Are you guilty of going to the house of worship only to think of what you want to do after church? Or, do you daydream or, worse, fall asleep during the worship service? I must confess that I need to pray for God to help me focus, draw near Him, and worship in spirit and truth. My flesh tempts me to go through the motions of worship and not engage my heart.
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men. –Isaiah 29:13
Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 15 and Mark 7. In these passages, Jesus is confronting the Pharisees and scribes concerning their traditions. The Pharisees asked the following question in Matthew 15:2; “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” Here is Jesus’s response.
He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” –Matthew 15:3-9.
Do you go to church out of tradition and make worship a vain pursuit? Are church traditions more important than the work God wants to do in your life and in others? Mark 7:9 states, “And he said to them, ‘“You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!’” Jesus said in Luke 10:27, “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’” Is there someone in your church you do not love but have resentment toward for something they said or did or did not say or do? Forgive those in the church who have offended you, so you don’t break God’s command to love. Prepare your heart to worship God before you enter the church building. And prepare to love those who you feel are hard to love.
Be mindful of your heart the next time you go to church. Perceive your thoughts during the worship service. Ask God to quicken your heart to worship Him in spirit and truth. Psalm 86:12 tells us how to worship “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” As you take time to worship God each day, really focus on giving your entire heart and be thankful
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WEEK 9 – February 26 – March 4 (29th is review)
Day 57-Feb. 26—Worship God, that He is the fountain of life.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. 10Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! –Psalm 36:9-10
Day 58-Feb. 27—Worship God, that He delights in us and holds our hand.
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.—Psalm 37:23-24
Day 59-Feb. 28—Worship God’s help in trouble.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. –Psalm 46:1-3
Day 60-Mar 1—Worship God because He sustains you.
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. –Psalm 55:22
Day 61-Mar 2—Worship God, that we can trust Him to help us walk in the light of life.
In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. 13For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. –Psalm 56:10-13
Day 62-Mar 3—Worship God’s Steadfast Love and Faithfulness
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! –Psalm 57:10-11
Day 63-Mar 4—Worship God for His strength and love.
O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress. 10My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. –Psalm 59:9-10
But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. –Psalm 59:16
All verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, go to the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.
Hope for Complete Healing 