2020 has been and continues to be overwhelming. There are so many needs, so much pain, so many worries, so many dire situations. In the midst of this, I have come to a new appreciation of the importance of worship in prayer.
You see, my natural tendency in the face of all this chaos and agony is to come to God and immediately begin pouring out all my requests – BUT this outpouring is not from a place of faith. It is from a place of fear. I am tense and afraid and anxious and exhausted. I feel petrified – paralyzed by the crushing needs and the depth of the pain and grief people are experiencing.
What I am learning is that by worshipping first – BEFORE I bring my requests to God – everything changes. I become able to present the many needs from a place of faith. Instead of terrified, repetitive pleading, my petitions become clearer, simpler, and shorter. Why? Because my FATHER is filling my mind’s eye, not my FEAR.
-- When I make space to worship God, God fills the space inside of me with his peace.
-- When I take time to worship God, my sense of panicked urgency fades and I can present my requests calmly before the throne.
-- When I focus on God’s love, power, grace, and sovereignty, I realize that he is greater than the most overwhelming problems.
-- When I truly glorify God, I understand anew who he is – and that gives me confidence to present my requests before his throne, knowing that he will answer and act out of the fullness of all he is.
If you are feeling crushed today under the weight of deep needs – your own and other people’s – come to our loving Father in prayer. But first, take time to sing, to read praises from the psalms, to simply sit and dwell on who God is. Begin with worship.
Comments