"When the prophet Isaiah foretold of Jerusalem's coming restoration, he likened its condition to a barren woman. He told the Israelites to sing in the face of it. He said, "Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child!" (Is. 54:1) This is how we should respond to unanswered prayer or to the barren or unfruitful situation in our own lives. We are to sing praise to the One who can bring to life the places in us and our situations that are dead. The One who can birth something new in us and our circumstances. The One who hears our prayers and answers in His way and His time."
While we are waiting on the Lord, even if we are discouraged or all hope for our situation seems dead, we can press into God more and more in worship and praise, and release His resurrection life to flow in us.
"At first the thought of singing in the face of terrible disappointment may seem like a cruel thing to ask of someone. But the very act of singing praise and worship to God releases His blessings to us. When we become discouraged or defeated over unanswered prayer, we can turn our sorrow into joy through singing praise. When we do, heavy chains of despair are broken. When we sing, we indicate that our faith and focus are in God's goodness and power and not in our circumstances."
"We are not worshiping God to obtain His blessings. That's not really worshiping God; that's worshiping the blessings. But whenever we fully acknowledge who God is and worship Him as such, our praise unleashes the blessings that are with Him and in Him and because of Him. Praise brings us into the presence of God and invites His presence to dwell in us in a deeper way. And in His presence it is impossible not to be blessed."
— Stormie Omartian, The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God
Remember what the Lord has done for us on the cross?
"Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." (Is. 53:4-5)
We can always thank God for His mercy and unfailing love for us!
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Is. 54:10)
"Once again I look upon the cross where You died, I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside.Once again I thank You. Once again I pour out my life." ("Once again", by Matt Redman)
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Friday, July 28, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The Fragant Oil of Worship
"A passionate pursuit of God delights Him, and it's when we pursue Him and abide in His presence in the one place of absolute devotion and intimacy--that glorious place of His feet--that we feel Him return our holy kiss: 'To beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious' (Is. 60:13b). It's then that we smell the aroma of His love drifting back. It's then that His love pierces our hearts and wrecks us for eternity. It's then that we experience the glory."
I always love the story of Jesus anointed at Bethany. It's one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. I was deeply touched by Mary's passion, love, worship and faith for the Lord. Last night I saw an article, "The Fragrant Oil of Worship" by Todd Bentley, which talks about this story and the true passion, true worship, true intimacy that release the fragrant oil of anointing and its aroma.
"Mary of Bethany was a woman of great passion because she knew she was rescued out of a pit of ungodly spiritual darkness. She remembered what it was like to live without God in her life. She knew the mercy and love of God that forgave her great sin, and she was forever indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe she came to the Pharisee's house to see Jesus because of her great love and devotion to the Lord.... I don't believe she realized the prophetic significance concerning anointing Jesus for His burial. Rather her whole motive flowed from a burning heart for her King; gratitude and adoration for Jesus drew her to his side. God wants us to have this same intense passion in our hearts for Him. And just like Mary, we ought never to forget the pit of darkness Jesus pulled us out of because of His great mercy and love."
"Mary's passion turned into worship as she expressed her great love for Jesus by pouring out upon Him her most precious and costly possession, the fragrant oil, or spikenard. This precious oil was worth three hundred denarii, comparable to a year's wages today. However, Mary, broken, symbolically broke her alabaster box and released the costly oil. She ignored the offense taken by the others present and continued to convey her passion by worshipping at His feet, wiping them with her hair, and drenching Him in the valuable oil..."
Even though other people said: "Why this waste?" But Jesus said: "She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matt. 26:8-13)
"I believe that there is a place of intimacy and abandonment in worship to God that we can touch Him in such a way as though we scar Him. It's as if when our true worship and passion touches Him, a seal comes upon His heart that causes Him to remember our worship: 'Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame' (Song. 8:6)."
Sometimes we might not realize or remember how much we love someone until our hearts were broken.
"True worship involves brokenness. It must kill us and bring a sense of humility into our body, soul and spirit. Remember, Mary has to break her alabaster box--symbolizing her brokenness and her death to self. The breakings of God release fragrant worship. If we're going to release the fragrant oil of worship, we must die every time we come into His presence. We become humbled under His mighty hand, broken inside, and our pride is overthrown. It was only after her alabaster box was broken that the oil could be poured out, releasing its fragrance. Listen! Even after Mary walked out of the house, there was still the lingering aroma--something had happened, someone touched God!"
The Holy Spirit knows that we love our Jesus deep down in our hearts. He is the only One who knows how to break our hearts in such a way that can release our true fragrant worship to God.
"Our hearts are just like the alabaster box containing precious treasure soaked in an exquisite fragrance. But we must allow the Holy Spirit to break our hearts His way, by His Spirit. He never damages our hearts; He breaks our hearts with a purpose, so that we can release our true fragrant worship to God. Brokenness helps us die to our inhibitions and ourselves; we can forget about ourselves and worship God with great freedom and abandonment. We can even become like Moses! When he descended the mountain after forty days of being in the glory of the Lord, he didn't even realize his face shone with the brightness of God's glory. In some Bible versions, it says that he lost sight of himself (Ex. 34:29)."
