The rich legacy of the Book of Psalms applies to our worship
today, just as it did to that of the early Church. David’s exhortation to his
people to praise and worship the Lord and to rejoice before Him is also
punctuated by his heartfelt testimony of human trial and passion. David’s
anger, sorrow, broken-heartedness, grief, confession and repentance before the
Lord are the milestones he left behind, and by which, we can trace our own walk
of faith. As the psalmist so vividly testifies from his own life, worship
brings not only our praise and adoration to the altar of the Lord, but also our
problems and limitations. The humbling of our will, joined to our worship of
God at the altar, will produce a power encounter with Him of majestic
proportions.
Anyone can incorporate the practical suggestions listed below
to offer the sacrifice of praise and make your home a worship center. Whatever
your domestic status—whether you have a believing spouse or family, if you live
alone, or are a single parent—the key element is in your own personal response
to God’s call.
Kneel. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).
Kneeling is an acknowledged point of submission, a way to
bring anything under Christ’s dominion. I have cultivated a habit of kneeling
in worship to the Lord as I get out of bed each morning; affirming that He is
the ruler of my household, my life, and my family. Making a “Sonrise”
declaration of Jesus Christ invites and welcomes His presence into my day.
Sing. “Oh come, let us sing to the
Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1).
Singing worship to the Lord releases joy! It refreshes and
renews us even in times of pain, and it helps us maintain a fresh flow of the
Spirit of the Lord in and through our lives. Whatever the quality of your
voice, you will be blessed when you sing the praises of God during both
abundant and wilderness seasons.
Invite God to dinner. “My mouth shall speak the
praise of the Lord.” (Psalm 145:21).
Our table talk can be a point of teaching and ministry to
our children, if we don’t make it an exercise of pompous piety. Keep spiritual
reality “natural” to the family circle and invite conversation that allows each
member to talk about what the Lord is doing in their life.
Teach your children to develop their own devotional life. “We
will show forth Your praise to all generations.” (Psalm 79:13).
As Anna and I raised our four children, we chose to use our
parental influence to lead them in cultivating their own private devotional
lives on a daily basis. Our family times of prayer and reading the Word
together were occasional rather than daily.
Pray…while feeding on the Word. “For where
two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of
them.” (Matthew 18:20).
Along with private devotions, pray together with your
spouse, family or others in your household, inviting everyone to share their
prayer requests. Make it a time of openness and liberty. Occasionally speak the
creative Word of God aloud in your home.
Worship in your spiritual language.
“I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I
will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (I
Corinthians 14:14).
Our praise abounds beyond all human limitation when we
worship the Lord with our spiritual language.
Have communion. “Do this in remembrance of
Me…” (I Corinthians 11:24-26).
When we celebrate communion, we are celebrating the grandest
altar of all—the Cross of Calvary. Upon the Cross, the Son of God was laid
forth as the sacrifice to reconcile all humankind to God. Let your home be a
place where the testimony of what Jesus accomplished in His death and
resurrection is lifted up.
--Jack Hayford
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