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                     THE WORTH OF WORSHIP


                               By

                          Phil Scovell



                          INTRODUCTION

     "Worship" is an old English word which originally was
(worthship).  It was used with royalty to express honor and re-
spect. Its basic meaning is to value, to elevate, minister to,
praise, or to favor.  I like (favor) because it can be
illustrated in a practical way.

      I have a friend who used to own a 1954 Cadillac.  He owned
two other cars -newer models, but he rarely drove them.  He
preferred his 1954 Cadillac.  In other words, he favored it.
Similarly, a right-handed person will favor the right hand over
the left because it feels natural to do so.  So it is with
worship.  Our Heavenly Father is our choice of favor.  We prefer
him over all else because He is worthy. To worship Him, therefore,
is simply to favor Him always.

      Worshiping God is a form of prayer, but not all prayer is
worship.  Prayer is, "Breathing in the Spirit."  As natural as
physical breathing is to the body: so should prayer be to the
Believer.  Worship, on the other hand, is "Oneness with God."  It
is spiritual intimacy. It is the expression of one's life lived in
perpetual awareness of His presence and power.

     God has created us "spirit, soul, and body;" (I Thess. 5:23).
Once we have received Christ as Saviour, we are "Complete in Him,"
(Col. 2:10).  We have been "sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise," (Eph. 1:13).  It has been the human spirit which has
been "regenerated," and "renewed by the Holy Ghost," (Titus 3:5).
The soul, that part of man which is the mind, will, and emotions,
is saved, (made to conform to the image of Christ) by the
"engrafted word," (James 1:21).  The body, our physical flesh,
will be redeemed (glorified) upon the return of our Lord, (I Cor.
15:51-55). The need for a clear Biblical understanding of this
doctrine on the body, soul, and spirit, will become more  evident
as we look at the effects worship has in the spiritual realm.

                      I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20

     "What!  Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own?  For you are bought with a price:  Therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

      What does it mean to glorify God in both your body and
spirit?  I was always taught that this passage referred to living
a clean life - abstaining from all worldly pleasures.  There
additionally was always a very long list of things from which to
abstain too. The word "body" in I Cor. 6:20, does not simply mean
our physical body.  It is a term which can also mean wholeness or
completeness.  The Holy Spirit does not simply inhabit our
physical bodies but all of us.  In other words, He, the Holy
Spirit of God, indwells all of body, soul, and spirit; although He
resides within our human spirit.  Thus the Apostle Paul is at-
tempting to teach us that we should glorify God in wholeness.
This can be accomplished through worship.


                            PART I

                     THE REASONS TO WORSHIP

1.  It Pleases God.

      If this were the only reason to worship God, it would be
enough.  King David, even in the most adverse circumstances, was
able to get God's attention because he had learned how to worship.
His Psalms of the Old Testament are definite evidence of his skill
in worship.  God is pleased, honored, and favored when we begin to
focus on Him rather than the adversities.


2.  It Paralyzes The Devil.

      The Devil finds it impossible to function in an atmosphere
of worship. It is totally contrary to his nature.  He, the Devil,
seeks to get us to see and hear circumstances rather than God.  An
attitude of worship, however, causes us to see and hear God.

      One day, while meditating on spiritual things, I was
reminded of James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you."  The question is,
"How do we resist?"  I suddenly realized that often the problem is
where I am in relation to God and not where God is in relation to
me.  When facing difficult, or even impossible circumstances, we
often have allowed the Devil to come between us. The solution,
James reveals, is to submit ourselves to God and to draw near to
Him.  Of course this means, in a manner of speaking, that we are
drawing closer to the Devil because he has somehow invaded our
personal relationship with God.   What happens then?  If you begin
to approach the Heavenly Father through worship, the Devil will be
paralyzed.  In fact, he will, as you draw near to God, be forced
to depart. Worshiping God is emulating God's nature; which is
Holy.  Satan is unable to remain in the presence of God's Holiness
and just as light dispels darkness, worshiping God will paralyze
the Devil and force him to vacate.


3.  It Powers The Holy Spirit.

      As much as unholiness is the nature of Satan, so holiness is
the Holy Spirit's nature.  Thus, as we worship God, the Holy
Spirit takes note.  In fact, the Holy Spirit cannot minister in an
atmosphere of unholiness because it is not compatible to His
nature. Unholiness occurs when we focus on the circumstances
rather than God. If we will, on the other hand, begin to worship
God, the Holy Spirit will be able to minister in our behalf.  He
is the amplifier of truth.  The more we worship God, even in the
most difficult of circumstances, the greater the manifestation of
the Holy Spirit's power.

4. It Penetrates The Supernatural.

      As we worship the Lord, we are entering the supernatural
realm because worship is an unnatural act.  It is spiritual by its
very nature.  This is often the reason why worshiping God feels so
uncomfortable and sometimes so difficult to do; especially during
times of impossible circumstances.  We worship, however, not
because it is natural or the convenient thing to do, but because
it is spiritual.

