Psalm 32, 51, 86, 122
Focus Verses
Psalm 122: 1-9 “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.”
After being at home for church services, singing His praises, and meeting in online groups, I was certainly glad to be back in the house of the Lord! Obviously, we can still study God’s Word, hear sound teaching, join in song, and communicate with others without going to a building, but there is something about uniting with fellow believers.
While it is only a building, not being able to come together with the body of Christ has made me realize just how much it means when we express our love for Him together. There are many verses in the Bible that say come let us worship the Lord. Let us. Together. As a worship leader, it brings me great joy to hear the congregation lifting their voices to the Lord. This often helps me enter into deeper worship to the Lord, knowing we are worshiping the One True God.
David knew of the joy of “giving thanks to the name of the Lord” and encouraged the Israelites to do so. He also encouraged them to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Pray… so there would be peace within, they would prosper, there would be unity and harmony, security, community, and mostly that there would be freedom and fulfillment in joyful worship.
We should follow the same example and pray for the peace in our church. Pray for the leadership. Pray that we would seek the Lord as David did as he led the people to lift their voices to the Lord. See these examples of the earnest yearning to worship the Lord that David left for us. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning - yes, more than those who watch for the morning” (Psalm 130: 5-6). “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (Psalm 86:12-13).
I recently heard that worship is not first and foremost to have an encounter with God. Rather, the first and foremost reason we worship is because He is worthy! We need to reframe our mentality to that like David. We then will express true joy and say “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”
Prayer
Father God, thank You for teaching me more about what it means to worship You. Thank You that as a body we have been able to gather corporately. Give us a pure desire to pray for peace and Your will in our church. Make my heart a house of the Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Focus Verses
Psalm 122: 1-9 “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together, where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.”
After being at home for church services, singing His praises, and meeting in online groups, I was certainly glad to be back in the house of the Lord! Obviously, we can still study God’s Word, hear sound teaching, join in song, and communicate with others without going to a building, but there is something about uniting with fellow believers.
While it is only a building, not being able to come together with the body of Christ has made me realize just how much it means when we express our love for Him together. There are many verses in the Bible that say come let us worship the Lord. Let us. Together. As a worship leader, it brings me great joy to hear the congregation lifting their voices to the Lord. This often helps me enter into deeper worship to the Lord, knowing we are worshiping the One True God.
David knew of the joy of “giving thanks to the name of the Lord” and encouraged the Israelites to do so. He also encouraged them to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Pray… so there would be peace within, they would prosper, there would be unity and harmony, security, community, and mostly that there would be freedom and fulfillment in joyful worship.
We should follow the same example and pray for the peace in our church. Pray for the leadership. Pray that we would seek the Lord as David did as he led the people to lift their voices to the Lord. See these examples of the earnest yearning to worship the Lord that David left for us. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning - yes, more than those who watch for the morning” (Psalm 130: 5-6). “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol” (Psalm 86:12-13).
I recently heard that worship is not first and foremost to have an encounter with God. Rather, the first and foremost reason we worship is because He is worthy! We need to reframe our mentality to that like David. We then will express true joy and say “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”
Prayer
Father God, thank You for teaching me more about what it means to worship You. Thank You that as a body we have been able to gather corporately. Give us a pure desire to pray for peace and Your will in our church. Make my heart a house of the Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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