Day 7: How to Worship
Send out Your light and Your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You live. There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise You with my harp, O God, my God! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again—my Savior and my God!
Psalm 43:3-5 NLT
I will be filled with joy because of You. I will sing praises to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:2 NLT
As believers in Christ, we have the incredible blessing of hope! So many in our world are looking to satisfy their discouragement in anything and everything—money, relationships, careers, etc…but those things are always unreliable. Deep discouragement requires deep healing, which only comes from having a right relationship with Jesus Christ and giving Him the place of highest value in our lives.
In January of 2013, I had the opportunity to attend the Passion Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, with a group of young adults from the Peoria area. Little did I know the lasting impact that trip would have on my life. In the year leading up to that conference, I had experienced a very painful break-up, I had quit my job, I had moved a thousand miles across the country back to Peoria, and I had begun to question whether or not I was really “cut out” to lead worship. For two months before that conference, it took all the energy I had just to get out of bed in the morning. I cried all the time. I felt like I had no hope for the future. I still remember the moment when I heard this song:
In the silence, in the waiting - Still we can know You are good!
Yes, we can know You are good! The Lord our God is ever faithful.
Never changing through the ages—From this darkness He will lead us.
And forever we will sing, You’re the Lord our God!“The Lord Our God” – Matt Redman
I began to sob, and I knew that God’s presence was with me. The words were exactly the reminder I needed! God, who sent His Son Jesus to live and die for me, cared deeply about my soul. It was as if He was saying, “Lift up your eyes! Look to Me! I am your hope. I will never leave you. I have always been with you.” The darkness in my life began to lift that day. I knew once again that the Lord was with me. He is my source of joy! And I will continue praising Him even when life is hard.
— Amy Sutton
Reflect
Take some time to reflect on these questions:
Can you remember a time you felt helpless because of a particular circumstance in your life? How did you search for healing and hope?
Psalm 43:5 reminds us that by fixing our eyes on God, soon our souls will be restored. How can you approach pain or difficulty differently knowing this good news?
Can you remember a time you felt helpless because of a particular circumstance in your life? How did you search for healing and hope?
Psalm 43:5 reminds us that by fixing our eyes on God, soon our souls will be restored. How can you approach pain or difficulty differently knowing this good news?
Next Steps
Do you have a personal worship habit? If not, begin today by listening to Christ-centered music. Next weekend, when you come to church, use the words in the music to help you speak to God. Take time to pray and have a conversation with Him. When you said “yes,” at any of our campuses, you received the New Testament (the second half) of the Bible. Read it. There are many versions of the Bible, and if you have questions about which one would be best for you, stop by the Connections Bookstore at your campus. The Lord will restore your soul! Here’s a great way to get started on worshipping God!