Develop a Lifestyle of Worship
When people come in to our worship center or listen to one of our CDs or watch our television program, my deepest desire is that they know they have stepped into the presence of the living God.
When we get into the presence of God, things change in our life. It’s undeniable. God can meet any need we have, but we have to come into His presence. The Bible says: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” We have to do our part first and seek after Him, and an important step in seeking after God is our worship.
Worship is not something we do once or twice a week when we happen to be sitting in a pew somewhere; it’s a lifestyle, a habit, an attitude of our heart. Worship is not just something we do; it’s part of who we are. The Bible encourages us to keep God’s praises continually in our mouth.
Praise and worship is not only music
It’s our conversation with God when we’re driving to work. It’s our encouraging words when we’re on the phone with a friend. It’s a note of appreciation to a co-worker or neighbor. Worship should be part of our everyday life.
Years ago, I experienced a devastating personal loss. I felt overwhelming discouragement and wondered if my ministry might be over. My parents encouraged me every day, saying, “Cindy, God has a plan for your life. Just because things aren’t what you’d like them to be, you can still flourish in what God’s called you to do.”
I had a choice: Do I stay depressed and live a life of defeat? Or do I rise above my circumstances and look to God to restore what the devil has taken? I decided I was going to serve the Lord no matter what and bless Him in spite of my circumstances. When I made that choice, I began experiencing a relationship wit Him life never before. I developed such a deep connection of love for Him that I couldn’t keep my praise and adoration to myself!
Over and over, I’d remember my parents’ words of encouragement, and I began to speak them over my own life: “I have purpose. I have destiny. I have a ministry.” Deep down, I knew that God wasn’t through with me, but keeping His praises flowing from my mouth kept my spirit encouraged.
The word worship comes from the words worth=ship. If we really give God what He’s worthy of, then our lives will reflect what He’s all about.
You can know God in this real, personal way yourself. Just turn to Him and begin a new relationship with Him today. When you begin each day with a heart of gratitude for His goodness and for who He is, you will live a life filled with praise and begin to experience the abundance of joy, hope and purpose that He has in store for you.