WORSHIP CONNECTS
Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God.
Psalm 95:6 (NLT)
It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.
Revelation 1:10a (NLT)
I read the other day about people’s views of heaven. One that stood out is the idea of having wings, floating on a cloud, and strumming a harp for eternity. What value does that even have? It sounds fine for a children’s book, but that idea isn't very helpful if we’re looking for how heaven helps us now in our day-to-day lives. One great way we can embrace the help of heaven today is through worship. It is an amazing way to connect with God. Proper worship moves the heart of God like incense that permeates heaven. It acts as a bridge between heaven and Earth, placing us directly in the presence of a Holy God.
People often talk about waking up in the middle of the night with anxiety. I can relate to this greatly. I’ve had this happen on numerous occasions. I’ve found that breathing slowly, focusing on God, and singing or humming a song calms me down and helps me find rest. Sometimes it happens quickly, sometimes it takes longer, but it always calms me down, and eventually I fall asleep. It helped me know that I could make that call home to heaven for help in those moments. When we worship, we pull heaven down to earth. Heaven is not just a destination, a thought, an eternal vacation, or a childlike idea of floating on a cloud. Heaven is real, a place that Jesus promised He was preparing for us as believers.
We cheer at ball games, parties and children’s events. Why? It draws us close to what we are cheering for. Choosing to worship draws us close to God and to others around us. If we are seeking heaven's help now, it begins with allowing ourselves to be present through worship to the One who created heaven and earth.
APPLICATION: Allow yourself today to worship freely with no distractions. Act as if you’re the only person on earth, and just seek God through prayer, praise and conversation. Then just sit in silence in those moments as you are surrounded by heaven itself.
PRAYER: God, help me not view heaven as a mythical written story of a place but a place of reality that I am invited to be a citizen of. Help me remember today Your promise that You prepared heaven with me in mind. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don't let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?