Friday, October 26, 2012

Journey of Faith Friday: A Worship State of Mind

Click.Pray.Love.

I shared this last year as a guest post for my friend Chrissy.  Chrissy has since deleted that blog and started a new one.  You can follow her at Shades of Joy.  I didn't want this post to be lost, so I am posting it here for Journey of Faith Friday.  

A Worship State of Mind

Worship does not come easy to me.  I wish I could say that I awoke each day to the thoughts of "God, you are Almighty and I give this day to you."  Instead, I wake up to thoughts of "I need to do this, I need to do that."

Worship, like many areas of my life, is a discipline that I try to practice every day.  I know the practice of worship will not only offer God the glory He deserves, but will help mold and perfect my character.  A few weeks ago I shared this C.S. Lewis quote:


Ahhhh, God's presence.....we all long for it......Christian or not.  Today, I want to share a few ways to get in a "worshiping" state of mind.
  • Wake up early-  Try getting up and out of bed 30 minutes earlier than you normally would.  During that 30 minutes speak only words of adoration to our God (I sooooo miss this and look forward to the time when my newborn is sleeping through the night and I can resume getting up early to spend time in worship).

{Creator, King of Kings, Light of the World, Savior, Lord of Lords, Good Shepherd, Counselor, Almighty, Holy, Alpha, Omega, Just...}
  • Listen to worship music for 10 minutes each morning (or whenever you can)-  Use your ipod, your radio, a YouTube video, whatever works, but choose a few worship songs that truly highlight characteristics of God.

{A few of my favorites:  Live by Nichole Nordeman, Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Selah, How He Loves Us by David Crowder Band, Captivate Us by Watermark, Your Grace Still Amazes Me by Phillips, Craig and Dean, How Great Thou Art by Crystal Lewis, The Blood Will Never Lose It's Power by Selah, Revelation Song by Kari Jobe} 
  • Find a quiet place- We live in a noisy, busy world.  So take the time to find a quiet place and worship the Lord.  It may be a park bench.  It may be at the water's edge.  It may be on your couch with a blanket and a cup of coffee.  Wherever it is, take the time to be alone and worship.
  • Take a walk- During your walk, commit to praising God through His creation.  There is so much that goes unseen, unless you take the time to name it and thank/praise God for it.

  • Change positions- Maybe your typical time of worship is while standing during your church's worship time.  Maybe, you should consider worshipping God while on your knees, face down, or sitting with arms raised or lying prostrate.
  • Read- The Bible is full of verses solely focused on praising God.  If you are struggling to worship the Lord, open His Word and read the way other people have offered praise to Him.
{Psalm 1, Psalm 19, Psalm 63: 3-4, Psalm 98, Psalm 100, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Isaiah 9: 6-7, Jeremiah 17:14, Acts 16: 25-34, Revelation 4}


  • Use your gift(s)-  Many people do not think they have a gift or they don't think their gift can be used to praise God.  Well, I beg to differ.  I believe that God gives the gifts; therefore, I believe He receives praise through them if His people simply use them.  For example, photography is my hobby.  I take photos of just about anything and everything, but how do I use it to praise God?  Often times, I photograph His creation and attach a verse to it.  Chrissy has the gift of singing.  She uses her voice to praise God on a personal level, but also as a service to her church.  Maybe, you are a gifted teacher.  I believe teaching others how to read or how to do math or how to play an instrument is a gift of praise, unless you are doing it selfishly and taking all the credit for the gift God has given you.  There are so many gifts........so identify yours........make sure you are using it............thank God for it.........and you will be glorifying Him.


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Read previous Journey of Faith Friday posts.


2 comments:

Tara said...

I love this!! Thanks :)

Anonymous said...

So glad you posted this again! I always loved this post.