Jesus restored you like in John 21? Reminding you there are things you still have to give and to do?

These are not easy questions. They are designed to make you think about your life and to press in to figure out first who you are in Christ and secondly to figure out what God has called you to do.  We overcome by the word of our testimony. I have to remember mine almost daily.

What is your story?

Corporate Worship, YES, that means TOGETHER...

Church- body- congregation- in the Greek it is ‘ekklesia’ and it means the assembling of God’s people. Hebrews 10:24-25 says provoke (or entice/challenge) one another to love and do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together…but exhort (build up) one another and so much more. In case you think ‘church’ is a modern idea and God didn’t give examples of it in the Old Testament, then look at Psalms 149:1-4. (The Message)

Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song, praise him in the company of all who love him. Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator, Zion's children exult in their King. Let them praise his name in dance; strike up the band and make great music! And why? Because God delights in his people.

Something I want to point out here. There is an order to Praise and Worship, and it revolves around FOCUS. The focus of our worship should be God. In this text it says hallelujah, sing to God, praise Him, Celebrate the Sovereign Creator, exult the King, praise His name THEN it talks about the music (the actual artistry of sound). What we focus on is what becomes important in our lives. So if we obsess about the style of the music or what the conga drummer did that should have been done by the main drummer, or if someone on the Praise Team sung a flat note THEN WE MISS THE MARK! I have been soooo guilty of this. Nit-picking every little element of the music and missing the opportunity to usher God’s presence into my life, I have spent a month of Sundays, if not more, miserable about the praise and worship service: totally missing the point of why I was there in the first place. It is not about me, it is about sharing with other believers my faith, my trust, my hope in my Father. It is about my neighbor being strengthened and reminded that God cares for them, and by example showing the unbelievers among us that there is something bigger than themselves that calls to them, and that is the TRUTH of salvation.

The funny thing is there will always be those of us that still pout like petulant children and ask why? Why do I need to spend time together with those ‘churchy’ people? Why does God give us these examples of corporate worship? “BECAUSE GOD DELIGHTS IN HIS PEOPLE”  

We get together for so many things in this life: birthday parties, super bowls, getting engaged, getting married, celebrating a promotion or sending someone off as they embark on the next chapter of their life, like graduation, or just to send someone off on vacation… and still there are those that wonder why they should “get together” with other believers and spend some time worshipping God?

To those who feel this way, consider what the psalmist said in Psalms 84:10 “Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere”. To me this is reason enough. Moving on…

Praise and worship should be clear. Whether you are “bringing in the sheaves”, or “giving it all away, away”, songs should be easily understood and followed. Not everyone can rap, and a service full of TobyMac-ish lyrics won’t minister to every age, just like old-style hymns won’t minister to kids who have no idea what sheaves are in the first place. This is not just a matter of personal or “Church” style, but there is a practical application as well. Let’s look at that next.

Earlier I said “showing the unbelievers among us that there is something bigger than themselves”. I want to talk about that for a moment. Corporate Worship should be evangelistic. There are often unsaved among the body on any given Sunday, and our Praise and Worship time should not be so “churchy” that it excludes the non-believer. Remember in the story of King Jehoshaphat that we covered a few days ago in “Jumping Jehoshaphat!”? After all the battles were over, the children of Israel sang and worshiped all the way home to Jerusalem and the other nations heard them and knew that God fought on behalf of Israel and they (the other nations and kingdoms) believed. Songs did that, not a 45 minute sermon, not a prophet standing under some tree…songs. 

Twenty years ago, my friend Teresa, had never been to church. She was raised in a home that was extremely worldly and she had never heard the name of Jesus in anyway other than as a curse word. So imagine her shock when she went to her first church service with her new boyfriend and all their songs said Jesus in them over and over and some even talked about blood and sacrifice. She told me later that all she kept picturing was a slasher-style movie scene in her head of some Michael Voorhees-like character cussing while ripping out his victim’s guts. She laughs now, because she knows what “power in the blood” means and why Jesus is so precious, but what grabbed her attention was the strangeness of the way the people at church spoke and the things they sang. She was full of questions that eventually got answered by her boyfriend and his parents (later her hubby and in-laws) and she became a believer. I tell this story to say this: our song service is another chance to present the gospel. Praise and Worship should be clear because it is a chance to expose the unsaved to the gospel and spark life in them for the first time.