      A close examination of Eph. 6:11-18 reveals how and when we
penetrate the supernatural realm.  We are not fighting a physical
battle but a supernatural one.  This is why psychological tech-
niques so often fail when Christians attempt to apply them to
problems which are spiritual in nature.  Worshiping God, however,
supercedes the natural and touches God where He is - in the
spiritual realm.  A careful look at Eph. 6:18 should warn us that
spiritual warfare should be prepared for through prayer and
supplication; "in the Spirit." This is worshiping God. When we do
so, we have penetrated the spiritual realm.

5.  It Produces Holiness.

      When we focus on personal problems, unfavorable
circumstances, or impossible situations, rather than on the truth
of God's Word; we will not produce holiness.  We will, without
question, produce fear, anxiety, resentment, and anger - but not
holiness.  Worship does produce holiness and that not only pleases
God but makes room for the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Begin to
worship God, even in the most difficult of circumstances and you
will produce the Holiness of God and thus spiritual intimacy will
be experienced as well as power when the Holy Spirit begins to
intercede in your behalf.

6.  It Perfects Our Relationship.

      The easiest way to renew your relationship with God is
through worship.  Your human spirit, if you are born again, has
been created anew; I Cor. 5:17.  The old man, (old nature,) is
dead; see Rom. 6:6, Col. 3:9, Rom. 8:1-17, and Gal. 5:24.  Thus
you will never be any more spiritual than you are at the moment of
salvation.  Grow - perhaps; become more conformable to the image
of Christ - most definitely; become more Godly - without question;
but never more spiritual.  No matter the sin committed or the
failures experienced, I John 1:9 is always available to the repen-
tant heart:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
      This text is often misunderstood. It does not say we should
ask for God to forgive us of our sins as Christians;  it says we
are to confess to God our sin.  He does the forgiving.  Worshiping
God exposes unholiness.  As you worship, you will find yourself
confessing sins revealed by the Holy Spirit and, as you do so,
they will be forgiven.  Thus, your relationship with Him is
renewed.

7.  It Prepares.

      Worshiping God causes us to think as God does.  If practiced
faithfully, we will likewise begin to see things as God does.
Eventually we are able to hear God clearly when He speaks.
Worshiping is an exercise affording spiritual fortitude.  There
may be a prolonged period of preparation just as it takes an
athlete a long time to gain skill and strength, but the faithful
will receive from God when they are prepared to do so.

      An example of this is waiting for fruit to ripen.  My three
children are always asking if they can eat newly purchased fruit
from the grocery store before it is ready to be eaten.  It seems
no matter how much I try to explain to them that the fruit is not
ready to be eaten, they still want it.  They are, of course,
always disappointed when biting into the hard peach before it is
ripe.  Waiting for an answer to prayer is similar.  Worshiping God
assists us in preparing for the answer to be received.

8.  It Primes The Soul.

      As I mentioned earlier, the soul is our mind, will, and
emotions.  According to James 1:21, this part of our being must be
controlled through God's Word.  As we worship, we find ourselves
becoming more conformable to God's Word because we are beginning
to think as God.  Focusing on God's Word as we worship allows us
to hear from God more clearly and thus to become obedient.

      The mind is generally filled with things secular.  It
becomes an act of discipline therefore to think things spiritual.
Worshiping the Lord makes this possible and primes our mind, our
will, and our emotions to receive the spiritual from God.  As we
worship God, the things of the world will not only become less
acute, but the things of God will become more defined.  Worship is
a way of allowing the human spirit to lead the soul in obedience.

9.  It Projects God.

      Perhaps the greatest benefit of worshiping our Lord, is that
it places Him out in front where He belongs.  When we consider
circumstances, we often question God's concern for us.

      "Why isn't He doing something about this?  I thought God
could do anything.  Doesn't He know what I'm going through?"

All of these thoughts are evidence of both considering
circumstances and a lack of worship.  The circumstances cause the
Lord to be invisible.  Worshiping Him, on the other hand, makes
Him visible and if practiced, it places Him out in front where He
rightfully belongs.  If you are at this very moment facing
sadness, defeat, discouragement, or disappointment of any kind,
begin to worship God and you will soon find Him projected as the
sovereign Lord of your life.

10.  It Purifies The Heart.

      The things of this world continually attempt to attach
itself to our hearts.  The mundane, the secular, the worldly, all
affect us daily because we live in the natural realm.  If we will
take time to worship God, we can experience spiritual cleansing
and purification from the effects of the world.  Such worship
will allow us to maintain intimacy with our Lord even in the midst
of adversity; causing our heart to beat in harmony with the heart
of God. It is accomplished through the worship of Him.

11.  It Prepares For Battle.

      In the Old Testament we find something unusual in Israel.
Because of David's influence, great choirs were formed and
actually became part of Israel's military.  These choirs were
actually professional worshipers and in many cases they were used
to prepare the army of Israel for battle.  They were sent in
advance of the approaching army and were required to sing the
praises of God.  What a strange sight it must have been to see
these great choirs marching down the hillsides into battle.  They
were not afraid, however, because they were worshiping God and
they had learned the power behind their praises. "But Thou art
holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." (Psalm
22:3).  We need to be professional worshipers as well.  If we will
worship the Lord, He will inhabit our praises as we march into
everything we face as Christians.  Our battle is not physical or
in the natural:  "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places," (Eph. 6:12). If we desire victory, we must prepare for
it; we must learn to worship.


