Your Worship Hat {giveaway}

Have you ever had a hard time getting into "worship mode"? Sunday mornings are hectic, with getting the kids ready and out door for church, that by the time we sit down for worship we are exhausted. Daily tasks and stresses have us running and rushing around so that calming our heart to worship can be difficult.

Worship leader Jenn Johnson shares of a time she was having a really bad mommy day. Yet she had to go and lead a church worship service. She said, "Time to take off the mommy hat and put on the worship hat." Her father-in-law and pastor replied, "The problem is, the worship hat should never have come off."

The worship hat should never have come off.

Worship is not standing up in a church service singing songs. It is a way of life. We can worship God in our every day tasks. Even those mundane things.

And whatever you do, do it heartily,

as to the Lord and not men.

Colossians 3:23

As you walk outside, notice God's artistry and praise Him for it.
As you fold your family's laundry, pray for each family member.
As you wash dishes, praise God for His provisions.
As you pay bills, praise God for your job.
As you snuggle with your children, share Bible stories.
As you go throughout your day, sing worship songs.
As your children run around laughing, praise God for their physical abilities.
Listen to worship music.
Take time out every single day to read the Bible.

Don't take your worship hat off to live life. Live a life of worship.


Hillsong United has a new cd, Empires. Hillsong is widely known for amazing worship music. A recent popluar song is Oceans. This new cd is full of incredible worship music to help you usher in the presence of God. I love having this cd playing in my home.

Here is one of my favorites from Empires. 

To help you keep a heart of worship all day long, check out Empires. To win a copy, complete each task in the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Prayers Are Selfish

Every Sunday morning at my church we have pre-service prayer. This is a time where we turn the lights low, play worship music softly and everyone prays on their own for fifteen minutes. Then the pastor closes the time by praying aloud. It is a beautiful time where our church is united in worshiping Jesus and praying over the service, the people, the community and any needs.

Each Sunday as I sit there in pre-service prayer I am blessed by one sweet lady. I hear Miss Joyce praying and her prayers often draw me to tears. You see, Miss Joyce spends the entire fifteen minutes praising God. Not one single time does she ask for anything. Not one single time does she petition God for her needs or even the needs of others. She simply praises Him. She thanks Him for everything, she shouts hallelujahs and she sings praises. Her prayers are simply to bless and adore God.

When I think of my own prayer times I recall asking Jesus for this or that. Requesting He touch so and so, bless so and so, minister to so and so. I ask Him to work in someone's life, fulfill my needs and touch my family. Those are all great things to pray. We need to ask God those things. We need to bring our requests to God, the Bible tells us to.

But let's think of this: when we talk to God, how many sentences do we pray before we begin the 'asking'? I would guess if your prayers are like mine, not many. Sometimes we get five or six sentences in and then we begin to ask God about our needs. Sometimes we may not even get but one or two sentences in.

What if we simply praised Him? What if we spent ten or fifteen or dare I say twenty minutes without asking God for one single thing? If we only praised Him and thanked Him?

If you have a friendship and the friend only comes to you with needs, never wanting to just talk or hang out, but only asking you to do things, how would you feel?  Is that what we are doing to God?

I am ready to simply praise Him. Just sing hallelujahs and bless His holy name. I challenge you to begin your prayer time spending as much time as you possibly can without asking and only praising. Then increase that time each day. Let's praise and adore His holy name.

Linking With:
Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday
Whimsical Wednesday
Winsome Wednesday
Wise Woman

A Time To Worship

One of my favorite things to do is worship the Lord. I love to sing praises to Him. Music is playing in our home about 75% of the time and music always plays in our car. Our family loves to worship.

The Bible tells us to sing praises to God. He is worthy of our praises.

When I am feeling down...worship music makes me feel close to God.
When I am lonely...worship music makes me feel close to God.
When I am hurting...worship music makes me feel close to God.
When I feel far from God...worship music makes me feel close to God.
When I am feeling stressed...worship music makes me feel close to God.
When I want to rejoice...worship music makes me feel close to God.

Singing praises to God is like bringing Heaven down.

Here are a few of my favorite worship songs that always touch me.

What worship song always moves you to the throne of God?

Linking With:
Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday
Winsome Wednesday
Wise Woman

It Feels So Good!

Sunday my pastor asked this question:

What happens when you are in the presence of the Lord?

We know that we connect with God.  We know that it feels really good.  But is that all?  

Do we walk away changed?

