Worship When You're Down

Sometimes we feel as if we have no energy to worship God. We are bombarded with work, families, sickness, stress, bills, etc…every single day. When do we have time to read the Bible let alone worship God? 

Some people have no will power, some have no desire to worship God, and others want to…but don't feel like they can. They are thinking to themselves, "What's the use? Nothing is going to change." They are sad about an event that has taken place or they simply have no room in their hearts to forgive someone. 

Guess what? Even when you don't think you have it in you to give your heart to God in worship, this is when you need to do it the most. When you are weak, He is strong. God gives you the strength when you need it the most. 

When you don't feel good in physical health or in spiritual healthand you praise Him and worship Him…you will find yourself in His glorious presence. And then you don't want to to stop praising and worshiping Him…it is like a drug. Then…afterwards, you don't feel the same as you did before you went into worship. Your whole outlook on life changes in that moment. 

Now, you may have to do this several times a day…but you can worship Him in the car, in the shower, wherever. And worshiping God does not necessarily mean singing to Him. You can pray, read His Word, meditate on His Word, etc… 

As the Nike commercial says, "Just do it!"

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Making Decisions: A Biblical Model

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According to Dr. Gary Friesen in his book Decision Making and the Will of God, the apostle Paul commonly used several steps when reaching decisions about next steps in his ministry. You can apply these steps to your own decision-making process when you're seeking the will of God.

Steps in Paul's Decision-Making Process

According to Dr. Friesen, Paul's decision-making process consisted of the 5 Ps: Purpose, Priorities, Plans, Prayer and Perservance.

Purpose: Paul's purposes were based on God's moral law and will. Your purpose may be to bring the gospel to people, to raise your kids in a loving environment, to start a business. Whatever it is, let your purpose be one that pleases God.

Priorities. Paul knew what he wanted to accomplish in his ministry, so he prioritized his goals. Since God is the God of grace and centeredness, not stress and frantic motion, prayerfully set your priority goals and objectives.

Plans: Paul made careful plans that gave him a strategy for accomplishing his objectives. An objective is your destination. A plan or strategy is the route.

Prayer: Paul brought himself and his plans to the will of God in prayer. Pray over your purposes, priorities and plans, and timing.

Perseverance: When circumstances prevented Paul carrying out his plans, he assumed that the delay was God's will, not that he had the wrong plans. If you've prayed over your purpose and plans, have studied the Bible over the matter and have discussed them with God's people, obstacles may be God's way of telling you that His timetable is different from yours. Keep praying and looking for the opportunities that He will provide.

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