Day of Praise

Tues, 01/24/17, "Day of Praise"

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" - Psalm 122:1

I love to worship God both by myself and with others. The following list of worship thoughts were sent to me some time ago from my awesome brother, Ben DeGreen, who worships weekly with his family. Ben gives us some timely food for thought, saying:

Some questions for myself and others that desire to worship God.

1) Have you sinned against a brother or sister in Christ without making it right? If not, your worship will be distracted.

2) Do you think about and meditate on the words of a song or praise song, or are you just carried away by the rhythm of the song?

3) Do you concentrate and pray along with the words of a public prayer, or are you distracted by other things?

4) Do you come into the sanctuary before worship with the heart and mind to worship, quietly reflecting and praying on what worshiping God is, or are you distracted by talking and socializing with others? (Pastor Chris's note: Talking with others before worship is very good, as we see in Acts 2:41-47, but is best outside the "sanctuary," which literally means "a place of protection" from the noise of the world. Please don't get me wrong! I love the chatter of Christian fellowship both before and after worship, yes, absolutely love it! But is there any place set aside for people to "be still" before the Lord, as God calls us to repeatedly in scripture?)

5) Are you prepared to give of yourself in worship and by worship? Will you offer a sacrificial gift (tithe of 10% due the King and then a thank offering beyond that) to the Lord, trusting both the Lord's original provision and also His multiplication of our generosity which may be multiplied in ways far better than money?

6) Are you prepared to be used by God after worship to serve Him and others?

7) Are you mindful of others in attendance at worship? Do you act up, talk, use your cell phone, eat, drink, wear inappropriate clothing, etc. that distracts others from properly worshiping God?

8) Do you listen to the words of the sermon/message given by the pastor? Do you take notes to help your understanding? Did you bring your Bible to follow along with referenced Scripture verses?

Ben, thanks for encouraging all of us to think more deeply about our worship life so we can say with the Psalmist, "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'" (Psalm 122:1).

Praise God!