                            PART II

                     THE REVERSE OF WORSHIP

1.  It Rewards The Devil.

      Focusing on the problem, considering the circumstances, or
meditating on the severity of the situation, does nothing more
than reward the Devil for what he has done.  Certainly he deserves
the credit; but we do not need to glorify him for his accomplish-
ments.  What do we do then?  Some may suggest that we ignore the
problem in hopes that it will disappear.  Could it be considered
faith if we do ignore the problem by saying, "I'm not really
sick," when we are?  Or, "I don't have cancer," when we do?  No!
We need to turn to God instead.  Do not become guilty of
confessing the impossibility of the situation to the Devil but
rather present this "impossibility" to God in prayer, "But in
every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God," (Phil 4:6), and confess Him as
the God of the impossible, "With God all things are possible,"
(Matt. 19:26). In this way we are confessing the problem; not to
the Devil, but to our Heavenly Father; who is the only one that
can do something about it.  We are, in this way, worshiping God.

2.  It Restricts The Spirit.

      When we worry, exercise fear and faithlessness, we only
create an atmosphere in which unholy forces are able to function.
Such an atmosphere is incompatible with the nature of the Holy
Spirit.  He is thus restricted.  In a very real sense we control
the Holy Spirit.  I know that many Christians teach that if you
are filled with the Spirit you are thus controlled by him, but the
reverse is actually true.  When one is filled with the Holy
Spirit, everything that person thinks, says, and does, either
makes room for the Spirit or quenches (restricts), His ministry.
Begin to worship God, and thus provide working ground for the Holy
Spirit.

3.  It Reduces Strength.

      How do you feel when worried, upset, or depressed?  In such
cases we find it difficult to pray and seem to get nothing out of
God's Word.  We often begin skipping church services and often
isolate ourselves from other fellow believers.  After all, when
you are miserable, who wants to be around "happy Christians?"  The
results of such actions will always reduce spiritual strength.  It
is also medically established that prolonged depression and
discouragement leads to physical illness (emotionally-induced ill-
nesses).  That is a sophisticated way of saying that there are
physical effects to spiritual weaknesses.  It may be often noticed
that discouragement and improper thinking often leads to colds,
viroses, and even more severe illnesses.  Worshiping God will
always reverse this process but it must be practiced consistently.

4.  It Retains Pain.

      All Christians are sinners saved by grace.  That means we
all, no matter how early in life we were born again, have a past.
Often the Devil will remind us of past failures.  If we focus on
these failures, we will be exercising the opposite of worship.  A
past argument with a friend or mate, a past sin committed, or
harsh words spoken, all resurrect pain, hurt, and guilt.  In a
real sense, we often will relive these painful experiences simply
because they have reentered our mind.  The results of such memory
is both physically and spiritually damaging.  Stop the feelings of
guilt and pain by learning to worship intimately.

5.  It Regards Circumstances.

      Have you ever reversed a pair of binoculars and looked
through them the wrong way?  Everything looks far away and very
small.  This is what we do when we regard circumstances rather
than God.  The circumstances actually become bigger than God and,
"How could God help me with these monstrous problems anyway?"
When we begin to worship God, we turn the magnification instrument
around.  God then becomes bigger and the more we worship Him, the
bigger He is.  Eventually, the circumstances become so small, in
comparison to God that, somehow, it seems that, "God can do any-
thing," we confess.  Meditating on circumstances will always
reduce the power of God in your life.  Worshiping God amplifies
God's power, and if we remain faithful in our worship of Him, we
will begin to see as God does, "Behold, I am the God of all flesh:
Is there any thing too hard for me?" (Jer. 32:27).

6.  It Rejects Truth.

      When we regard circumstances and begin to worry and wonder,
"Why hasn't God done something by now?" we have literally reversed
worship and thus have rejected truth.  In a manner of speaking, we
are confessing that, "God just simply isn't able to do anything in
this situation," or, "I'm just a poor Christian and that's why He
isn't doing anything."  These confessions are not only untrue but
unscriptural as well.  As long as we continue to reject truth,
God's Word will not, cannot, work for us.  How do we get God's
Word to work?  We worship Him.  Then His Word will live because we
begin to see as God does and the Holy Spirit begins to minister in
our behalf.

      Late one afternoon, after being up most of the night with a
high fever, I was laying on my bed being miserable.  I was
thinking about how poor of a Christian I really was and how weak
my faith must be and wishing that God would show a little more
concern.  As I meditated on my misery, I suddenly sensed the
presence of God and heard the Holy Spirit say, "If you will get up
and walk out to your office, I will heal you as you go."  I
laughed!  Why?  Because I did not believe it.  Sure, I believe
that God heals and, yes, I had even been healed on many occasions.
"But He wasn't going to heal me this time because I was a lousy
Christian."   I hadn't been exercising faith lately.  "See!  I'm
sick.  How plain could it be?" I knew I was just making the whole
thing up.  Yet that voice of encouragement kept returning
throughout the afternoon.  I refused to obey and eventually the
encouragement faded and I was still sick.  A few weeks later I
recalled this experience and realized I had missed God because I
had refused to worship.  If I would have obeyed, I would have
actively been worshiping God.  Instead, I chose to reject truth;
thus, God's Word would not work.

