I am currently a worship leader at a local church, and have to admit, that for most of my adult life, I have been more pre-occupied with the music aspect of praise and worship, and incredibly uncomfortable with the prayer end. Why I have had such an aversion to prayer, has a lot to do with my story, and my upbringing in the church, but thankfully, is something that God is leading me through. For many years, I have been passionate about worship music, songs that move a person into closer proximity with the Spirit of God, songs that seem to connect you with the Lord on a more intimate level. Now I am of the thought, that all this time, I have been thinking about it completely backwards!
I actually own several books on the subject of prayer. How many of them have I actually completed? Well... that would probably be a big fat ZERO. I am getting better at it though, and my mind-set towards prayer has changed completely, so the urge to buy more and more books about how to do it has actually lessened. There are two books that I love in my collection. The first one, (which I have read completely, TWICE) is by Darlene Zschech, writer of the song, "Shout to the Lord", and is entitled, "Extravagant Worship." This book, written by one of the best and most powerfully effective worship leaders I have ever been privileged to experience, talks about how worship is more than about the music, but a way of life, and how the songs and their expression are a manifestation of how we live our lives before God. The second book I love, is by that great advocate of prayer, Stormie Omartian, and is entitled, "The Prayer that Changes Everything." It is this book that has helped me connect all the parts of my spiritual life, that were previously fragmented. It was this book that helped me put together all the cogs of the wheel, so to speak, and make me see how interdependent all the aspects of our Christian life really are.
On page 9 of 'The Prayer That Changes Everything', Stormie writes "Worship and praise is the purest form of prayer because it focuses our minds and souls entirely away from ourselves and on to Him." She goes on to talk about how we communicate to God our love, devotion, reverance, appreciation, and thankfulness to God, how we exalt Him for who He is, how we draw close to Him, simply to BE close to Him, all through worship and praise. She goes on to say, "One of the most wonderful things about God is that He lives in our praise. He inhabits the praises of His people. 'But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel,' the Bible says (Psalm 22:3)." Pretty awesome to think about. When we worship Him, when we praise Him, He is with us. Not to imply that He isn't always with us, but I think that it is a special time of fellowship with God when this happens. It is intimate.
My prayer life has definitely changed in the past few years, as has my view of what worship really is. God has been saying to me for some time, "Daughter, open your mind to Me." It's amazing how much freedom is gained when we relinquish control to the Almighty, and allow Him to show us what He WANTS to show us, instead of only seeing what WE want to see.
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Thank you so much for your reminders on Praise, that God lives in it, opened our mind to Him, as the only sacrifice required.
“Lord, in darkest nights, awful lonely hours, horrified storm that rages, with no glimpse of rescue in sight. When all seem failed, that’s when the world looks at us, and asked, ‘Where is your God?’ Father, yet would I praise You, I know my Redeemer lives, and sufficient is His grace for me even now, because of His unfailing love, & unbroken convenant of peace through the Blood of the Lamb. He will come soon & reign forever; and now, lives in our hearts. That’s why we could shout from the mountain top, to proclaim His awesome wonder, glorious praises, majestic holiness, and we are most blessed for the living hope sealed in the Anointing.”
Ron Bible says, "When we sing, we pray/worship twice." The psalms are full of prayer songs. I "pray" you'll learn to be talking to the Lord/Holy Spirit all day every day! That's really what prayer is.
gladys deloe