Our Spiritual Act of Worship

Let’s sit down and discuss “Worship in the Workplace” or our Spiritual Act of Worship. If you don’t work, that's alright. You don't have to "work" outside the home to give a spiritual act of worship.

What it is not:

-        Having worship music on all the time. (In some cases, maybe, but more than likely not.)

-        Setting aside time each day for prayer while you’re at work. (Could, but not really.)

-        Sharing your faith with everyone that comes through the door, co-workers, customers, or those   that call on the phone. (Um… no.)

The above are only a smidgen of examples of what worship in the workplace are not, at least not what the Bible talks about.

So, let us define WORSHIP as the dictionary defines it:

noun

1.

reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or toany object regarded as sacred.

2.

formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage:

They attended worship this morning.

3.

adoring reverence or regard:

excessive worship of business success.

4.

the object of adoring reverence or regard.

Now,let’s look at scripture, just a couple of passages:

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:29(b) -31

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1

I’m reading these and am struck by the fact that worshiping the Lord God doesn’t just take place on Sundays, but every day of the week, 24/7.  It also requires our WHOLE BEING.

In view of what God has done for us, we are to love Him with our whole being, all the time. He deserves this.  I am to give Him ALL of me. I am to give Him everything I have, everything I do, every person I meet. I give these back to God because I love Him.  It is a spiritual act of worship.

I will do my job (whatever that is) with Joy because He has placed me there. It is a divine appointment for someone to just be treated right, with love and care as Father would. I am to see customers, neighbors, bosses, bus drivers, coffee baristas, teachers, students whomever God deems to cross my path, to have Father’s perspective of them and loving them, because this is the Kingdom way.

Whether you are retired, a student, a stay-at-home parent or working in the workplace, God has called you to bring the Kingdom where ever you are 24/7. It’s not just for supported missionaries and paid church folk.  It is ALL of us. It is our finances, our families, our jobs and how we do those jobs. It is how we respond and react through our community with our neighbors. 

If you are at a job that you really don’t like, try and see how much you make a difference by changing your perspective.  Change the lens that you are looking through.  Spend time praying for your boss, co-workers, neighbors, family and businesses around you. Speak truth in love, rather than cursing. Declare the opposite of the bad. Speak life. Watch the change happen. Quit cursing and speaking the negative. If you see negative, then speak and declare the opposite. Quit giving the enemy fodder.  

God is a Jealous God.  He wants ALL of us every day of the week, 24/7.  Ask Holy Spirit to help you.  Ask the Father what’s on His heart for your workplace, and He will be delighted to tell you. You just need to follow through and act upon what He has told you. Listen to what Holy Spirit says.

Yes, I’m asking you to step out of yourself and give back to God ALL of yourself every day. Remember WHO is the one you worship. He lives in you, so remember to thank Him. Smile at folks. Ask Father what is on His heart for the people you meet and come into contact today and listen for His quiet answer, then go and obey. This will look different for each of us, but in essence it is the same: It is your spiritual act of worship.

This was taken on a Sunday morning during the normal worship service time. Our church went out into our community and cleaned the streets and some of the business properties of garbage and weeds and just blessed them.  Each business was contact a couple weeks earlier by our Lead Pastor and a couple of others to let them know what we'd like to do for them.  Some were wary because of the business they have, but because there was no judgment on our part, they mellowed.  It was pretty cool to see.  This is just a small example of what we can do as our spiritual act of worship.

A Picture of God's Care for us: Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is one of the best pictures for us in how God takes care of us.

I know this because I see it every day of my life. I went through a season where the Lord told me to understand Psalm 23 in a very intimate way.  So I did.  I memorized it. I looked at it daily.  It became an ingrained part of me.  This is what I learned.

God is my Father; my Papa, my Daddy.  That’s what “Abba” means.  It is a term of endearment.  This means I have a relationship with Him.  I have a very intimate relationship with my Father in Heaven.

He is my Shepherd. He takes great care in watching over me. He knows every detail of my life and wants to be a part of it.

He quite often tells me to “chill”; to take a rest and refresh myself.  I don’t always do that, thus I can get run down easily.  So, He calls me to come to Himself and get refreshed. Those are the times I go and sit on His lap. His arms are around me and then just fold around me.

During that time of refreshment, well, it can be a time of healing within myself.  That’s a wonderful thing!  My soul can so become burdened with all that goes on.  I love that time of refreshing from Papa.

His Holy Spirit is my Guide. He leads me every day.  Sometimes I don’t listen, but I am learning that when I am aware, Holy Spirit will lead and guide me into Truth and sometimes to those that are hurting.  He will never guide me into darkness, because He is Light.

