Prayer & Worship

Prayer & Worship1 It is my experience that prayer and worship go hand in hand and cannot be separated. 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you". We are aware through the psalms and other books in the bible that prayer always was accompanied by thanksgiving, praise and worship. In some instances we find the individual thanking and praising God before asking for help; in others we see a stream of lament, supplication, or even anger followed by thanksgiving and praise. Either way, we must acknowledge that an effective prayer life is enhanced by praise and worship. The word “pray” is a verb the base for the word prayer a noun. It means to do one of several things as individuals or for and on behalf of others: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Appeal Supplicate Petition Plead

As individuals our spiritual growth is determined by our relationship with God and our prayer life. Worship is our entrance to the throne room of God and allows the Holy Spirit to guide us in prayer for ourselves and for others. I refer to Terry Law's book which advocates that "a relationship with God cannot exist without praise"; and goes on further to say that praise must always be vocal; and that it occurs when we tell others about God's goodness. Worship follows praise and is our response to our relationship with God. It is the way we pour out of our innermost thoughts and ourselves. The act of worship allows us to move into God's presence and is compared to the three areas of the tabernacle of Moses: the outer court which represents thanksgiving; the holy place which represents praise; and the Holy of Holies.... which represents worship. Psalm 84 written by the Sons of Korah is an example of praise, worship and prayer. Prayer therefore, is the consummation of a three-fold activity. The scriptures give many examples of praise, worship and prayer, which verify that before you approach God, you must follow a certain protocol. In the natural world we have a certain protocol to follow before we can see the head of a state, or high government officials. So too, we have an etiquette to follow before we approach our Heavenly Father. Psalm 100 gives us the format to follow. It says 'Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise......'. Terry Law's teaching on praise and worship is in keeping with Ps.100. He stresses that it is first necessary to give thanks. He also says "we don't get access to God by coming with petitions or supplications. We begin with praise, that is the way into His presence". If you are inclined not to adhere to

his teaching, then take it straight from the word of God in Philippians 4:6b which states "but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving, present your requests to God". Carefully studied the bible reveals that the central theme of the majority of the psalms is praise and prayer, both being used interchangeably. A good illustration of this can be found in psalm 42 written also by the Sons of Korah. While continually praising God, they sought healing and deliverance as verses 4-5 state: "When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with a voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance". Note the praise and thanksgiving along with the lament. In Daniel chapter nine [9] we see Daniel constantly praising God while presenting his case for Israel's restoration. The three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace choose to sing hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God as an expression of faith that their God would deliver them. There are many examples that show the use of praise and worship together with prayer; two notable ones known to those of us who are of the Anglo and Roman Catholic churches are [i] the Magnificat sometimes referred to as "Mary's Song" and [ii] the "Song of Simeon" which is used at our evening [Benediction] services. Our Lord Jesus presented us with an example of prayer, praise and worship when he gave us the "Lord's Prayer". Note carefully, what it is we say: Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name: with the emphasis on 'Hallowed' we identify this as an expression of praise and exaltation of God, which precedes the request for sustenance, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil. It ends with worship acknowledging God as the Sovereign Lord of All, emphasizing that His is the kingdom, the power and the glory, not just for yesteryear but for all time. Here we see a yet another perfect pattern for prayer, praise and worship. It is no wonder that the 'Lord's Prayer' has been set to various forms of music. The Psalms are another source, which provide us with classic guides to prayer, praise and worship. Theologians have over the years divided the Psalms into categories, which stressed the concerns of the author of the psalm, as well as our own needs of today. One category is called "Psalms of Descriptive Praise". An illustration of descriptive praise can be found in Psalm 8. It begins by sending forth the word. At this point, it may be helpful to know that prayer is begins with the use of seven principles, which are used collectively, as many of the psalms are inclined to do, and/or according to the need of the individual[s]. The first one is Boldness which means to be confident and sure; next is the Blood, meaning without any doubt the 'blood of Jesus Christ' our saviour; third is Faith that is expectant, hopeful and trusting; fourth is Right Relations, meaning your personal bond with the Father and His Son; fifth is God's will or his resolve; sixth is the Holy Spirit which will reveal God's will to us and whom Jesus sent to be our teacher, guide and counsellor; and last but by no means least is Praise, which is to exalt, worship and honour God for what he has done.

Psalm 8 begins with a description or portrayal of God: "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." A bold declaration by David who is confident and sure of his God. Continuing the verse and on to verse 2 David declared our purpose and God's will for us when he wrote: "You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." [This psalm can be used as a weapon for spiritual warfare..... but that's another topic, another time.] So we see David in Psalm 8 approaching with boldness, proclaiming the name of the Lord, which attacks the stronghold of the enemy and keeps him quiet. You will gather also, that David has a right relationship with God and is able to offer praise and exercise faith. Through the act of praise and worship prayer is fortified and we keep the enemy where he belongs; that is under our feet. Until next time, God be praised for as one songwriter put it: God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

Mrs. R. Cecilia Askew Chaplain/Spiritual Director copyright@2004:Revised 2008