7.  It Reports Failure.

      When we choose not to worship God, and instead, choose to
worship the circumstances, it will always report failure.  "It
isn't going to work this time.  Remember the last time?  It didn't
work too hot that time, did it?  You even believed God then.
Remember?  Just give up this time.  It isn't worth it."  Sound
familiar?  Try worshiping God instead next time you begin to think
this way.  I can almost hear someone saying, "I tried it once and
it didn't work."  Once?  My!  You're brave!  How about making a
commitment to always do it from now on no matter what the circum-
stances?  "But what if God fails?"  Of course, what you really
mean is, "What if you fail?"  Join the club.  We are all a bunch
of failures, but God has always used losers.  Moses, David, and
even the apostle Paul were all murderers yet they were mightily
used of God.  Refuse to listen to the voice which reports failure
and listen to God's Word as you worship Him.

      One of the biggest mistakes I find Christians making when
they begin to practice worshiping God, is that they expect the
circumstances to immediately, if not sooner, to change.  It will
not happen.  The Lord never promised He would change
circumstances; although He often does.  He did promise, however,
that we would have problems.  "In the world ye shall have tribula-
tions," (John 16:33).  Fortunately, He did not stop there.  "But
be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  Did you notice He
said, "I," not "you," have overcome the world?  My point is, that
worshiping God, prayer, reading your Bible, being a member of a
good church, or for that matter even being in the ministry your-
self, will not change circumstances for the better.  Worshiping
God changes you and when you are changed, "All things are possible
with God," (Matt. 19:26).

8.  It Returns Defeat.

      If you are like I am, failure has been, and will be,
experienced many times.  I personally believe that one reason for
continual failure is   the lack of worship in a person's life.  If
we confess what Satan has done or is doing in our lives long
enough and loud enough, we will eventually believe his lies.  When
this occurs, defeat is inevitable.  I did not say you would be
totally destroyed, although it may feel like it at the time, but
simply defeated.  What should we do when we suffer defeat?

      First, become thoroughly indoctrinated with Psalm 37:23-24.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:  and He
delighteth in his way.  Though he fall, he shall not utterly be
cast down:  For the Lord upholdeth him with His hand."  You will
fall but the phrase "he shall not utterly be cast down," in the
Hebrew literally means, (it will not be fatal).  No matter what
you have done; no matter when it was; and no matter the
consequences you have had to face for your sin; it is not fatal
for the believer.  If it had been, you would not now be reading
this booklet.

      The second thing you need to do is to begin to worship your
Lord.  From wherever you are and in spite of everything you may be
currently facing, begin to worship God.  Although sometimes the
process seems to be slow, you will be reversing the defeatist
attitude through your praise and worship of God; who is never
limited by any circumstance.

9.  It Ruins Our Relationship.

      The real thing the Devil is after, of course, is our
relationship with God.  He will, and does, any thing to accomplish
this task.  He does this quite successfully by getting us to
consider the circumstances over God.

      "How could God love anyone like me?  I've failed Him so many
times."

This is certainly the reverse of worship.  My favorite verse in
all of Scripture is Col. 2:10:  "And ye are complete in Him, which
is the head of all principality and power." If Christ is the head
of all principality and power (Satan and all unholy forces that
are unseen), then we cannot be told otherwise.  If you feel
unworthy, unclean, and unwanted, you are simply believing a lie.
The best way of reversing this trend of thought is to worship God.
It makes him, the Devil, uncomfortable when you worship and praise
your Lord for making you totally complete in Him through the
finished work of His Son Jesus on the cross.  Such worship is
resisting the Devil and drawing nigh to God.

10.  It Retards Victory.

      Many Christians never seem to experience perpetual victory
in their life because they have never learned to worship.  Some
even come to the very edge of victory on many occasions but
somehow always seem to fall short and because they have
experienced this pattern many times before, they now have a mind
set: "I'll never be able to live for God."  Untrue!  You, nor
anyone else, has ever been able to live for God.  Everyone lives
for God through Christ.   "I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me,"  (Phil. 4:13). Additionally, we have
been, "Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ," (Eph. 1:3). Reverse any mind set by learning to worship
consistently.


                           PART III

                    THE RIGHT WAYS TO WORSHIP

     Thus far, many good reasons have been given for the practice
of worship and even what to expect when we exercise the reverse of
worship. Now it is time to find out exactly how to worship God.

1.  Praise.

      I am confident you have encountered many (slap-happy)
Christians in your life.  They always seem to be joyful and never
affected by anything, good or bad.  They are always praising God
and they somehow make you feel uncomfortable when you are in their
presence.  This kind of Christian has always made me suspicious.
Undoubtedly there are some Christians that are genuinely like this
and who are never effected by anything that happens in their life,
but there are precious few.  They are really like the rest of us;
trying to push and cram what is on the outside down into the
inside in hopes that it will become reality. The true spiritual
life, however, works in just the reverse: the inner man effecting
the outer.  One of the major reasons for difficulty in worshiping
God, especially when circumstances are severe, is because we
attempt to worship God from the outside.

