I heard the Lord say this to me today:
"My beloved, I desire you worship me, not only through song, but in everything you do with love and kindness, that is also a form of worship to me too. I delight in hearing your voice express such love and beautiful sounds of worship! It pleases me very much.
I am also pleased when you are kind, gentle and loving towards those who are wounded, hurt and needing my love. When you give them a kind word, when you smile at them and allow me to work through you this pleases me also.
Everything you do for me is a form of worship. Many of my children only equate worship with singing, playing instruments, etc. but indeed this is not the only form of worship.
So, I encourage you all to do all things in love; as if you are doing it unto me..." 💖
Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,
Colossians 3:23 (AMP)
God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24 (AMP)
I remember when I was young, already desiring to sing, even back then. I remember my pastor coming to my parents and asking them if my sister and I could join the choir. At that time I was still young, perhaps around 13 yrs. old. I remember thinking, what me? No, not me?? I was very intimidated by the thought that I would have to sing in front of a congregation. (Oh yeah, I was very shy, introverted at that age; nothing like I am now). Anyway, I remember my sister and I stuck it out for awhile, but then we somehow just lost interest and stopped going to choir.
As I grew older, I always had this love for songs. When I met my friend Susi when I was much older, in my 20's, I remember hearing her sing/worship the Lord for the first time and I was blown away. To me I thought you had to have some sort of 'angelic' voice to be 'qualified' to worship God. Fear and lack of revelation about singing/worshiping was fierce at that time in my life. As the years went by my friend Susi helped me to overcome some of that fear by encouraging me gently and very patiently to come out and help her with the many choirs that she was directing at that time. She encouraged me to harmonize and I really began growing in this area of my life. I truly began to become more comfortable about worshiping the Lord in public.
Over the last several years, I had the opportunity to grow through the Lord himself speaking to me (and my pastors too) and I received much understanding and revelation of what true worship is all about. As God allowed me to lead worship many times, I began to experience visitations like never before. The enemy would come at me hard, trying to crush me, even using tactics like 'I'm not qualified' He would use whomever or whatever method to have me believe that I was not 'good enough' or not 'ready yet'...it was awful, but I kept faithful and listened to God urging me on "continue, I will take care of the warfare" "I am with you daughter") Many times, I wouldn't be able to even 'hear' what the musicians were playing it was like the warfare was so intense, that I would be completely overwhelmed! Wow! It was very intimidating, but I would remember who I was in Christ, I would pray and God would show up and spontaneous worship would break forth in magnificent ways.
For many years, I never really understood, what 'worshiping in the spirit' meant. That it doesn't matter how 'great' a singer I am, it's all about the positioning of our hearts before the Lord. It's all about worship, praising Him, honouring Him, not about me, but ALL about Him! Over the last 8 years or so I have grown deeply in understanding and realizing what "true" worship is. It's about showing our love, giving him full glory, our gratitude, and our desire to love being in God's presence; to love HIM. The more hunger we have for him, the more we will desire and receive. It's all about 'giving' God what belongs to Him anyways, all the praise, the worship, the glory!!
His presence is so sweet, so tangible when we worship from the deepest part of our soul in spirit. When we truly open up our hearts and forget about all those around us, and just focus on loving on HIM...When there is an open heaven above us, when the angelic choirs come down and join in worshiping with the people of God, when sounds come from above like no others sounds here on earth, when we are lost in His presence, totally unaware if we are even standing or on our knees. Our hearts become one; beating in one rhythm with HIS! We become totally overtaken in the spirit by His Love so great that we begin to shake and tremble in His presence! We are totally immersed in His awesome presence. Oh, our hearts explode with His love...
I have had many of these encounters over the past several years. They were some of the most profound moments I have ever experienced in the presence of God (during worship in church, and my personal worship time at home, or in my car.) I have heard angelic choirs singing along with us; I have heard heavenly sounds/instruments that are not from here. I have experienced healing and yes, even deliverance during worship.
I would encourage all of you to spend time in worship. Really allowing God's presence to overtake you. Listen for the sounds, listen for His still, small voice speaking through the Glory Cloud. Observe the wonderful colours of the glory cloud. Wow! I promise you, you will never be the same. 🙋🎵 🎶 🎸 🎹
Now, this is NOT the only way we can give God praise or Glory. When I look at my patients through God's eyes, love and compassion, when I hold their hands after they've been told they have a terminal brain tumour, they cry and I comfort them. I show them God's love and compassion. This is worship too. I offer God all the praise and glory. I encourage them in their faith. I know all too well, it's not me that could hold up to that kind of love, but His love in and through me. Jesus' speaks and manifests His endearing compassion to the oppressed and sick through us. We are His instruments, His vessels!
I have learnt that whenever I open my heart totally and allow God to be God, HE will ALWAYS show up in a supernatural and super powerful way!!! Will you allow Him to 'show up' and bless you with His presence? Will you shower Him with song, words and actions? Will you offer all you do as a worship before His Holy throne?
💖Oh my beloved Jesus, every beat of my heart is worship onto you! 💖💖
Maria.