"I believe that brokenness and death to self not only release true worship, it also releases the glory of God to cover us."
Out of brokenness, there is beauty--the beauty of knowing God and His great mercy and love, the beauty of our passionate desire of pouring all our love on the Lord, and the beauty of God's glory falling on us as we worship Him with our kisses and anoint Him with costly fragrant oil.
"True worship to Jesus happens when we're so caught up entertaining the presence of the Lord that we forget about everything around us. We push in past any barriers that would try to keep us out of the Holy of Holies. We literally forget about everything, just like David did, and we give all that we are in worship to the Lord (2 Sam. 6:14)."
"It's all or nothing for God. Nothing should hinder our display of our love for Him, not people, not pride, not self-righteousness, or religious mindsets; He deserves all of our oil."
"True passion, true worship, and true intimacy release the fragrant oil of anointing and its exquisite lingering aroma. Remember your first love and remember where He found you. Allow the Holy Spirit to break and crush you. Give Him everything. Esteem Him with pure and holy incense. Pursue Him with true passion. Honor the worthy One. Drench His head and feet with the fragrant oil of worship."
--Excerpts from "The Fragrant Oil of Worship" by Todd Bentley, Destiny Prophetic Journal - Vol. 2 No. 1
May the fragrance of your worship delights the Lord, and awake the passion for the Lord in people's hearts.
I always love the story of Jesus anointed at Bethany. It's one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. I was deeply touched by Mary's passion, love, worship and faith for the Lord. Last night I saw an article, "The Fragrant Oil of Worship" by Todd Bentley, which talks about this story and the true passion, true worship, true intimacy that release the fragrant oil of anointing and its aroma.
"Mary of Bethany was a woman of great passion because she knew she was rescued out of a pit of ungodly spiritual darkness. She remembered what it was like to live without God in her life. She knew the mercy and love of God that forgave her great sin, and she was forever indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe she came to the Pharisee's house to see Jesus because of her great love and devotion to the Lord.... I don't believe she realized the prophetic significance concerning anointing Jesus for His burial. Rather her whole motive flowed from a burning heart for her King; gratitude and adoration for Jesus drew her to his side. God wants us to have this same intense passion in our hearts for Him. And just like Mary, we ought never to forget the pit of darkness Jesus pulled us out of because of His great mercy and love."
"Mary's passion turned into worship as she expressed her great love for Jesus by pouring out upon Him her most precious and costly possession, the fragrant oil, or spikenard. This precious oil was worth three hundred denarii, comparable to a year's wages today. However, Mary, broken, symbolically broke her alabaster box and released the costly oil. She ignored the offense taken by the others present and continued to convey her passion by worshipping at His feet, wiping them with her hair, and drenching Him in the valuable oil..."
Even though other people said: "Why this waste?" But Jesus said: "She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matt. 26:8-13)
"I believe that there is a place of intimacy and abandonment in worship to God that we can touch Him in such a way as though we scar Him. It's as if when our true worship and passion touches Him, a seal comes upon His heart that causes Him to remember our worship: 'Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame' (Song. 8:6)."
Sometimes we might not realize or remember how much we love someone until our hearts were broken.
"True worship involves brokenness. It must kill us and bring a sense of humility into our body, soul and spirit. Remember, Mary has to break her alabaster box--symbolizing her brokenness and her death to self. The breakings of God release fragrant worship. If we're going to release the fragrant oil of worship, we must die every time we come into His presence. We become humbled under His mighty hand, broken inside, and our pride is overthrown. It was only after her alabaster box was broken that the oil could be poured out, releasing its fragrance. Listen! Even after Mary walked out of the house, there was still the lingering aroma--something had happened, someone touched God!"
The Holy Spirit knows that we love our Jesus deep down in our hearts. He is the only One who knows how to break our hearts in such a way that can release our true fragrant worship to God.
"Our hearts are just like the alabaster box containing precious treasure soaked in an exquisite fragrance. But we must allow the Holy Spirit to break our hearts His way, by His Spirit. He never damages our hearts; He breaks our hearts with a purpose, so that we can release our true fragrant worship to God. Brokenness helps us die to our inhibitions and ourselves; we can forget about ourselves and worship God with great freedom and abandonment. We can even become like Moses! When he descended the mountain after forty days of being in the glory of the Lord, he didn't even realize his face shone with the brightness of God's glory. In some Bible versions, it says that he lost sight of himself (Ex. 34:29)."
"I believe that brokenness and death to self not only release true worship, it also releases the glory of God to cover us."
Out of brokenness, there is beauty--the beauty of knowing God and His great mercy and love, the beauty of our passionate desire of pouring all our love on the Lord, and the beauty of God's glory falling on us as we worship Him with our kisses and anoint Him with costly fragrant oil.
"True worship to Jesus happens when we're so caught up entertaining the presence of the Lord that we forget about everything around us. We push in past any barriers that would try to keep us out of the Holy of Holies. We literally forget about everything, just like David did, and we give all that we are in worship to the Lord (2 Sam. 6:14)."
"It's all or nothing for God. Nothing should hinder our display of our love for Him, not people, not pride, not self-righteousness, or religious mindsets; He deserves all of our oil."