How do we do this? We stay relevant. We are not part of the world because we are now new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) but we have to live in the world around us, because that is where we were called out of. (John 15:19)

Webster’s online says relevance is this: Definition of RELEVANT

1 a: having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand b: affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion <relevant testimony> c: having social importance

We need to change. Not what we stand for or who we are as believers, but we must modify our approach. Change is hard. We are creatures of habit. I can hear several of the people that I grew up around, in my head now, saying if it was good enough then, it is good enough now. And in one way they are right. We still want people to know they can have Victory in Jesus, but what does it hurt to sing that in a newer, fresher way? The message is the same, the delivery is different.

Are there any problems with staying relevant? Only if reaching the lost is a problem. You remember them right, the lost? “Those” people in the mall that don’t look like you because they have rings in their noses, and holes the size of quarters in their ears need Jesus too. So do the rappers, the punkers, the skaters, the bikers, the cowboys, the emo’s and any other sub-culture you can think of. Jesus died for them all. (John 3:16, Galatians 3:28)

I have heard one pastor say it like this: we catch the fish, Jesus cleans the fish. I heard another say this: get them born and let God change the diapers. Hopefully you get the point, catching fish takes effort, and it is work to bring babies into the world. We must prove we have a significantly better way of living life and present evidence to that fact. We must show we have importance socially but most vital is to show spiritual importance. That is relevance.

Finally, allow room for the Holy Spirit to move. If I haven’t lost you already, I may lose you here. I must preface this with two things. First, I believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Malachi 3:6) and secondly that there is a Godhead or trinity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, and 16:8-13). Since God does not change, and He cannot lie, then the Holy Spirit is still active today! He is a comforter, a teacher, a friend. Allow the Spirit to show you the things of God and you and the body will never be the same. (We can talk about order in a service and the Holy Spirit at another time, but if you want to look at that read 1 Corinthians 13 and 14 to start)  

So if your corporate worship is country and western, or contemporary, or rock; remember these fundamentals:

1.      It must be God focused

2.      It must be clear

3.      It must be evangelistic

4.      It must be relevant

5.      It must allow room for the Spirit

6.      And IT MUST INCLUDE YOU!

Be blessed and be a blessing and remember that together is and adverb. 

Investing in your Spiritual 401K with Worship

It is a "Me" Problem 

Whether a praise and worship service is ‘good’ or not does not depend on the band, the leader, or the acoustics, but it does have everything to do with us. 

I have been Praise and Worship leader for two churches, and sang with the praise and worship team in others, and I have been just another singer with the congregation, as I am now in my home church. I have even been in a choir featured on a praise and worship album with Hosanna Integrity (Holy Fire with Paul Wilbur). 

So What Makes Worship Good? 

I have gone to churches where everything that happens in a song service is perfectly planned and executed, and I have been to services, where the congregation sings with backup tapes because there is no band. I have seen song services that are so dry that the dusty bones crying in the desert have more life, and I have been in real worship services that have been so moving, so powerful, it ushered in the Presence of God and it became the only service that day: preaching never happened. Do you know what all those services have in common? 

Me. 

Jesus said to the woman at the well, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

So break it down: Worship God honestly, (truth) leaving no part of you closed off, even your spirit, (heart) your soul (mind, will and emotions) and your body should be open to Him and His spirit as you enter into His presence and exalt Him. 

Psalms 150:4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.6 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

Remember, worship is an UNSELFISH act. We sacrifice our time, our focus (which face it, usually is on us way too often) and give our time and our focus to God. Decreasing our value (in our own eyes) and increasing His in our lives is the goal! (John 3:30) 

We have already looked at God moving on our behalf because we worship, (Jumping Jehoshaphat) and seen that real praise and worship can break chains and change the course of our lives (Turn up the volume and Rock on!) 

Let the Storing Up Begin!

But it only happens if we invest all we are. Matthew 6 says lay up our treasures in heaven, in other words, invest in what is important! 

Worshiping God is an investment in our relationship with Him, our spiritual 401K, if you will…. And its growth all depends on what you contribute to it. 

Be blessed and be a blessing and remember that invest is a verb!!!

Join the Conversation

What is your favorite way to get into God's presence? 

Turn up the volume and ROCK on!

Are You Missing Out? 

If all you consider praise and worship to be is the three or four songs you sing at the beginning of a church service, then you are missing out! It is so much more than that.

