The month we spent in Turkey was full of worship and prayer, which I enjoyed very much. We started the month with a “burn” – which is 100 hours of prayer and worship. Then, we served at a house of prayer for the second half of the month. As we prepared to leave for Turkey, the Lord gave me the words prayer and worship. This was so cool since my ministry this month was all about prayer and worship. In preparation, the Lord also told me that it was not only to be used for spiritual warfare but also for a deeper intimacy with Him.
While in Turkey, we prayed for a number of different things. For example, we prayed about: sex trafficking, the church, the unsaved, the Middle East, for more laborers for His harvest (Matt. 9:37), and for the believers around the world. Prayer is so powerful and such a tool to break down strong holds in other countries. I often thought about Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The disciples lived a life of prayer and ministry. What stood out to me is they started in prayer then went out to tell the people about God.
What does the bible say about worship? Well, in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word ‘Shachah’ means to bow down, prostate ones self, or give reverence. Here are a few verses, where it is found:
Psalm 29:1-2 “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship in the splendor of holiness.
Psalm 66:4 “All the earth worships You and sings praises to You; they sing praises to Your name.”
Another Hebrew word for worship is “Barak” which means to kneel and give place to God. It is found in 330 verses in the Old Testament and often translated as to bless. Here are a few verses, where it is found:
Psalm 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Psalms is full of David’s worship to God – during the good times as well as the really hard times. Worship are those times we go before the Father and give Him the honor, praise and glory He is due. It is choosing to worship Him in the tough times, even when we may not feel like it. I know when I have come to the Lord in worship during those tough times; He has come and met me there.
What does worship mean to me?
It is my secret place with God. A place I find refuge, strength, refreshing, renewing, and intimacy with the Father. It is where He changes me and I become more like Him. It is where I worship the one true God and declare how good He is. It is where I can pour out my heart before Him, where I spend time with the Him and grow in my relationship with Him, and where He speaks His truth over me. In this place, I get to pour out my love for God and also encounter His love for me.
Worship has always been a special place for me because the Lord has done so much in my life while worshiping Him. I can look back to moments at Christ For The Nations when I was worshipping my Heavenly Father that walls, I had built, were broken. Times, when I poured out my heart before Him, that He sang a love song over me.
Worship is where we give it all to God and lay it down at His feet. Psalms 84 states: “a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.” In heaven the angels worship God. Revelation 4:8-11 talks about how the angles never cease to say Holy. “Day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Just think, when we are in heaven, we will join in with the angels and worship God both day and night.
This month God challenged me to help lead a worship set with my team. Now, I have not played the piano in a really long time and I do not like to play in front of people. When I am at home and nobody else is around, I love to play the piano and worship God. I was hesitant at first, however as I thought about it, I realized it was not for me or the other people in the room. It was for God and God deserves it! So I lead 30 minutes of worship on the back hill of Ephesus.
One thing I am learning on this trip is to step out of my comfort zone. To not stay where it is safe and where I can’t mess up. I have learned so much as I have accepted new challenges and given it all to God.
I have enjoyed our time in Turkey, worshipping God and praying for those all around the world. Imagine being in Turkey praying for the unsaved with the other members of the race – now that was really cool to be a part of. I am so glad to be a part of what God is doing in these last days
As I close this blog, I want to leave you with some questions to think about:
What is worship to you?
Why is it important to worship?
How can you add worship into your life?