                            Attitude

      Praise is first an attitude.  Not necessarily an attitude of
joy or perpetual laughter or even happiness but it is an attitude
of being. In other words, it is a position taken, or quite simply,
a (stance). I like what my old Webster Dictionary says about
(stance):  "The manner of standing or being placed."  Illustra-
tion:  A batter's stance.

      I never really liked baseball as a kid because I was more
into track and field; but I played it enough to know that there is
a batter's stance.  If you do not think this is so, next time you
play baseball, try to swing at the in-coming ball while standing
on one foot.  I know many Christians today that try to live a
spiritual life by standing on a single principle, a single
teaching, or a single message they have heard. I am not saying
that it is wrong to claim a specific promise from God's Word for a
particular needed area in one's life until victory is experienced,
but it can often be a fatal mistake to assume that simply prais-
ing God with one's mouth will solve all problems.

      Have you ever heard of a batter's box? That is where the
batter takes his stance, or position, before he swings.  He is not
even allowed to swing unless he is standing within that designated
area.  Are you in the batter's box spiritually speaking?  You can
answer that question by determining your attitude.  Is your
attitude one of praise or when difficulties come your way, do you
gripe and complain?  Where is your (place of being)?  You are
married to Christ through His finished work on the cross.  Are you
committed to this marriage?  Do you often consider divorce
whenever facing hard times?  If so, you have the wrong attitude.
Begin to worship the Lord through praise.  Simply make the commit-
ment:  "I will praise the Lord.  I will take my stance in a posi-
tion of worship regardless of the circumstances."  Keep in mind
that this attitude is a condition of the heart. Your praise may
not always be able to be expressed outwardly but it should always
be present in your heart.  This form of praise is a place of
being; being in the presence of God through worship.


                            Action

      Praise is also an action; something we do deliberately.  An
action involves the taking of more than one step and occupying
some time for accomplishment.  A procedure; or in other words, a
process.  For example, walking is an action.  Such should be the
attitude of praise.  It is one who worships God continually; step-
by-step, day-by-day, and is an act of one's own will.  It is quite
literally a discipline.

                          Appreciation

      I think praise, as a form of worship, is best defined as
(appreciation).  I am not suggesting, when facing difficult
circumstances, that we should like them.  I am suggesting that we
appreciate their spiritual value, that is, "Here is another
opportunity for God to work in my behalf.

     "But that's hard!"

There isn't any doubt about that!  But you don't expect the Devil
to make it easy for us do you?

      How do we appreciate a personal problem or impossible
situation?  Through praise!  As we worship God through praise, we
begin to see each situation individually as God does.  As we
praise God, we need always to remember, "I will never leave thee
nor forsake thee," (Heb. 13:5).  Yes, it may even seem that God is
not present in the difficulties we face; but that is only a
rationalization.  God's Word is what we must live by; not what we
think or feel.  We must appreciate the situation; knowing that God
is aware and He desires for us to worship Him, even in our darkest
hour, in order that He might minister to us.

      Before leaving the subject of praise, I need to mention
three verses.  Take note of the words which are underlined:

      "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God."  Phil. 4:6.

      "In everything give thanks: For this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you."  I Thess. 5:17.

      "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Eph. 5:20.

      Each of these three Greek words translated "thanksgiving" or
"thanks" in these verses are all the same basic word.  It  is the
word for (gratefulness)
or (gratitude).  Praise is an attitude of gratification. It is not
thanking God for the situation or the pain you feel nor is it
thanking God for allowing this to have occurred in your life.  It
is affording God the pleasure of being your God and being the God
of all situations.  It is the use of grateful language in an
attitude of praise.  When we exercise this form of praise, even if
it is only inwardly, as the tears are expressed outwardly, we are
worshiping God. Such worship brings us into a realm of spiritual
intimacy not experienced by most Christians.  It is "Walking in
the Spirit," Rom. 8.

2.  Prayer.

      A verse I always used to be uncomfortable with is I Thess.
5:17: "Pray without ceasing."  How could God expect us to do
something that was humanly impossible?  I have met people who were
certainly godly and spent many hours each day in prayer; but is
that what it means to pray without ceasing?  If so, there is no
human being on earth that could obey that command. Even if we
could find a person that could go without sleep and pray,
literally, twenty-four hours a day, do you think that would
actually be fulfilling I Thess. 5:17?  What does it mean then?  It
means making your life a perpetual prayer to the Lord and that can
be accomplished through worship.