Today’s text is from Acts. Paul and Silas had been traveling around the city for several days and there was a slave girl, possessed, used by her masters as a fortune teller following them everywhere. When Paul had enough of her interference, he turned, and spoke to the spirit itself, and cast it out in the name of Jesus. 

 Her owners were not pleased because she would no longer be able to be a profitable slave, so they set on Paul and Silas and beat them and threw them into maximum security. Here is where we pick up the story.

Acts 16: 23 (NCV) Then Paul and Silas were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to guard them carefully. When he heard this order, he put them far inside the jail and pinned their feet down between large blocks of wood. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God as the other prisoners listened. Suddenly, there was a strong earthquake that shook the foundation of the jail. Then all the doors of the jail broke open, and all the prisoners were freed from their chains.

So, beaten, bruised, and in maximum security (inner jail and in stocks) Paul and Silas began to pray and sing! Songs of praise, thanksgiving and worship (The Message version says ‘robust hymns’) were loudly and sincerely offered to God in the middle of some pretty bad circumstances. 

Now I have never been beaten as bad as these two were, but I have some experience being severely bruised and sore from an automobile accident. If I was forced to sit in one position all night in a jail cell after my body had felt such horrible trauma, I don’t know if this would be my response.

How would you respond? 

These men focused not on themselves, but on God. They understood something: this life is temporary and so are our circumstances. 

I want you to think about this. 

Our lives are eternal, having no end. If you have a relationship with Jesus, that means after this flesh dies, you spend more time in some other state than you will in this body, and you will spend it in the PRESENCE OF GOD! 

When you look at life this way, you can walk in confidence and freedom to obey God more than ever before, to worship Him as you never have before.

Now let’s talk about Volume! 

I am not talking about the size of your hair for all you ladies in Texas, but the intensity of sound in which you worship God. 

You should not be ashamed of God, (Luke 9:26) nor should you be ashamed of giving praise where and when praise is due (Ps 96:9).

Psalms 31 says

“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed”.

Turn it up! 

Your praise and worship time with God should be so intense it drowns out all else. It should drown out the voice of the enemy and it should drown out our flesh. It should drown out the sound of your boss, spouse, or kids. Make a joyful noise! PS 81:1 “Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.”

Now, what kind of songs?

I am not here to tell you what songs to sing to God. If you enjoy Southern Gospel, Christian rap, or Contemporary like Hillsong United, Hosanna Integrity, and Vineyard, or if you would never sing anything that wasn’t in a hymnal, then that is fine. 

What matters is this: that what you sing should sincerely move you as it GLORIFIES GOD. That is what praise and worship is, glorifying God through music and song, exalting Him above all else.

Rock the house! 

Paul and Silas sang loudly. The other prisoners heard them. They rocked the house! How can I tell that? It rocked the earth and went to the very foundations! This may or may not be a literal translation, but it does have spiritual applications. Real praise and worship ushers in the presence of God. 

Real praise and worship breaks chains, and sets people free. Not only did it break those in literal chains free, it breaks down the walls and barriers that people hold up that keep them from seeking relationship with God in the first place.

Acts 16: 27- 34 “The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were open. Thinking that the prisoners had already escaped, he got his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted, “Don’t hurt yourself! We are all here.” The jailer told someone to bring a light. Then he ran inside and, shaking with fear, fell down before Paul and Silas. He brought them outside and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” They said to him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all the people in your house.” So Paul and Silas told the message of the Lord to the jailer and all the people in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Then he and all his people were baptized immediately. After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and gave them food. He and his family were very happy because they now believed in God”.

Freedom is contagious! 

Paul and Silas, despite their circumstances, praised and worship God. That ushered in the presence of God, and that sets people free! Worship God today, and every day. Bring His presence into your life and watch Him rock your world to the very foundations!

Be blessed and be a blessing and remember exalt is a verb!

When is your favorite time to worship? 

Jumping Jehoshaphat!