I have a Purpose. I am here for His names sake.  He created me to be the person I am and will be. My whole identity is in Him.

There are times in my life, where I felt lost. Those were times of testing.  Papa was always right there, but seemed silent.  It was in those times that I needed to come into His presence.  Somehow, those times drew me closer to Him.

It was also in those times of trial and testing, that I sensed His Peace and felt no fear. His presence protected me.

Papa is always with me - always.  His faithfulness never ends.  Though I am not as faithful to Him as I would like to be, He is ever faith-full.

There are times, like any child, I need to be disciplined.  Papa’s discipline, however, is gentle. Though He can be pretty stern, the love He shows towards me comfort me and makes me want to do better the next time.

I can walk into a situation that can be pretty “electric” with not so good energy, and I am at peace within myself because I have nothing to fear. I have hope. He gives that hope of eternal awe and protection.  I don’t have to worry.  He will take care of what I cannot do.

He has set me apart as His child. He has given me an anointing to do and be who I am destined to be for Him.  I don’t have to be anyone else, but myself.

I am so FULL!  Papa keeps giving and giving and giving, I cannot, at times, take it all in.  His love washes over me in abundance.  He provides for me with more than I can ever repay Him.

My heart knows of His mercy and goodness.  These blessings are with me all the time.

I know where I am.  I know where I go.  I know whose I am.  I know my Identity is in God forever.

Prayer – Do we actually follow through?

Let me ask you this question:

When someone asks for prayer, do you really take the time and energy to go to the Throne of Heaven and pray on their behalf?  

This is probably the biggest pet peeve I have within the Christian community at large:  They don’t follow through when they say "I'll pray for you". (I'm speaking to myself as well.)

Christians are supposed to be known for their prayers.  We ask for prayer in our small groups, in Sunday School, in the worship service, with our close friends and even on social media.  Did you know that perhaps only 1 in 20 people who say they will pray for you, actually do just that- pray.  I don’t mean the prayer of: “Oh Lord, please bless – so and so – as they are in need.”  Or “Lord, we don’t know how to pray, so just bless – so and so”.

I know that we have learned some bad habits over the years, even decades with regards to prayer.We tend to take prayer for granted. I’d like for us to get rid of those bad habits and be able to truly come before the Lord of Hosts as one of His children - setting aside time just to pray for that person(s) that asked and go before the Throne of Grace on their behalf. You know, Just Do It!

Think about it, in our family, we ask each other for things. We tend to watch out for each other. We care deeply (usually) for each other, so that when something is awry we can help out in some way. We praise each other. We thank each other.  It should be the same in the “Family of God”, and even more because we have that Power of prayer as an access point to the Father.

James 5:16 NIV

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

1 Peter 3:12 NIV

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Let me just encourage you to follow through on what you say you will do.  If a person is requesting you join with them and pray for “whatever”, and you say you will pray for them, then - PRAY for them.

Take the time and energy to go before the God of Heaven, who gave us breath and life, to pray for that brother or sister in Christ.  You know what will happen?  Not only does the person who asked for the prayer get blessed, but your relationship with the Father grows deeper and more intimate. That is just an added bonus!

You don’t have to be a “Super Pray-er/ Intercessor” to pray for someone.  Just take the time to sit before the Father. Talk with Him as you would a friend or your earthly parents. It’s a conversation – and a two way one at that! He doesn’t need to hear all the mumbo-jumbo of religious talk.  He wants to hear your heart. If you pray for someone, it should come from your heart. Then, quietly listen for His answer. He will answer, if we allow Him to. 

It just takes a little follow through.

Musings on Relationship with Father

I find myself at a “stall” point in my life and not sure why. Well, maybe I do know: I am seeking more of the Creator God with whom I have a wonderful relationship. I sense, however, being called to deeper waters of that relationship. I previously thought I was in deep waters. Now as I look – what do you know - I’m still in the shallow part.

I want to learn how to surf the deep and dive in and just be in the deep.  I’m struggling - not drowning - but I can’t seem to settle my inner most self. I am antsy and unrest. It’s a need for more.  Maybe there is in my spirit a knowing of that more and I just haven’t figured it out yet.  It’s a need to be able to just go somewhere – no cars, no technology, no people – to be able to scream and primordial scream from the very depths of my soul. It’s a cleansing of sorts.

Yes, a pure cleansing is what I am seeking. I don’t mean just a cleanse for my body, though I know I need that, but a deeper cleansing; deeper into my soul and my spirit. Going deeper still into the very core of my DNA. Can that happen God?  If so, I am asking for this.