      I mentioned earlier that worship is a form of prayer but not
all prayer is worshiping God.  When we are making request of God,
that certainly is not a prayer of worship.  When we agree with
another Christian for God to answer a certain request, that cer-
tainly is not worship either.  We can, and should, however, spend
time in prayer simply worshiping our Lord.  Stop and think about
it.  Do you ever worship God when you pray?  Usually prayer is
employed whenever we are in a jam and need God to bail us out.
Often our prayers of petition take on the form of complaints:
"Why is this happening?  What have I done to deserve this?  If you
really loved me, why would you allow this to happen?"  Does that
sound like worship to you? Nor does it to God.  In some respects I
am again speaking of attitude.  What is our attitude when we pray?
Do we honor Him in prayer as the Sovereign Lord of our lives, as
the Creator of all things, as the Holy One?

      The Lord's prayer begins with, "Our Father which art in
heaven."  This reveals two basics on the subject of prayer.
First, we have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father;
"Our Father which art in Heaven."  He is your Heavenly Father and
should be favored as such.  Remember, we are talking about
worship in prayer.

      Secondly, the place of our Father:  "Which art in Heaven."
Yes, it is certainly proper to petition our Heavenly Father with
specific requests but we must remember that to do so means we must
fix ourselves on where He is; "in Heaven." One good reason why we
find it difficult to worship is simply because we have allowed our
mind to remain fixed on earthly things instead of on Heavenly
things as we pray.  Little wonder, therefore, that our problems
seem too big for God to handle.  "Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth," (Col. 3:2).

      I feel it necessary to point out that what I am referring to
is not necessarily a verbal conversation which we carry on with
God.  It, just as easily, can be done mentally.  Speaking verbally
in prayer often assists us in fixing our thoughts on that which
needs to be spoken to God but as we learn to worship God through
prayer, you may find it just as easy to commune with your Lord
from your heart without ever opening your mouth. As this begins to
occur, you will then understand what it means to pray without
ceasing and your life will become a continuous prayer to God.

3.  Pondering.

      Another form of prayer, as well as worship, is pondering;
that is, to meditate.  Pondering is to weigh in the mind, to
balance, to dwell in thought.

      A preacher friend of mine once told me he had heard that
ninety-eight percent of all people do not think.  I laughed and
said, "That doesn't bother me.  I'm more concerned about what the
two percent are thinking and I think I know what that is.  They're
thinking of ways on how to keep the other ninety-eighty percent
from thinking." This seems to generally be true even with
Christians.  We are perfectly willing to think about what someone
else has taught, preached, and written.  We will even go to church
and Sunday school and listen to someone teach us faithfully and
will confess, "Boy, that's good."  We, however, rarely attempt to
examine God's Word for ourselves.

      Meditation, (pondering) is work but it is not difficult work
and anyone can do it.  King David confessed that some times he
found it difficult to fall asleep at night because of his medita-
tion on God's Word (Psalm 119:148).  Have you ever been kept
awake at night because your mind was filled with the Word of God?
Don't feel bad.  Few Christians have ever had this experience.
Why?  They do not meditate on God's Word.

      "But how do I meditate on God's Word?"

You know the answer to that question as well as I do.  If you know
how to day dream, you know how to ponder.  Simply take a portion
of God's Word; a particular doctrine, a Biblical principle, or
even a single thought from a single verse of Scripture, and apply
day dreaming techniques and you will be meditating.  Allow it to
be turned over and over in your mind.  Look at it from every
angle.  Ask God what He thinks or inquire as to the true meaning.
Do not stop meditating on that subject until you have received an
answer from the Holy Spirit who will "Guide you into all truth,"
(John 16:13). As you ponder the things of God, you will find
yourself worshiping Him.  Yes!  You will be communing with God
through a form of prayer that Scripture calls meditation.

4.  Psalms.

      David said something of interest in Psalm 19:14: "Let the
words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable
in Thy sight, O Lord my strength, and my Redeemer."  The Hebrew
word for "meditation" in this verse is (music).  Music can play a
very important part in the Believer's life.  Music is a passive
form of meditation, which is a form of worship.  As we sing the
words, our hearts become fixed upon God and the truth of His
eternal Word; especially if we are singing songs with Scriptural
lyrics.  As we sing with our mouth, our spirit confirms God's Word
is true because the Holy Spirit "bears witness with our spirit,"
(Rom. 8:16).  What happens next?  Well, David said it, "Let the
words of my mouth, and the music of my heart, be acceptable in Thy
sight, O Lord my strength, and my Redeemer."  Do you see it?  As
the music of David's heart escaped from his lips, his mind and
heart became fixed upon the truth of God's Word; He, God, is our
strength and Redeemer.  Music is the easiest way to cause us to
fix our minds and thoughts upon God.  Even if your heart is broken
and the words simply cannot be released verbally, put on a good
Christian music tape and listen.  As you do so, your spirit will
confirm God's Word is true and although you may be experiencing
deep sadness and find it impossible to sing with your mouth, your
spirit will be worshiping God.

