Comment from ###:
"I heard a teaching yesterday, prayer is sandwiched between rejoicing and thanksgiving"
My response:
Yes....praise draws us near to Him and Him near to us, so that we can then lay our request at his feet properly. What parent wants to give his child something when all he hears is, "give me. give me. give me." Like God, we are more receptive to the grateful, gracious, respectful child. We love all of our children, but we do more for those who do more in return.
Beyond personal worship, this plays a part in corporate worship. I'm not saying that it should be 3 song, 1 prayer, 1 song then lesson then....BUT, the order of our worship IS important, it draws us near to Him. I attend 2 churches, and the worship leaders are both wonderful in what they do. Both services are very different...no musical instruments vs. instruments, weekly sacraments vs. random taking of communion. Both services are holy spirit filled, not because of the simple message sandwiched in the middle. But because both leaders follow the holy spirit's guidance when selecting music choices. Because both leaders spend much time in praise and prayer before worship us, preparing to prepare us to be in God's presence.
All to say this...God is wonderful, miraculous, loving, just. HE deserves our worship to be an honor to him. He deserves for us to come before him not only in need, but in awe of all that he has done, can do and what he will do. He deserves our praise.
Question for Meditation:
What do you do when you pray typically? Do you just give God a laundry list and expect it to be done? Do you spend time with his holy word? Do you spend time worshipping with the saints? Do you praise Him even when you are in the storm? How do you HONOR him? What do you FOR the lord?
"I heard a teaching yesterday, prayer is sandwiched between rejoicing and thanksgiving"
My response:
Yes....praise draws us near to Him and Him near to us, so that we can then lay our request at his feet properly. What parent wants to give his child something when all he hears is, "give me. give me. give me." Like God, we are more receptive to the grateful, gracious, respectful child. We love all of our children, but we do more for those who do more in return.
Beyond personal worship, this plays a part in corporate worship. I'm not saying that it should be 3 song, 1 prayer, 1 song then lesson then....BUT, the order of our worship IS important, it draws us near to Him. I attend 2 churches, and the worship leaders are both wonderful in what they do. Both services are very different...no musical instruments vs. instruments, weekly sacraments vs. random taking of communion. Both services are holy spirit filled, not because of the simple message sandwiched in the middle. But because both leaders follow the holy spirit's guidance when selecting music choices. Because both leaders spend much time in praise and prayer before worship us, preparing to prepare us to be in God's presence.
All to say this...God is wonderful, miraculous, loving, just. HE deserves our worship to be an honor to him. He deserves for us to come before him not only in need, but in awe of all that he has done, can do and what he will do. He deserves our praise.
Question for Meditation:
What do you do when you pray typically? Do you just give God a laundry list and expect it to be done? Do you spend time with his holy word? Do you spend time worshipping with the saints? Do you praise Him even when you are in the storm? How do you HONOR him? What do you FOR the lord?
