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Prayer – Lesson 9, Worshiping the Lord
Heavenly Father, help our classes today to realize the privilege and responsibility Christians have in worshiping Christ. Help them to refocus their worship on Christ and not all the externals of religious tradition. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen
Why can we cry out to God with confidence?
"Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee" (Psalm 86:2).
In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:
God has promised to preserve His people (Isa. 49:8). Often in the Psalms God is praised for this quality. Here David asked for God to be his guard and watchman so that his life would be saved. In previous lessons we have focused upon the faithfulness (steadfast love) of God to those who are in a covenant relationship with Him. The word here is the same; only this time it is used of man's faithfulness to his side of the covenant. The claim of the psalmist was not a boast of superiority, but a plea of sincerity. It was a plea based upon his covenant relationship with Yahweh. It might say, “Lord, I am one of your children. I have done what you asked me to do!” Save . . . that trusteth in thee. Here again David gave God a motivational statement for answering his prayer. He claimed a unique relationship between those who trust in each other.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 53.
How do you respond to personal tragedy?
In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:
It is both fascinating and disconcerting to watch how people respond to personal tragedy. The unbeliever — the one who has no relationship with Christ, nor pretends to have any such — may react by experiencing complete meltdown, or attempting to “hold it together.” The Christian with weak faith often blames God, bargains with God, and questions God. Even the Christian with a stronger faith often responds with these telltale signs of grief. But for the one whose faith in Christ is strong, there is a difference. Many whose faith is weak find such trying circumstances strengthen their relationship with God, but there are some who allow such trouble to crush their spirit and faith in God. The distinctions may be impossible to see at first, but over time it becomes apparent.
Discussion: Obviously, such generalizations risk unfair assumptions and characterizations of people's faith. With that noted, what are some key differences between Christians whose faith is strengthened in adversity, as compared to those whose faith is obliterated?
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 52.
What are key elements of worship?
In "Word Focus" Danny McCain writes:
First Chronicles 16 contains a psalm that is a picture of a time of worship. In this psalm, David identified the key elements of worship.
ELEMENT #1 Giving (vs. 28, 29) First, we are to give God “the glory due unto his name.” The word “due” suggests that we are in debt. …
ELEMENT #2 Remembering (vs. 12-22) Human beings are often not good at remembering. We would rather borrow trouble from tomorrow than blessings from yesterday. David reminded us that worship involves remembering. …
ELEMENT #3 Rejoicing (vs. 10, 23, 31-34) Worship is not a time for sadness. … As mentioned earlier, worship is giving; and in giving is joy. ln worship, we set aside our cares and needs and concentrate on God.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 52.
Worship – Why?
Read Psalm 84:1-12
“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (v. 10).
Why should we worship God? For the conscientious soul, worshiping God is an act of obedience. God commands that we worship him, and therefore we obey. Obedience is a required portion of our relationship with God, but by no means should it be the entirety. Worship is not just the fulfilment of our obligation, but it is our joy! It draws us closer to the One we love. In Psalm 122 we read, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.”
In a human relationship, we do not find it surprising that those who are in love look forward to spending time together. My wife and I share a weekly date night, not out of obligation, but out of our desire to spend quality time together. Is that also how we view our relationship with God? As we draw near unto God in worship, we find that he draws near to us (James 4:8), and our relationship grows even closer. (Daniel Merkley)
To Jesus every day I find my heart is closer drawn;
He’s fairer than the glory of the gold and purple dawn;
He’s all my fancy pictures in its fairest dreams and more;
– W. C. Martin (Public Domain)
Do we cherish our time with God, or is it merely an obligation?
This devotional is the Tuesday, October 25, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
The Barrier of Unfamiliar Traditions
As a pastor's kid, then a pastor, and now a missionary pastor, I have observed a variety of Sunday school traditions. Some churches I have attended have Sunday school exercises before class. Others have it afterward. Some have it before AND after the Sunday school class. The traditions of singing, praying, reading a devotional scripture, etc., as well as the expected posture during those activities - sitting or standing - have varied.
While one learns the traditions after attending several weeks, it can be embarrassing, bewildering, and frustrating when one enters the church and does not know where to go, what to do, when to stand and sit, where to find the various recitations, etc. The new pastor will adaps, but the unchurched guest tends to approach the service from a different perspective. In a culture where user-friendliness in every aspect of life is valued highly, the failure to communicate traditions, expectations, etc. is offensive.
Are you erecting unnecessary barriers by your traditions?