      The apostle Paul referred to this form of musical
meditation when he wrote on the subject of the Spirit filled life
in Eph. 5:17-22.  He said one way to maintain the Spirit filled
life was through "speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord" (Eph. 5:19). Stop and read that verse again.  Note, it says
"speaking to yourselves,"  and later, "singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord."  This suggests that it does not have
to be done on the outside but it must be from the heart; the inner
man.  Furthermore, Eph. 5:19 concludes with "Unto the Lord."
Because of what you are currently facing, you may find it nearly
impossible to express yourself publicly with others and to others
with a spirit of joy and happiness, but it is not necessary for it
to be done publicly; only to the Lord:  "And Thy Father which
seeth in secret shall reward you openly," Matt. 6:18.  As we
practice this form of musical meditation, we are exercising the
Spirit filled life and worshiping God.

5.  Pleasing God.

      I know the word "pleasing" is  unusual when trying to teach
on the subject of worship, but pleasing God is a form of worship.
Let me explain.

      When my first son was about three years old, he began to
have severe abdominal pain occasionally and usually late in the
night.  The pain always became so acute that he would eventually
begin screaming as loudly as he could.  Our pediatrician could not
find anything wrong yet occasionally he would have these
attacks.

      At the age of nine, he experienced one of these attacks late
one night.  I carried him from his room into ours and laid him on
the foot of the bed. He immediately got up and dropped to the
floor; folding up with pain.  He was in a dreamy like state and we
found it difficult to communicate with him.  As I lay in bed,
listening to his anguish, I suddenly became angry.  I had recently
been studying the Scriptures thoroughly on the subject of
petitioning God and tossing the covers aside, I leaped out of bed
and knelt by my son.  Placing my right hand on his back, I asked
him to show me where he felt the most pain.  He placed my left
hand on his lower left abdomen.  I silently began to pray.  My
petition lasted no more than sixty seconds.  During that time I
said nothing out loud  but I allowed my thoughts to skip over
several Scriptures which promised God's willingness to hear and
answer my prayers. When I finished my short prayer, my son stood
up and announced, "It's gone!"  As he curled up on the foot of our
bed, I asked him if it had indeed gone away.  He simply mumbled
"Yes," and fell asleep; never stirring till morning.

      Late the following afternoon my wife came upstairs from the
basement and said, "Listen to what Trenton just told me."  My son
began to relate what he had felt the night before.  He said that
he knew when I knelt beside him that I was going to pray for him.
As I did so, suddenly, he said, he felt a tingling all over his
entire body.  As he became aware of the tingling, suddenly he felt
a snap in his abdomen right in the area of the pain.  "What
happened next?" I asked.  He confessed that the pain and tingling
both disappeared and that was when he stood up.

      I was pretty proud of this experience, especially since I
had done the praying  and the laying on of hands.  After I had
told this story a couple of dozen times to anyone that would
listen, and secretly wondering if I had not now been given a
special anointing for healing, the Lord spoke to me and said,

      "That was pretty spectacular that night you prayed for your
son, wasn't it?"

      "Yes, it was!" I said with a grin.  "I'd sure like to be
able to do that more often, too, Lord."

      "Do you know what really happened?" the Lord questioned.

      "Sure," I said without hesitation.  "I laid hands on my son,
prayed and claimed your Word, and you healed him.  Thank you
Jesus!"

      "No!" He said.  "Would you like to know what really
happened?"

      "Yes, Lord," I said sheepishly, "What happened?"

      "You and your son agreed in  prayer and your petition was
answered."

I knew what the Holy Spirit had revealed was true but I simply had
been too caught up in the experience to see Scripture clearly.

      Consider I John 5:22:  "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of
Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that
are (pleasing) in His sight."  The word "pleasing" in this verse
is literally the word for (agreement).  How about that!  It
actually says that no matter what we ask, we can receive of God,
because we are willing to agree with Him by keeping His com-
mandments.  Jesus said, in Matt. 18:19, "If two of you shall agree
on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be
done for them of my Father which is in Heaven."  My son and I
agreed, without even speaking a word, and he was healed.  What did
we agree on?  God's Word and that He would heal.  We literally
worshipped God.

      I am sure that this form of worship is vastly overlooked by
most Christians.  It is, however, a Scriptural form of worship.
We should agree with God and with each other whenever possible
that His Word is true.  It most certainly is an active form of
worship and must be practiced with faith.

      I trust I have given some insight to various forms of
worship.  An entire book could be written on each of these five
forms of worship and since I have briefly touched on them, you
need to examine God's Word yourself to see their truth.  There are
certainly many other forms of worship, but I have selected these
because they are perhaps the most obvious.  The key, however, is
practice.  The Holy Spirit is our teacher.  Ask Him how these
forms of worship work and to teach you how to employ them.  Study
the Word and pray if you want to learn how to worship.  God cer-
tainly is not afraid of our questions and He will always answer
them and the best way to hear from God concerning our questions is
through the worship of Him.

                            PART IV

                     THE RESULTS OF WORSHIP

1.  It Frees The Holy Spirit.

      When we worship God, we are demonstrating spiritual
compatibility with the very nature and person of God, thus, the
Holy Spirit is able to respond:  "He maketh intercession for us
with groaning which cannot be uttered," and "maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will of God,"  (Rom. 8:26-27).
Without the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, worship would be
fruitless.  The result of a worshipful attitude is Holy Spirit
freedom.  The result of such freedom is power.

