Worship is Warfare...

Happy Monday, dear reader!  I hope your week is beginning well.  As most of you probably know from the info provided in my bio, one of the three most formative passions of my life has been worship. I flat out adore it and I have from the very beginning.  The act of worship is unfathomably powerful.  It breaks down walls, it is intensely inclusive, it ivites God to do the impossible, and it is one of the main points of access into the activity in the heavenly realms.  My very favorite thing about worship is that it completely incapasitates the enemy.  He absolutely has to flee whenever worship is a part of an atmosphere.  He abhors it. I love that.  When we worship, he loses all authority he may hold over any part of life.  All his lies lose power the milisecond one word of praise is uttered from my lips.  Is that not exciting?  I want to just stomp all over him in celebration and victory whenever and however I can.  Worship repels him and it steals his intentions.  The lessons I write about here are lessons that I have had experience with God in.  My intention is to share them as a means to show how a person can walk with God into all of His fullness or how someone may be able to find a way back to Him and in that complete freedom.  I am most certainly not sharing here to pat myself on the back or to shine recognition on anything I have done.  It is all to the glory, honor, and praise of my Papa God.  Now that that is said, I'd love to share three of my beliefs about worship and why I think it is so essential for a Christ-honoring and fulfilling inner life:

1) Worship is a lifestyle.  It most certainly is not just something you do in a building or only on Sunday mornings.  Worship is tied to every single thing -- little or big; significant or insignificant that you do every minute of every day.  Worship is washing dishes, or changing diapers, or tithing, or driving in your car.  The thing that defines whether or not it is an act of worship is the attitude of your heart and spirit as you live it out.  Living life through a lens of worship makes us different.  It causes people to wonder, "What is the it that this person has and is receiving life from?"  An authentic lifestyle of worship leads to Jesus being seen most clearly.  I believe that a life lived every second in every day throughout every season is the richest and most formative way to live.  Worship invites Papa God into every experience.  Claiming worship as a lifestyle is full of rewards and blessings.  It allows you to go into community and communion with God in a deeper and richer way.

2) Worship builds community.  I believe absolutely anyone who desires to live authentically in worship draws people to them.  Authenticity and a true pursuit of worship also draws the activity of God into life in a more relational way.  One thing I've learned as I've gained some milage with God is that you cannot in any way, shape or form fake a life of worship.  You're either intentionally pursuing it or you're not.  God knows.  There is a marked difference.  Another thing, people can tell whether you are actively pursuing a life of worship.  People who are looking for life-giving and lasting community are not interested in fake or counterfeit worship.  Life is a beast and community needs to have a place in the church and in our daily lives.  A life given to worship builds the richest and most treasured community.  If community is not built on a foundation of authenticity it will not serve a godly purpose.  Community is so very needed in society today.  Don't be someone or something you're not.  Make a decision to live out of a place of pure worship and gratitude.

3) Worship invites the reality of heaven into every day.  Two of the purposes of worship is to usher something in and to help create an atmosphere.  As we worship, we release something.  I've heard it said that whatever you behold is what you become and whatever you become will be released into who you are and everything you do.  I can only speak for me, but, I want everything that heaven has.  It is entirely possible to live in the reality of heaven now as we walk the earth.  Jesus said it, so I believe it.  Try it.  All you do is use your mouth to invite heaven's atmoshpere.  It's that easy.  You won't be the same.  It will ruin you for anything less.  Worship partners with heaven to see the miraculous occur.  Worship attracts miracles. Relentless and intimate pursuit of God through worship makes Him eager to accomplish what is seemingly impossible.  It's genius.  It's beautiful to behold.  It's even better to experience. 

Bottom line: Worsip is the most powerful weapon we have in our arsenal.  I pray that we live it; that we begin to use it to build authentic community; and that we learn to partner with it to see heaven manifested on earth!  May you know that this is attainable for you.  Worship is a wonderous gift.  Learn to use it to see God move on your behalf.