1st in A series On The Sacredness and Steadfastness of Worship
The Principles of Worship: Prayer, Praise and Posture
By Deacon Ray Mobley
The pastor has focused our GROWTH series on the “Sacredness and Steadfastness of Worship”, because worship is important. He has taught us that the only thing we have for sure is our relationship with the Lord. He has challenged us to have a dedicated and committed, sacred, steadfast worship experience with God, our Lord and Savior. He has challenged us to be steadfast immovable, always abiding in demonstrating our love for God and Christ Jesus in the practice of our faith. Worship is giving reverence and honor and substance to our God.
So we must be careful that our expressions of worship are to our only one true and living God. Worship is active, it calls for us to be doers; it is in the present tense. It is what we do. As the Pastor taught us it should be active, continuous, fervent, reverent, and it should be consistent. Remember the discourse Jesus had with his disciples, when he asked them, who do you say that I am? Peter replied, “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus’ response was “You are Peter, the rock, and upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”
These three established principles for sacred and steadfast worship are praise, prayer and posture.
Praise: Praise does matters. There are so many inspiring scriptures which direct us to give our praise in worship to God, our creator, our sustainer, our provider, our keeper, the one that keeps us from falling. Yes, David in his good times and his not so good times is captured giving God praise (i.e. Psalm 100). Is that not enough to praise God? That his love and his faithfulness continues not just for a part of my life, when I didn’t deserve his love and his faithfulness, but he says it continues not just for my wife, my brothers and my sisters in my biological families, not just my children, my grandchildren, my god children, my friends and loved ones, my brothers and sisters in Christ, not just for us, but his love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Prayer Does Matter.
Prayer is the privilege to tap into the matchless, boundless resources of a merciful, everlasting father. He is the power source. From the earliest patriarchs and throughout history, we see prayer in action. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Elijah, Job, Esther, Paul, Peter, and Christ all were involved in prayer. Pastor tells us, men and women, should always pray. The fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much. Matthew 7:7 tells us to “Ask and it shall be given to you, seek, and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you.” We have not because we ask not. Do you recall Hannah praying for a son? She prayed to God fervently, steadfastly, sacredly, the priest Eli, thought she had been drinking. But she kept on praying and promised God if he gave her a son, she would return him and dedicate him to God. God granted her wish and Hannah bore Samuel, and Samuel became a major prophet and a man of God, and Hannah went on to have more children. We do know that with God nothing is impossible.
Posture Does Matter: Our presentation for worship matters. We must worship him in spirit and in truth. Posture is our position, our presentation, our attitude toward worship. Yes we must have an attitude for worship. Posture denotes attitude. Attitude matters. In the military doctrine, our presentation is predicated on the practice of showing appropriate courtesies and respect, following standards of decorum, that is described as core values, established for all to follow and maintain. Well God also has the standard for success in our worship to Him. It is our posture for worship, our attitude, our presentation. He tells us to come boldly to His throne.
Come reverently: Honor Him with your best.
Come expectedly: He will provide all our needs according to His riches.
Come humbly: Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledges Him and He will direct your path.
Come thankfully
: Lord thank you for your grace and your mercy, and your compassion, and all your benefits, that you give so freely.
Come unselfishly: Lord, help me to help you.
Come joyfully: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, and serve Him with gladness.
Come to serve: We are to let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven.
Yes, as we worship God corporately or individually, we must focus our attention, and our presentation. In all we do, we do it for his honor and glory. In our singing, in our praying, in our giving, in our teaching, our focus is to please God.
