When we pray, we speak as the person we are, but the Savior to whom we are united represents us in heaven. The Father hears our prayers, not as the petitions of the fault-ridden persons we are but as the pleas of the infinitely holy and eternally loved Son, our Savior. Our union with Christ influences every dimension of the Christian life. When we worship, Christ is not only the audience of our songs, but through his Spirit he is also the singer (Eph. 5:18–20). When his servants preach, he is not only the witness of the sermon but the proclaimer (2 Cor. 4:5–7; 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:1–2). When we serve, he is not only the object of our service but the enabler (Phil. 4:13). When we pray, he is not only the Lord whom we seek but the One who speaks. – Bryan Chappel, Praying Backwards
So I’m currently reading this excellent book by long-time pastor and author, Bryan Chappell.
Biblical theology is so interesting to me.
On some days, things just make sense to me.
Other times…it’s not always so easy.
Admittedly, this is one of those areas where I struggle.
It’s like…..wait, I’m saying the prayer…but actually Christ is communicating on my behalf?
…And, the Holy Spirit is praying things FOR ME that go even beyond what I could hope to pray for myself?
And notice how Chappell goes beyond his subject matter to make the point even stronger: Since we worship in the name of the Lord Jesus (Eph. 8:20), he is not only the object of our worship, but the VOICE of it!
That’s INCREDIBLE!
And it totally has implications for everything, from…
- What songs we choose.
- How we view the worship experience.
- Our attitude of heart in the moment we worship.
- Our spirit toward preparation for worship.
- Our demeanor the moment we step on the worship stage
- …and lots, lots more.
Perhaps there’s no more important observation than this: When we don’t “feel” like worshipping, or when we think we are not in a spiritual state conducive to worship, we can—and we must—press on.
Why?
Because the worship—like prayer—does not depend on us.
Indeed, the message of Scripture would seem to be we worship through Christ, and in his name.
The same mountain-moving power that can accompany a prayer offered in his name can accompany worship offered in his name!
I don’t know about you, but this brings me tremendous comfort, because I often feel unworthy to worship.
I feel like my sin is bigger than the worship I can offer…
I feel like my hurriedness gets in the way of the worship I bring…
I feel like my character of heart is inconsistent with who I am when I worship…
And what’s amazing is that, maybe if it was up to me, worship would be impossible.
I dare say that for some, who go through unimaginable pain and horrific circumstances, it really would be impossible…
…if they were doing it alone, that is.
But they aren’t!
Genuine worship toward our God and Father is only possible because we are united to Christ!
And, therefore, our worship enjoys the benefits of that union: Access to God through Christ, the groaning of the Spirit for words we could never utter under our own strength, and the miraculous advocacy of Christ on our behalf, though we come before him so unworthy.
I just want to encourage you today. It’s not always about the skill.
It’s not always about the talent.
It’s not even always about the music.
It’s about a heart of worship made possible in Christ alone.
And frankly, what more reason could there be for putting our best foot forward in the worship experience?
This really is the “heart” behind Worship By Numbers™. We realize the “worship hour” is one of the most important times of the week, where we dedicate intentional time to the adoration of our Lord.
And while the heart of worship is one that can only truly be cultivated through time alone with Christ, The Worship Guys are committed to helping you show up confident, prepared, and excited to make your contribution.
Here’s how you can get started in our program today, for free: www.WorshipByNumbers.com
Steve Schramm