I gave my life to Christ a few decades ago. From that time till now, praise and worship have been significant, and I mean major, game-changers in my walk with the Lord. From the beginning of that commitment, Christian music became catalytic in my spiritual growth and stability in the faith.
Beyond the fact that I felt called into the ministry of music and worship through gifting in that area, service to the Lord in the body of Christ with other believers had its roots in my desire for deeper intimacy with Him. My heartfelt cry was similar to that of King David:
I long to drink of you, O God, to drink deeply from the streams of pleasure flowing from your presence. My longings overwhelm me for more of you! My soul thirsts, pants, and longs for the living God. I want to come and see the face of God -Psalm 42:1-2, TPT.
Ministering to the Lord in songs is a way of worship; it is a way of life for the believer, and we are called to worship Him in spirit and truth.
When you regularly and consistently give heartfelt praise and worship to the Lord in song, it accelerates your spiritual growth and deepens your walk with Him. The deeper your relationship with God, the more stable your faith will be.
Looking back, through my years in the faith, there have been major and minor battles, and most of the time, victory has been obtained through heartfelt praise and worship.
I would often wake up from sleep with a song of praise in my heart and on my lips. I came to understand what the scripture meant when it said that God our maker is the one who gives songs in the night (Job 35:10).
All through the day, Yahweh has commanded his endless love to pour over me. Through the night I sing his songs and my praises to the living God –Psalm 42:8, TPT.
It was in prison and at midnight, a dark moment in their lives, that Paul and Silas prayed and sang to the Lord (Acts 16:25). They did not sing so that God will rescue them from the prison. They sang out of a heart connection with the Lord. They praised the Lord because He is God.
Their connection with Him was always maintained. It did not matter whether they were being persecuted or locked up in prison. No matter the circumstance, their heart connection with the Lord remained stable.
Song and music in the heart of a believer is evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord -Ephesians 5:18-19.
When the Lord returns, He is coming for His disciples, people whose allegiance is to Him irrespective of their denomination. Those whose hearts are passionate about Him and their lives and character demonstrate that they have a personal relationship with Him.
Disciples of the Lord faithfully maintain intimacy with Him. They are ever practising His presence. At the personal and corporate level, they are consistently living in tandem with these words Paul wrote to the believers at Colossae:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him -Colossians 3:16.
When it emanates from the depth of your heart, ministering to the Lord in songs is an act of worship. Ministering to the Lord in songs is an act of faith. Ministering to the Lord in songs is an act of love. No matter the challenges you may be facing in life, never let the songs of the Lord depart from your heart and your lips.
You may be facing tremendous challenges that seem beyond your capacity to handle. Rather than worry and complain, raise a song of worship onto the Lord with a sense of gratitude. It will come before Him as a sacrifice of praise.
Therefore by Him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name -Hebrews 13:15, NKJV.
Initially, when you start to raise praise from your lips, it may seem like a heavy burden, but as you persist, liberty of spirit will take over, and sooner than later, you begin to see yourself soar in spirit.
As you progress in the attitude of worship, do not take your heart and mind away from the fact that your sole desire and purpose is to minister to the Lord and not to get anything from Him. This is the true spirit of praise.
Praise is the fruit of our lips which we offer to the Lord. If you are seeking where to produce fruit before the Lord, heartfelt praise is a great place to start.
Are you in a dry place, confused and unsure of what to do and where to go? Praise will cause restoration of the joy of salvation. You will step up into His most holy place. You will invoke the power of God on your behalf. You will tear down the barriers and strongholds of the enemy.
The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: “Praise the Lord of hosts, For the Lord is good, For His mercy endures forever” – and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,’ says the Lord -Jeremiah 33:11, NKJV.
When the joy of your salvation is restored, you will then have the wherewithal to draw benefits from its well.
With great joy, you people will get water from the well of victory. At that time you will say, “Our LORD, we are thankful, and we worship only you. We will tell the nations how glorious you are and what you have done. Because of your wonderful deeds, we will sing your praises everywhere on earth.” Sing, people of Zion! Celebrate the greatness of the holy LORD of Israel. God is here to help you. Isaiah 12:3-6, CEV.
Friend, I pray that the Lord will take you by the hand and lead you into the place where you consistently minister to Him in song. It is an awesome place to be. It is a life-transforming place.
Thank you. Do not forget to keep living, loving and learning.
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