#worship – herbcotton.org

An Invitation to the Whole World to Sing

Text:

Psalm 66:1-4 (ESV)

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!

3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah

Observation:

This is an invitation to the whole world to sing joyfully to God. Why should the whole world sing praises to God?

The Psalmist gives the reason.

Psalm 66:3 (ESV)

3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

God has the whole world on His heart, and He loves the people of every nation.

Have you personally benefited from the love of God, and received the gift of eternal life that He offers through Jesus; the only begotten son of God?

John 3:16-18 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Father, we delight to join our voices with the saints of the ages in joyfully singing the glory of Your name.

Father, we delight to associate ourselves with singing praises to You, who alone deserve all glory, honor, and praise that our heart can conceive, and our mouth repeat.

Psalm 66:4 (ESV)

4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.”

Father, accept our praise, and our prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

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The Fruit Resulting from God’s Presence

Text:

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Observation:

Today’s focal passage got me to thinking about the connection of work and worship. The focal verse reminds me of the works that God does through His people. However, there is something that comes before our works, and that is our worship.

Ephesians 1:3-6 (KJV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The tasks before us are always larger that we can handle in our own strength.

One of my favorite songs is, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”. There is a verse that is not often sung that includes these lyrics that acknowledges that we face burdens in life. However, it also reminds us that we don’t have to bear our burdens alone.

“Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised

Thou wilt all our burdens bear;

May we ever, Lord, be bringing

All to Thee in earnest prayer.”

O, the joy and blessings we forfeit when we do not spend time alone with our heavenly Father in prayer. We have a God who will bear all of our burdens. Why not count your blessings, and give the Lord some praise.

Psalm 34:3 (KJV)

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

Prayer:

Father, I delight to have the privilege of having an audience with You. What a blessing to add my voice to the voice of those of like mind who desire to give praise and glory to Your most holy name.

Psalm 145:1-3 (KJV)

1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Father, I am so grateful that You created us to be worshippers and workers for Your glory. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

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The Reason Why The Child of God Is Never Alone

Text:

John 17:23-26 (ESV)

23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.

26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Observation:

Today the Lord is impressing upon my heart that we need to change the conversation. We need to agree with Jesus that He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). Notice this powerful prayer of Jesus in John 17; you can’t go wrong by following the example of Jesus.{ #prayfirst}

What we need to do more of is to do what we will be doing in heaven. We need to spend more time worshipping the Lord, and giving praise and thanks to Him. We need an attitude change; the Lord is the only one that can change lives.

We need to recommit ourselves to the Word of God, and prayer. We look again at why prayer is so important. Notice how Jesus prayed for you.

John 17:20-23 (ESV)

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,

23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, thank You for giving us the means of prayer to connect with You. Father, make us one people under You.

Father, help us to live a life of faith in You, and to have a heart that delights to worship You, and give You the praise and thanks that You deserve. Father, convict and convince us that when the praises and prayers go up, the blessings come down. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

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The Word of God – Spirit and Life

Text:

John 6:63 (ESV)

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Observation:

The lyrics of this song is in my head as I read the focal passage for today. It is “Wonderful Words of Life”.

“Sing them over again to me,

Wonderful words of life,

Let me more of their beauty see,

Wonderful words of life;

Words of life and beauty

Teach me faith and duty.

?Refrain:

?Beautiful words, wonderful words,

?Wonderful words of life;

?Beautiful words, wonderful words,

?Wonderful words of life.”

If our spiritual life is to grow we need to feast on the Word of God; not just one day a week, but every day.

These are the final words of Peter to the first century believers who were facing persecution because of their faith in Jesus, and the Gospel of Christ.

2 Peter 3:17-18 (NLT)

17 I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.

18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

These are the words of Jesus:

John 17:17 (HCSB)

17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.

Are you willing to fast from the words of the world, and feast on the Word of God?

Prayer:

Father, I pray that You will stir the hearts of Your people until we have a burning desire to seek You, and abide in You with our whole heart in this New Year.

Father, thank You for the promise that if we trust You with our whole heart, and walk in Your ways that nothing will be impossible.

Father, I pray that Your people will never forget the hope we have because of the wonderful gift of love that You have given to each of us who belongs to Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Psalm 40:8 (NLT)

8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”

—

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Do We Believe the Songs We Sing?

Text:

Psalm 85:8 (AMP)

8 I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people, to His saints (those who are in right standing with Him)—but let them not turn again to [self-confident] folly.

Observation:

One of the things I love to do is sing. However, most of my singing is in the shower, and other places when I am alone. However, I am mindful of the words of the songs I sing because of a message I heard many years ago.

I remember back in 1984 attending a Pastor’s Conference held in conjunction with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusade in Alaska. One of the breakout conference speakers was Pastor Charles Allen of Houston, TX. He mentioned some of the lies we sing in church; one of them was this song.

“Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.”

Two more old songs that fit this category are these old favorites.

“Oh, the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God

I commune as friend with friend!”

“Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,

nor ever murmur nor repine;

content, whatever lot I see,

Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.”

As I start my morning with prayer in my heart, and praise on my lips, I am thankful for the reminder to ask the Lord to help me in being able to talk the talk, and walk the walk. We need a true dosage of faith and willingness to submit to Jesus as Savior, and the Lord of our life. I so desire that the words of this hymn will be a reality in my life today, and every day.

” O for a closer walk with God,

a calm and heavenly frame,

a light to shine upon the road

that leads me to the Lamb!”

Prayer:

Father, hallowed by Thy name. Lord, we need the help, and the strength that You provide to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and to walk in His footsteps day by day, and one step at a time.

Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, please bend our will, and break our hearts, until we are willing to listen, and obey Your tender words, and perfect will. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

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