Daily Challenge 3: Genuine Worship

Heather Zempel

May 27, 2007 · 9:00 AM

This entry is identical to the Daily Devotional Challenge that Team Kenya is using during their trip.  It is a study on the 10 Core Values of International Christian Center.

WE VALUE GENUINE WORSHIP

Scripture Meditations

John 4:23-24
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

Psalm 95:6-7
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care.  If only you would listen to his voice today!

Journal Questions

  1. What does it mean to worship God in spirit and in truth?  What are some practical ways that you can engage both your left and right brain in worship?
  2. How is listening to God’s voice related to worship?

Actions
Some suggestions for putting it into practice today:

  1. Prepare yourself for a new worship experience this morning.  Spend some time in silence listening to what God might have to say to you.
  2. Introduce yourself to someone at ICC today.  Tell them what you learned or appreciated from your experience worshiping with them today. 
  3. Try a new worship practice today.  The verse above references bowing down and kneeling.  Consider some of the other worship expressions referenced in Scripture: lifting hands, dancing, singing, shouting, leaping, sitting in stillness, lying prostrate, etc. 
  4. Spend some time worshiping with your teammates. 

Commentary

Deb D

May 28, 2007 · 8:03 PM

It’s interesting that one form of worship would be shouting.  Even though I have read the verses over and over—e.g., “Shout to the Lord with a voice of triumph"—I never tried it. Until God challenged me during Catacombs towards the end of last year. God basically wanted me to cheer and shout for him, as I had been doing during Dan’s football games. I had raised my voice in praise and worship to God, but nothing like what He was asking of me at that point. 

So I started looking around and thinking what are people going to think of me when I start this? Then, “God I can’t do this. I’m on the Hospitality Team.”

The persistent calling on my heart to do this would not dissipate. So without any more excuses or arguments, I opened my mouth and shouted for all I was worth, praising and worshiping Him with the best effort He was asking of me. You know what? Once I started I didn’t care what people thought, all I could think of was the freedom of release that God blessed me with during that time of worship. I was so overwhelmed by His love and presence, that all I remember was wanting more—more and more of God. 

Experimenting with different forms of worship is another way of experiencing God, it’s a great way to break our routine (rut) of how we have conditioned ourselves for worship.

He truly inhabits our worship.

Team, I am praying for you. Strength to you in all that you do while you are there. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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