Do we walk away ready to make changes necessary to have a deeper relationship with God?

Do we walk away ready to serve Him more intimately?

Or do we only go into His presence to feel good?

Just something to think about today.

Sweet Blessings~

 

Linking with:

Titus Tuesday  

On Your Heart Tuesday 

Soli Deo Gloria

TeachMe Tuesday

Hear it on Sunday, Use it On Monday

What's At The Heart Of Your Worship 2

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1

Yesterday we talked about true worship.  As I went through the day this topic was on my heart.  Each of your comments touched me.  One of our friends, Stephen, pointed out that in the Bible they didn't need music, they simply fell to the ground saying how worthy the Lord is.  Worship is not standing in a church with a band singing.  It is a way of life.  It is your heart.  It is simply surrendering all to Him.

Today I encourage you, I challenge you, spend time in pure worship.  With no one around.  Just you and God.  No music, no holding back, no worshiping like another.  Simply fall to the ground, let the Spirit move in you in His own way and tell the Lord how wonderful and worthy He is.  Purely, openly, worship Him.

"Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His footstool; He is holy." Psalm 99:5

Sweet Blessings~


Linking with:
Living Well Wednesday
Women in the Word Wednesday
Word Filled Wednesday 
Encouraging Word Wednesday 
The Way I See It Wednesday 
Winsome Wednesday

What Is At The Heart Of Your Worship?

Recently there was a video going around Facebook about the wrong kind of worship. It received some laughs and a few amens, but today I want you to really listen to it.  Really pay attention to what they are saying:




 Far too often we let this become our worship.  "I will only sing of Your love on Sundays and this feeling is gone by Monday."  "I surrender some. Jesus I will give You little."   "How great is this song. Man I love to sing."  Is that what we are doing?  Are we only singing of His love on Sundays, then living our own life the rest of the week?  Are we doing it for show?  Are we giving Jesus as little as possible? That is not true worship. I want my worship to always be pure and from the heart.  I want to to reach up and touch the heart of God, not make Him roll His eyes at me. There is another song that says it best and I purposely did not include a video to this one because I want you to read the words.  Really let it sink into your heart.  Is this the kind of worship You want?  Is this the kind of worship you've had?  How is this different to the above song?  This is true worship: 

When the music fades 

And all is stripped away 

And I simply come

 Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about YouAll about You, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about YouIt's all about You Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

I'll bring You more than just a song

For a song in itself

Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear

You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship

And it's all about You

All about You, Jesus

I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it

When it's all about You

It's all about You Jesus

Its all about You

Jesus

The heart of worhsip is all about Jesus.  About full and complete surrender to Him.  It's not about showing off.  It's not about partial surrender.  It's not even about the music.  It's about praising Him, giving it all up to Him.

What has been at the herat of your worship?

Sweet Blessings~

Linking with:
On Your Heart Tuesday
Soli Deo Gloria
Teach Me Tuesday

Seven Days A Week

Getting together with other believers is important.  We need to fellowship with like minded people who can encourage us and pray for/with us.  We also need to worship with other believers.  I absolutely love to stand back and watch people worship.  Watching others worship excites me and makes me want to worship even more! 

Corporate worship is wonderful.  However, corporate worship should never be what we live for.  Have you ever said or heard said, "if I can just make it to church on Sunday to refuel, I will be okay"?  We shouldn't live for Sunday's church service.  Yes it is wonderful, yes it is necessary, but worship is more than that.

Corporate worship should be an outpouring of our personal worship.

The Word tells us in Psalm 100:4, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise."  We should go to church praising and thanking Him.  It doesn't tell us to survive till church and leave praising.  It says enter with thanksgiving and praise. 

Worship is a daily, even hourly thing, not just a Sunday thing.  If you are spending time in His presence and worshipping each and every day, then you will feel a positive difference in corporate worship at church.  I can honestly feel a difference in my attitude and my worship on Sunday when I have spent time in personal worship during the week.  If I miss my personal worship time, I don't feel as prepared to worship.  

Friends, I don't know about you, but I don't want to survive till Sunday.  I want to worship God each and every day.  Sunday is one-seventh of the week.  Worship is for seven days.  Spend time in personal worship today.  Sing praises, read the Word, sit in His presence, talk to Him, just worship our King.

Sweet Blessings~

Linking with:
On Your Heart Tuesday
Hear it on Sunday Use it on Monday
Titus Tuesday