I said we would be exploring more about praise and worship this week, and jumping Jehoshaphat we will! Let’s look at 2 Chronicles 20: 12b, 15b, (KJV), and 18- 30. (The Message)

12b for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.15b Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.18 Then Jehoshaphat knelt down, bowing with his face to the ground. All Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping God. 19 The Levites (both Kohathites and Korahites) stood to their feet to praise God, the God of Israel; they praised at the top of their lungs! 20 They were up early in the morning, ready to march into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, "Listen Judah and Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! Believe firmly in God, your God, and your lives will be firm! Believe in your prophets and you'll come out on top!" 21 After talking it over with the people, Jehoshaphat appointed a choir for God; dressed in holy robes, they were to march ahead of the troops, singing, Give thanks to God, His love never quits. 22 As soon as they started shouting and praising, God set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir as they were attacking Judah, and they all ended up dead.23 The Ammonites and Moabites mistakenly attacked those from Mount Seir and massacred them. Then, further confused, they went at each other, and all ended up killed. 24 As Judah came up over the rise, looking into the wilderness for the horde of barbarians, they looked on a killing field of dead bodies-not a living soul among them. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to carry off the plunder they found more loot than they could carry off-equipment, clothing, valuables. It took three days to cart it away!26 On the fourth day they came together at the Valley of Blessing (Beracah) and blessed God (that's how it got the name, Valley of Blessing). 27 Jehoshaphat then led all the men of Judah and Jerusalem back to Jerusalem-an exuberant parade. God had given them joyful relief from their enemies! 28 They entered Jerusalem and came to The Temple of God with all the instruments of the band playing. 29 When the surrounding kingdoms got word that God had fought Israel's enemies, the fear of God descended on them. 30 Jehoshaphat heard no more from them; as long as Jehoshaphat reigned, peace reigned.


Wow, what a story, and what an example for us. Are times hard? Are you facing enemies all around? First, keep your eyes on God. When your eyes are looking in a direction that is the direction you head. Ask any batting coach you screams ‘keep your eye on the ball’ or hall monitor that yells ‘watch were you are walking’. Psalms 121:1 says “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” God is our help. God holds us under his wing, and sings over us. He knows our comings and goings. He loves beyond measure and is faithful all the days of our lives. Look to Him!


Verse 15b shows us, that when our eyes are fixed on Him, when we trust in Him, He answers us! We are not alone in this life. God will never leave us or forsake us. (I Kings 8:57) That promise of God, in itself, is reason to worship God. And the children of Israel did. Verse 18 and 19: they worshiped at the word of the Lord and the priests praised with a LOUD voice (as one) on high. They sang at the top of their lungs! (I will say here, that not all of us can sing well, but all of us can make a joyful NOISE! It is a heart issue, not an ear issue!)


Next, you must understand that PRAISE GOES BEFORE YOU! In verse 21 we see that a choir (or troop) of singers was appointed to go before the army: singing “Give thanks to God, His love never quits.” There is something that happens when we are worshiping God, which is this: He is moved to work on our behalf! Take a close look at verse 22 through 23, because here we see God set ambush Israel's enemies and He causes them to turn on one another and they kill every single one! There wasn’t just one enemy, but many! God was big enough to take care of them all.


In addition to taking care of His people, God supplies the spoils! (Verse 25) there are benefits to worship beyond in that moment. God lines up His blessings for us when we worship. (Ps 84:7 says we go strength to strength)


Now what? The battle is over! So worship the LORD! Sometimes, when the trouble is past, it is easy to fall back into complacency and forget to worship God for what He has done! Israel marched all the way back home jamming out to praise and worship. The band was in full swing! I know God loves worship because creatures in heaven are seated around the throne saying day and night “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”


Finally, when the other nations and kingdoms saw that God fought His children’s battles, they backed off and there was peace! Peace! So lay down your desire to fight all your battles on your own. When we worship, God fights on our behalf and does so for His glory. (Ps 19:1-10)


Worship is a reasonable response to His faithfulness, to His goodness, to His love. Worship solidifies our relationship with God, and moves God to act on our behalf. Worship is an extension of who we are: God’s creation, just like those around the throne singing “Holy, Holy, Holy!” So rock out readers! Crank it up, and shout it out! Our God is faithful, and He deserves our Praise!


Be blessed and be a blessing and remember: sing is a verb!

Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!

Prayer is communication. It is talking and then listening to God. Jesus gave an example of prayer in Matthew 6:7- 13 says: (KJV)




But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen




There are plenty of bible studies out there that dissect this prayer, and I am sure any number of them will be better at explaining this, but I want to share with you what I see here.




First, don’t use vain repetitions. A prayer for rain, or a prayer for a good birth, or a prayer to blight your enemy, these were all common types of prayers among other religions. But today I see this in the body of Christ too. I have done it. Prayed a generic prayer to appease the requirements I must meet as a Christian. ‘Lord, bless this food to our bodies, and our bodies to your service’ before every meal… the Lord’s Prayer said as it is written because people don’t understand that it is a template, not the be all and end all in prayers. Hail Marys’ because that is what you are taught and you have no idea why, it just is…




If every conversation with your husband, wife, parents, or children repeated the same words every time, could you call that real communication? Think about it.