How can I be a son/daughter of the True High King and not be cleansed? I know I have been forgiven of sin. That isn’t the issue. So, I sit here and write out whatever comes to my mind wrestling like Jacob at Bethel. But unlike Jacob, I wish to stay at Bethel.  Where is Bethel?  The place of an open Heaven, where the angels are ascending and descending to and from Heaven, where is that place?

From what I understand, I carry an open Heaven with me 24/7.  I know this for a fact: Jesus died, was resurrected, descended into Hell and ascended to Heaven. He sits at the right hand of the Father on the throne as the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father who is in Himself, God. His Holy Spirit lives inside me, thus God dwells or rather tabernacles within my being. In that case, I carry an open Heaven with me all the time. Ah, but the catch is this: Do I manifest His Presence?  If I do, then I carry Bethel with me, it is not just a place.

Practically then, how do I live this?  Ah, that’s the other catch. Learning to be “present” with the “Presence” is key. Not every believer knows this. In fact, a lot have not truly experienced His Presence.  Sadly, they miss out on quite a lot in their relationship with the Father.

In order for us to have a relationship with anyone or even anything, there is emotion attached. It was there when you met your spouse or with family and friends. It is also God given, so that we can relate in an emotional way to our Father in Heaven. Yup, being a believer for over 45 years, I am truly “in love” with my Father in Heaven. I sense His touch at times and it overwhelms me. I have heard His voice and it was like hearing the sweetness of a lover. I have conversations with Him as I journal. He is real. He is living and breathing on each one of us, because He loves us. I crave just the time to be with Him.

My heart aches for you to just be wooed by God. He does this gently and with respect to you. He woos us to Himself. He will never force himself on us. There’s a quiet wooing calling to us. If we actually stopped for a time and listened, we can hear that call.

You see, God created us to be free, independent and loving beings. We were the ones that messed that all up by disobeying in the Garden. God created us with free will. That was a gift to Mankind/Adam. Free - Will.  Free:  to be the person we were created to be as well as having the opportunity to choose good or evil. Will:  to make a decision whether right or wrong on our own.

Think about that. Our Creator, God, created us and breathed life into us and to be with Him for eternity; to partner with Him in the Kingdom here on earth. What a wonderful life! Can you imagine: to be in the very presence of God, to walk with Him daily, having conversations with Him, to be loved beyond anything we can imagine. What a beautiful life - being stewards of the earth and the creatures on it.

That relationship, unfortunately, has been broken. When Eve listened to another, other than God, she and Adam disobeyed what God had asked and brought Eden out of our reach. Not only did they give away their Key of Authority they had in the Garden, they broke the Love covenant between themselves and God. This was the Great Divorce: to be exiled from the Garden of Eden – away from the very presence of God.

Divorce hurts both parties. I have friends who either have gone through divorce or have parents who have. To be very blunt, it sucks.  Words of anger and hurt are thrown back and forth at each other. Pride, mistrust and fear enter into their lives. Poor communication inhabits the relationship.  What started out to be a wonderful, loving relationship ends - ugly.

The Great Divorce was like this – only it was man who backed out of the Love covenant. When God went looking for Adam and Eve in the Garden, after eating the apple, I wonder - if Adam and Eve had only said, “God, here we are. But we ate from the Tree of Good and Evil. We know you told us not to. Please forgive us for doing that.”  What do you think God would have done?  I’m not sure, but if His nature is to be loving, kind and just, He may have forgiven them.

BUT – Adam and Eve did not. They hid from God. They did not repent and Pride raised its ugly head.

So, God exiled Adam and Eve as well as the rest of their descendants out of the Garden.  Man is cursed to toil in his labors and women in child bearing. Adam and Eve were escorted out and God shut the Garden gate and left it guarded by angels, so they could not return.

That disobedience has affected our relationships since then. But God, in his extravagant love, sent Jesus – His one and only Son – to come to earth to restore that relationship.  Amazing, don’t you think?  God the Creator of all on this earth and the universe loved us that much.

Jesus’ assignment from the Father: Go to earth. Leave your divinity behind. Be born of a woman. Grow up as a human being, but live sinless. Teach a bunch of regular guys how to live in the Kingdom of God. Show them how it’s done; mentor them, and love them, so that you can die a cruel death on a cross. You must die without sin in your life, in order to go to the depths of hell and bring back the Keys of Authority that Adam gave away when he disobeyed Me in the Garden. Once that is accomplished, show them what they must do to spread the Kingdom. Then, you will return to Heaven and sit at the right hand of your Father.

This is True Love: that God would sacrifice His only Son just to bring us back into a relationship with Him.  He missed us! Like a lover waiting ever so long to see the one they love. To be able to see them, touch them and talk with them; beginning once again, where the relationship left off - only building on it in a vastly deeper way.

Here then begins the journey: the journey in a love relationship with the Creator of the Universe.