Praise when we dont want to

14 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by Minstrels wife in Christian Worship, God, meditation, Prayer, worship Tags: , , , , ,

So World Cup fever has hit again, and there are England flags everywhere I go. My house looks a bit naked as I seem to be one of the only ones fairly disinterested in what happens and who wins. But it has made me think a bit. If England score a goal, how much noise is going to be heard in all the pubs and houses across the country? How happy will the country be? Will I hear my neighbours joyful cries and see tears if they actually win the cup?

If we can do that for a football, then why cant we do that every day to God who saved us from hell and eternal suffering? Isn’t that much more important than a game which will be forgotten in a few days? Isn’t Jesus dying on the cross and saving us with His own blood better than if Wayne Rooney lives up to his name and plays well? I know that some will say I am looking at it wrong and to let them have the fun of watching the World Cup without guilt, that I am taking it far too seriously, but I don’t think I am. I am sorry if I offend those who want to watch the games and scream and shout at the referee and cry if we score or win, but how does it offend your Maker and Father when you can’t be bothered going to church or talking to Him because the game is much more important to you? When at church you dont engage because you had a late night and just want to be back at home in bed? You don’t want to spend half an hour in the Word because you can hear the national anthem and know the match will be starting soon, or you just want to meet your mates down the pub for a few quick ones instead?

This is important.

David prayed and praised for the things God did for him, and for helping him be a good King. He also praised God for the things unseen as well. Praise is so important I can’t stress it enough, and I know very well that life seems to get in the way. Things seem to happen to stop us praying and praising. Kids, work, marriage, friends, stresses, illness, even things that happen the moment we pick up our Bibles or as soon as we get on our knees. The times you read or pray are when the Devil gets worried and he will put as much in our way to stop us as he can. He doesn’t play fair and he doesn’t play nice. He will do anything to get you away from the prescence of God, and out of that close intimate relationship you have with God.

Don’t let him. Don’t let him take your times of refreshing away from you. They might be the only times you feel like life isn’t as bad as it looks, or the only times of peace in your heart you get that day. Why let him take it away? If anything we need to fight harder for those times of praise than for anything else. There is opposition to a Christian who is growing and maturing into the person God wants you to become, and looking more and more like His Son. Keep growing and keep praising. You win a battle every time you do.

 

Why are we waiting?

12 Jun 2014 5 Comments

by Minstrels wife in God, Jesus, meditation, Prayer, worship Tags: ,

God does not give us the full details of our journey in life, and our walk with Him. If anything, He gives us very few details of our future, which is probably more for our protection and safety. He gives us hints in the Word that there will be issues and things that can hurt us or times we will feel persecution. John 16 vs 33

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

What an awesome verse! God knows what is out there for us, and what we will be walking through later, but that He has total control in every circumstance and every issue. He has us in His hands, and will never let go. If God wants us to go through something, He will always give us the strength to keep walking and keep fighting ‘the good fight’.

The question is, why are we still waiting and waiting, expecting God to bring the world to us? God has a plan for our life. He wants to see us do something, not wait for Him to reveal it all to us.

God is amazing, as when the next fight or hard time comes, He will remind us all of how He was there with us during the last one. He lets us know and reminds us how He won that fight, He had control of it all, He let us grow and mature each time to make sure we have what is needed for each and every situation we face during the rest of our walk with Him. We are not alone. We have the whole host of heavens armies at our side and God walking the whole road with us feeling our hurts, rejoicing with our victories and holding us when we feel like giving up.

Listen to what God is saying to you. Hear His words and where He wants to take you and the walk He wants to take you on. It might be hard, there is a uncertainty and we are unsure about not knowing the future, but He knows. He knows how strong we will be in Him. He knows the victories we will have over sin and its bondages. We are victorious, we have the best on our side.

Feeling Worship

07 Jun 2014 6 Comments

by Minstrels wife in Christian Worship, God, Jesus, worship, worship leader, Worship leaders Tags: , , ,

I am not too sure if it just me, or something that happens to us all at some point in our walk with Christ. I can worship anywhere, and no matter how good or bad the worship band are, or how well or badly led the service is. Its not the outside influences that lead me to worship, its how much I want to be in the throne room of my God, praising Him and knowing He is hearing my voice as well as every other person in the world praising Him at the same time. My prayers and praise rises to Him as incense in a world full of chaos and for many of us sadness and stress.

Worship takes me to a place of intimacy with my Lord which drowns out the stress and noise of life, and I love to be there. In a way, it is where I get refreshed and find a peace and calm I don’t feel anywhere else. I miss those times so much, even if I only miss one time of worship, whether in rehersal with my Husband or in my fellowship during the week or on a Sunday. I can feel it inside if there is a time that is missed, even if by illness. I feel the intimacy go ever so slightly. It takes a good praise time to place myself back where I know Christ is.

I feel that God waits for our praise. He watches us as we go about our days and weeks, and waits. He sees us get up and sees us go to bed. He inhabits our praise and loves to hear us and sing with us. We dont have to set a time apart to have a ‘quiet time’. We can praise Him anywhere, and everywhere. We can praise in our work, our friendships, our family and our church. If God Himself wants our praise and us to be intimate with Him, then what is stopping us? What could ever be more important than this? How can we put anything before the Lord of Hosts who wants time with each and every one of us? How would we act if the Queen of England or the Prime Minister wanted a personal time with us, and to just sit and talk and have fellowship with us? How would we feel? Really important? Privileged? Better than others? The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Maker of Heaven and Earth wants just that. He wants to be intimate with us, to be our friend and Father.

Next time you really worship, stop and think about how the Spirit brings you closer to God. Do you feel like you can touch God Himself and at times can hear the very angels join with you? I think its the best place to be, and want to stay there for eternity.