"True passion, true worship, and true intimacy release the fragrant oil of anointing and its exquisite lingering aroma. Remember your first love and remember where He found you. Allow the Holy Spirit to break and crush you. Give Him everything. Esteem Him with pure and holy incense. Pursue Him with true passion. Honor the worthy One. Drench His head and feet with the fragrant oil of worship."
--Excerpts from "The Fragrant Oil of Worship" by Todd Bentley, Destiny Prophetic Journal - Vol. 2 No. 1
May the fragrance of your worship delights the Lord, and awake the passion for the Lord in people's hearts.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Fighting on the Frontlines
"One of the best examples of the power of praising God when the enemy comes against us was when King Jehoshaphat found that there was an enormous multitude of enemy soldiers gathered against him. He was afraid, but he sought God and called his people to a fast.... Jehoshaphat recognized his vulnerability and his dependence upon the Lord, saying, 'We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.' (2 Chr 20:12)."
Our eyes are upon You, Lord. We need You to fight the battle for us.
"And the Lord spoke to Jehoshaphat one of the greatest promises of the Bible: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's... You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you... Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.' And they bowed before God and worshiped Him (2 Chr 20:15-18)."
"Jehoshaphat knew the important of worship, so he strategically positioned the worshipers ahead of his army. 'He appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever."' (2 Chr 20:21)"
We praise You, Lord, for You are our Almighty Deliverer and Defender! Your mercy endures forever!
"The reason he put the worshipers in the front was because their worship exalted God above all else. And nothing could prevail against the living God. The result was that when they faced the enemy with praise and worship, this so confused them that they destroyed one another.
When we worship God, we open the channel through which God works most powerfully to defeat the enemy on our behalf. We confuse the enemy and weaken him to the point where he has to flee. That is the hidden power of praising God."
— Stormie Omartian, The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God
"Hail Jesus You're my King. Your life frees me to sing.
I will praise You all my days. You're perfect in all Your ways.
Hail Jesus You're my Lord. I will obey Your Word.
I want to see Your Kingdom come, not my will but Yours be done.
Glory glory to the Lamb. You will take us into the Land.
We will conquer in Your name, and proclaim that Jesus reigns.
Hail hail Lion of Judah, how powerful You are.
Hail hail Lion of Judah, how wonderful You are."
(Victory Chant, by Nicole C. Mullen)
Our eyes are upon You, Lord. We need You to fight the battle for us.
"And the Lord spoke to Jehoshaphat one of the greatest promises of the Bible: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's... You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you... Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.' And they bowed before God and worshiped Him (2 Chr 20:15-18)."
"Jehoshaphat knew the important of worship, so he strategically positioned the worshipers ahead of his army. 'He appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever."' (2 Chr 20:21)"
We praise You, Lord, for You are our Almighty Deliverer and Defender! Your mercy endures forever!
"The reason he put the worshipers in the front was because their worship exalted God above all else. And nothing could prevail against the living God. The result was that when they faced the enemy with praise and worship, this so confused them that they destroyed one another.
When we worship God, we open the channel through which God works most powerfully to defeat the enemy on our behalf. We confuse the enemy and weaken him to the point where he has to flee. That is the hidden power of praising God."
— Stormie Omartian, The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God
"Hail Jesus You're my King. Your life frees me to sing.
I will praise You all my days. You're perfect in all Your ways.
Hail Jesus You're my Lord. I will obey Your Word.
I want to see Your Kingdom come, not my will but Yours be done.
Glory glory to the Lamb. You will take us into the Land.
We will conquer in Your name, and proclaim that Jesus reigns.
Hail hail Lion of Judah, how powerful You are.
Hail hail Lion of Judah, how wonderful You are."
(Victory Chant, by Nicole C. Mullen)
Friday, June 09, 2006
Praise and Worship
"When you have been set free and are trying to rebuild your life in the Lord, the enemy will come and tell you, 'You weren't really set free.'... Remember where the voice of discouragement comes from and determine to stay close to the Lord in praise and worship. Praise silences the voice of the enemy so you can better hear the voice of God."
Sometimes when we feel discouraged or helpless, all we have to do is just keep praising and worshiping God.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:12)
"When we sing our praises to God for who He is and what He has done, our worship becomes the very instrument He uses to set us free. That is the hidden power of praise."
Focus on God, worship Him in spirit and in truth (worship our Father God by the Holy Spirit and in Jesus' name), praise Him for His love and faithfulness, for He is with us, He is here to help us and fight the battles for us!
"Paul and Silas were worshiping God because they loved Him more than anything and wanted to glorify Him in all things. They knew that no matter what happened to them, He would be with them every step of the way. It was in the very act of praising God that they were set free. And not only did their chains fall off, but the chains of every prisoner in the jail as well. Even the prison keeper saw what happened and was saved. There is freedom that happens just being in the presence of people who are worshiping God when our hearts are tuned to it. Whenever we worship and praise God, things are shaken up around us, chains fall off, and we are set free."
— Stormie Omartian, The Prayer That Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God
"The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever." (2 Tim 4:18)
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