We were created to worship. Whether through proclaiming His word over our lives and others, laying prostrate on the ground in silent meditation, dancing, or lifting up holy hands and making a joyful noise in song to Him, we were created to worship the living God, He is very real. I have heard it said and I do agree that praise and worship is simply part of who we are, because of this we cannot get away from the desire to worship. It is as if it were genetically programmed into our very DNA. Down to the cellular level, we must worship. As a former worship leader in heaven Satan knows this and uses this pre-programmed need we have to his tactical advantage, as he works to present a variety of things before us in an attempt to get mankind to worship something other than that which we were created to. Things like money, sex, drugs, certain types of music, sports, cars, women, men, our children, gold and silver adorned trees, colored eggs and cute little bunnies, this list of idols can go on and on. Anything he can present to you to capture your attention enough to seduce you away from serving and worshiping the God of all creation. We know from the scriptural account found in Matthew chapter four, that when Christ Jesus was weak and hungry as a result of spending forty days fasting in the wilderness, Satan came to tempt even Him and took Him to an exceedingly high mountain top and showed Him all of the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He told Jesus, "all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." You see, all the power and glory of the kingdoms of the world were given to the devil and he can give them to whom ever he wills. But Jesus rebuked him and said, " Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."It is written", three powerful words. I often teach of the importance of this simple sentence. Every follower of Christ should be able to rebuke the enemy by the power of the word of God because for every circumstance, for every attack, you will find in His word an "It is written", to not only counter the attack but rise above it with a powerful sustained victory. It works for Christ Jesus and John tells us that if we say we abide in Him then we ought to walk as He walked.
Thank God we have the instruction manual we need to help us navigate through this broken world and the obstacles put in place by Satan, as we seek the face of the Father on our path to a life everlasting with Him.Thank God for that perfect love letter we call the holy bible, His son our Lord and savior Christ Jesus and for his Holy Spirit.
"Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord." (Psalm 150)
Sincere praise and worship is a most powerful medium by which we as humans can form an unabridged connection with God. In its purest form worship can certainly assist us in partnering with powerful heavenly action. I personally have witnessed the receipt of revelations and many miracles, signs and wonders as a result of crying out to God alone and with others in an atmosphere of praise and worship. We know by biblical accounts praise and worship can lead to earth shaking events, Liberating cities and Nations from the grasp of the enemy, the loosening of chains, opening of prison doors and the setting of captives free bringing salvation literally and spiritually as in the case of Paul, Silas and their jailer in Acts 16. Often times when God needs to defeat an army He does not send another army to confront them, but a small band of faithful praising worshipers. "And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." 2 chronicles 20: 22.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous: for praise is fitting for the upright. Psalm 33:1
Praise is fitting for the upright! I cannot stress enough the importance of sincerity and purity of heart while seeking to witness God moving in your life as you pray, worship and praise the Him. Praise and worship can be serious business and should not be taken lightly, especially if you are a worship leader, it is very important to be in such a relationship with the Lord that only by the spirit would you bring a revelation in an atmosphere of worship lest an unclean spirit, a false word or teaching be released upon those you are leading. Today there is a belief being propagated which teaches that Jesus is a friend of sinners. In essence, it's ok to be a sinner because Jesus will be your friend. This is a dangerously false message in that it promotes complacency and a resolve to remain in sin. Sin is acting in a manner that is contrary to and in direct defiance to God's laws. How can we believe Jesus would befriend that? In Matthew Chapter eleven we find Jesus reproving the Pharisees and people for calling Him a friend of sinners and further, condemning entire cities to hell because they refused to repent.
"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."
Yes he dined with the sinners and publicans but as he said, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." From sick to healed implies a positive change. Repentance, turning from sin was of primary importance in the teachings of Christ Jesus and the healings that accompanied Him, because the wages of sin are death. "Verily verily, I say unto you. ‘If a man keep my saying he shall never see death." Jesus, John 8: 51. Commonly we find Jesus instructing people He had healed or set free from some persecution to, "go and sin no more". Jesus said in John 15:14,"Ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you".
To teach believers that they are sinners is a sure way of breeding faithlessness, disappointment and destruction in their relationship with God and sadly, an ineffective prayer life. In psalm 66:18 we find, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" To be truly effective, a sincere desire to shed sin and pursue righteousness is paramount. James tells us in chapter five verse sixteen, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." In John 9:31 we are taught, "Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." God does not hear sinners so to be heard we must become something different than a sinner, we must become a repenter. There is a vast difference between one who rests in the fleshly pleasure and comfort of sin with no desire to change and one who is striveing to be set free from the death wadges of sin, one who is willing to honestly self reflect, recognize and shed the flesh and faults, repent and be healed. One who is willing to knowingly accept the salvation God has for us through His son our lord and savior Christ Jesus. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4: 23-24. This to me fully evidences the importance of shedding ones self while entering into praise and worship to give God all the honor and glory we can muster and press in to His presance by our very spirit, in all sincerity.
Does this mean that we have to achieve some level of perfection before we can seek to enter into a relationship with God, do His will and seek His presence? Absolutely not, I fermly believe He told me some time ago reguarding this, "You do not have to be perfect, just perfectly willing to submit to me and all the changes I want to make in you and your life." Again, to teach believers that they are sinners is a sure way of breeding faithlessness, disappointment and destruction in their relationship with God and sadly, an ineffective prayer life. Believers must learn repentance. This world needs less ineffective victims and more effective victors. This world needs more righteous believers who know, understand and believe in the word of God, who know and understand the power of the spoken word and the power of unity.