The second thing is that God already knows what you need to talk about. What you need to ask Him for. He just wants to hear it from you. John 14:13 says “and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” God sees the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Talking builds relationship. Between us and God, communication should be an intimate thing: open, honest, and frequent.




Next, we should praise who God is. The psalmists had it right. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and enter into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name.” (Ps 100:4) Really look at that scripture. Now think of a palace. The gates go around the palace. Before we even enter into God’s presence we should be thanking Him for who He is and what He has done. The courts are His personal space. Throughout modern history, a citizen must be invited to court before coming to see the king. Thank God, we have a personal invitation, sealed by the blood of Jesus to come and go freely! We also have an intercessor. An advocate leading our case before the throne of God: Jesus. (I John 2:1)




In addition, we should ask that God’s will be brought to earth. Since God works through men and women that means we need to ask Our Father to make us malleable and obedient. It means we need strength and discipline, so those are things we should ask for too. Hard to do, because, when your heart really lines up with what you ask for, we don’t always receive the answers the way we think we should.




That is why relationship and trust is so important. When you truly trust, you can take anything that gets thrown your way. If you are having issues dealing with the curveballs of life it means you must stop leaning on your own understanding, and lean more on His. (Proverbs 3:5)




Now that we have 1) dispensed with convention and 2) actually come to God in prayer instead of vainly wishing for what we need, and 3) really worshiped who God is, and what He has done and 4) Asked God to prepare us for His will in our lives; NOW we can ask for our needs. Now we can beseech the Lord for our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs; i.e. Bread, forgiveness, and the ability to forgive others…. protection from evil and from ourselves, and so much more. This is when we can crawl up into Daddy’s lap and let our hearts hang open… He can deal with the blubbering and snot… so let it out.




Finally, listen to what He has to say back, and realize He is the ultimate authority on what is best for you. When we leave that prayer time, and life starts happening around us, remember that the will of God is at work and all of this life is opportunity for His glory.


Be blessed and be a blessing, and remember, ASK is a VERB! 


What are you asking God for?   

Giving is Worship

People Just Don't Understand

I want to talk about giving. Have I lost half of you already? It is a touchy subject, but I believe it is because people often don’t understand the principle behind it. 

One of the reasons I started this blog is because I want to give more to other ministries than I have monetarily. I felt like I could give more, but knew that what I did have wasn’t a lot of money. I had an ability to write and a love of words. I had a background in journalism, a geeky fascination with the internet and a list of ministries that I would love to tell more people about because I believe in what they do, and how they do it. 

I believe this is one of the reasons that God gave me this idea, to give what I could: my time and talent. 

You see, giving isn’t just about money. Giving is about your time, your talent and your money. As a girl I grew up in a church program that taught me to be “a faithful steward of my time, money, and talent”. Here is that lesson I learned as a girl in action. 

Luke 6:38 says Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you. (ERV)

God uses men and women on earth to carry out His work. When I give, whether that is my time, talent, goods, service, or money, I am being used by God. Give and you shall receive. 

This is a spiritual law. 

The key to which is found in the second part of the verse, which focuses on the attitude of the giver. “The way you give”, some translations say “whatever measure you give”. 

I have always thought of this scripture like this: if I were romancing someone and I wanted them to return my affection, I would give them my time. I would share with them gifts; I may even buy them a thing or two. 

Romance God. 

When I give it is not to man, but to God. When I serve at church, I give to God. When I put money in an offering plate, I give to God. When I write a check to a family that is struggling because dad is out of work and the wife is battling cancer, I give to God. When I sing it is not so people are blessed, that is a by-product of my gift, it is a gift to God. I am in essence, romancing God. This is an expression of my love. 

But why do we give? Because giving is a form of worship. When God has done so much for us, it is a natural extension of our gratitude and love for Him to give. 

Luke 8:2-3 talks about some of the women that served Jesus while He ministered to the masses. “(They) ministered unto him of their substance.” What they had, their possessions, they gave to him. This was their worship. 

Do you worship God by giving? Do you give with a good attitude? Whether you have a little or a lot, 5 talents, 2 talents, or one talent (Matthew 25) give what you can, and let God take care of the rest. 

Remember, worship is a verb.

What is one way you can give to God this week?