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Monday, December 12, 2016

Heart of Worship


HEART OF WORSHIP
Living A Life Submitted Unto God

During my time with the Lord in prayer and study, He began talking to be about the “Heart of Worship”. Have you ever just been in a service praising and worshiping God, but you're just singing the words and your thoughts are far from what words you are singing? Have you ever rushed off to do “the service of the Lord” without taking the time out to first seek the Lord?

Our ministry should never outgrow our time with the Lord. Our time with the Lord in prayer, His Word and worship should never be compromised keeping “ministry” as the reason. Many are making the mistake today, therefore making way to flesh control. It is our time with God that helps in walking in the spirit. We as ministers and leaders of God should pave way to exalt God, not self.

The Lord is burdened about such kind of people growing in the Body of Christ. He is calling his people back into the HEART OF WORSHIP to walk in spirit and in truth, where it is all about Him!

Our perfect example is Jesus himself. Jesus often withdrew from the crowd to seek the face of the Father. (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, 6:12, 9:18, 22:39-45) He didn't let his ministry of healing and teaching hinder His time with the Father. He never did or said anything without the leading of the Father. He was a man submitted to God in many ways, most notably by spending time with God in prayer. That is how He did all that He did: A lifestyle of submitting to God, body soul and spirit. He went up to the mountain, did His thing with God, then came down the mountain and did the stuff with the people. By His submission to God, He knew when to stop, and when to go. Sometimes the people's unbelief stopped Him, but other times, the Lord comes in power and does the stuff in spite of unbelievers.

We need to live a life submitted unto God. As we spend time in fellowship with the Father, He sends His own Love, Faith and Hope into us via the conduit of the reborn spirit within us. His “will” is made known to us, first in our spirit. As we progressively comprehend the Father's will regarding any given situation, our spirit begins projecting the “image of hope” onto the screen of our soul. We being to “see what our Father is doing.” We then begin speaking the will of the Father and apply corresponding actions. This speaking and acting “in the name of Jesus” releases the authority for the Holy Spirit to manifest the will of the Father in earth, just as it is in heaven.


“Father, thy will be done in earth, just as it is in Heaven!”

Many “miss it” because they do not live a life submitted to God. Learning and knowing the voice and directive counsel of God only comes from an intimacy of the secret place with Him. He says when to act in power and demonstration of the Spirit and when not to. Memorizing faith scriptures are good but it can't impart that quality in the Believer, without spending time with God. There is no substitute; not even the Word itself, for learning the voice of the Lord for any given time and place. That is what it is to be submitted to God. Just as Jesus' life was one submitted unto God, body soul and spirit, so must ours be. Jesus always sought the will of the Father, not his own. (John 5:30). We must do the same.

Jesus said “...you will ask Me nothing. Ask the Father in My name...He will give it.” (John 16:23). We must yield to the mind of Christ, and be fully surrendered to God's will. Know the will of God. (receive confirmation) before asking. This gives us the confidence to stand, knowing we are not asking amiss (for our own pleasure). (James 4:3), but we are asking in faith (James 1:6, Mark 11:22), according to His Will (I John 5:14). In this there is safety and keeps one from experiencing many disappointments.

When we honor God by living a life of worship, it blesses Him and honors Him! Not only that, but we are shining lights for Him and living a life we were designed to live. For those who don't do this, it is scary because they will answer to the Lord for their behaviors, words and teachings and if they cause another person to stumble, they will be held accountable.

The Lord is all about motives, thoughts and intentions. He knows the depths of every person's heart because He created us and knows every detail of our lives. This Scripture is found several times in the Bible:  
Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Isaiah 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

This refers to the people who were religious but didn't serve God with the right heart. It says in verse 13, “Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

We need to reflect a heart after God like David did. This Scripture is a great reminder and prayer to keep asking God to cleanse us and to give us the right heart and right spirit: Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

I like the example we find in Isaiah showing us how important it is to spend time in God's Presence first thing:

Isaiah 6:1-8
Isaiah goes into the temple and worships God and sees a vision of the Lord and the first thing that comes to Isaiah's mind when he sees the Lord, is his mouth. It's the first area of his life that he is convicted about. An angel brings a live coal and touches his unclean lips saying his iniquity is taken away and his sin purged. The Lord asks who He shall send and who will go for them. Isaiah says to send him. He will go. He did not say this until he had an encounter with the Lord.
We need to begin our day, seeing the Lord, coming into His presence, confess our faults and weaknesses, so that God can touch our mouths, cleanse us for going out for the day, to help our community, those with unclean lips. Every day, have an encounter with God! Let God touch your mouth, cleansing you. Let not only our lips/words be cleansed but also our hearts – bringing them back to Him. Let not our hearts be far from Him. Get back to the HEART OF WORSHIP where it is all about HIM! Spent time with Him before anything. Seek His guidance. Speak only His Words. God loves when we seek to honor Him wholeheartedly.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpYD7HQo9QQ

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