2.  It Frustrates Unholiness.

      If you have not learned by now in your Christian walk, that
there are unseen unholy forces which are attempting to frustrate
your relationship with God, then you are about to discover their
abilities as you begin to worship.  Read Eph. 6:11-18 through
carefully.  We are, as Christians, at war with the Devil.
Fortunately, Satan has already been defeated:  "Forasmuch then as
the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself
Likewise took part of the same; that through death He might
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil; and
deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage."  (Heb. 2:14-15).  When we begin to resist the
Devil through the worship of God, He and all unseen forces which
work against us, are frustrated in their efforts; at least Eph.
6:11-18 certainly seems to be teaching that.  This is often why,
when people really begin to worship God, perhaps for the first
time, things seem to get worse instead of better.  Do not give up;
"Resist the Devil and he will flee from you,"  (Jam. 4:7).

3.  It Feeds Your Spirit.

      The regenerated human spirit has been given a nature
compatible with God's and made a new creation (II Cor. 5:17).
Your spirit, therefore, desires to worship God because it has now
been made spiritually compatible.  The Holy Spirit constantly
urges us in spiritual things and thus, although, we do not often
feel like worshiping; our spirit does.  The real you wants to
worship God.  It is only the unregenerate soul, mind, will and
emotions, that must be brought into subjection  to your spirit.

      Often Christians confess that worshiping God feels
unnatural.  It should be.  Worshiping is supernatural.  The soul,
therefore, since it is only made obedient through the Word,
rebels; attempting to rationalize.  Our spirit, however, only
desires harmony with God.  You can see from this that a real con-
flict often occurs when you begin to worship.  Override your soul
and continue to worship.  It may never seem totally natural for
you to worship during difficult times but if you will do so, you
will be conforming to the image of Christ.  Your spirit needs to
worship; especially during times of stress and difficulties.

4.  It Fixes The Heart.

      How do we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour?  "If thou
shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine
heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved," (Rom. 10:9).  There it is!  First we confess with our
mouth that Jesus is now our Lord.  Secondly, we believe, (commit)
with our heart that God raised Him bodily from the dead.  Thus it
is with worship.  To fix your heart upon God and His Word you must
begin to worship. You begin by using your mouth and as you do so,
believe with your heart.

      "But I really don't believe it in my heart!"

That is not true.  It is your mind,  your intellect, that is
telling you that you do not believe.  Your mind, (soul) must be
made to obey your regenerated spirit which has been created anew.
If you continue to worship, you will be causing your soul and mind
to be disciplined.  Your heart will then become fixed upon God.

5.  It Fortifies Your Faith.

      "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,"
(Rom. 10:17).  Worshiping God amplifies His Word.  Actually
worship, in its most basic form, is focusing on God and what He
has already said about Himself in His Word.  Employing meditation
disciplines our soul to see His Word as He does; and as has
already been pointed out, meditation is a form of worship.  The
result of this form of worship is a fortified faith.  If your
faith has not been working very well recently, begin to worship
the Lord and you will experience an increased faith.

      Most of us, as Christians, worry about our faith.  "Is it
enough?"  Many who hear me teach on the subject of worship will
confess they try it but it does not always work for them.  When we
are in the midst of great sadness and defeat because of impossible
circumstances, it is often nearly impossible to generate enough
spiritual strength to worship God alone.  This is one reason why
you need a good church and close friends in the Lord to help you
when worshiping God alone is impossible.  No one is capable of
negotiating their Christian life totally alone.  Often, no matter
who we are, we will find it necessary to solicit help from others.
Worshiping God together is a form of agreement; and agreement will
amplify our faith.

6.  It Purifies The Soul.

      I have referred often to the differences between body, soul,
and spirit.  It is our soul, (mind, will, emotions,) which con-
stantly needs to come under the leadership of our spirit.
According to James 1:21 this is done by the "engrafted Word."
Literally the implanting of God's Word into the soul by the
regenerated human spirit.  Yes!  This is difficult.  It is,
however, absolutely necessary.  The (Paraklete,)  the one who
parallels our life, is the one who the Father has sent to help us
do this very thing.  The soul must be the servant of the spirit.
It must be made to obey God's Word and to believe it even when the
circumstances say otherwise.  In many cases, especially when
things are nearly, or completely, out of control, worship will be
the only thing that will purify your soul.  Your soul will cry out
for relief and beg God for mercy.  Your spirit, on the other hand,
does not desire mercy; it desires victory.  When your spirit
attempts to worship God, make your soul obey.

                           CONCLUSION

      Spiritual maturity can be advanced through worship.  Now
that you have read about how to worship and its results, you will
be tested.  First, the Lord will give you opportunity, if you
desire to learn how to worship, to exercise these principles.
Secondly, the Devil will also put you to the test.  You will
experience failure but you are not a failure.  Jesus died to make
these things possible.  He was bodily resurrected to confirm they
are true.  You must decide if you will worship Him to gain
spiritual intimacy.  We have been commanded to do so:  "Therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's"
(I Cor. 6:20).  Become spiritually sensitive to the ministry of
the Holy Spirit.  Worship God and you will know Him.

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