Showcase: Assorted Treats

  • Paradigm Questions +

    Paradigm Questions To which of the following commands of Christ’s do you only pay only lip service? Love your enemies Read More
  • July 27 Devotional: FB Meyer +

    He suffered thee to hunger. Deuteronomy 8:3 Read More
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SylviaMaybe you feel that God promised you something, and it has been too long in coming. Maybe you are feeling desperate and even despairing. Hope deferred makes the heart sick when it is set on our expectations in our time frame. You've asked "Why, Lord? Where is it? What's going on? Why are You silent?" You have examined your heart to see if there is sin in your life. You've bargained and pleaded, maybe even pouted a little. It seems that God is far away, and the heavens are brass.

David knew that taking up his harp in the midst of pain connected him with God in a special deep way. In Psalm 42 and 43, ten times he asked "Why?" Two times he asked "Where?" and once he asked "When?" He described abandonment, oppression, betrayal, and accusation at the hands of wicked men. In two short psalms, he recorded a range of intense conflicting emotions: thirst and satisfaction, fear and courage, doubt and faith, dejection and hope, despair and assurance of blessing, disturbance and peace, impatience and resolve, pouting and praise, tears and singing, accusation and vindication, rejection and confidence, weakness and strength, darkness and light, oppression and deliverance, mourning and joy. 

Amid all that, David heard God's songs in the night and sang tephillahs, prayer hymns or prayers set to music. Four times in 16 verses, he broke into praise and thanksgiving. "I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God. I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." The word yet means continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more, all life long. Regardless of his circumstances, David was devoted to praising the Lord. In another psalm, he said that his heart was fixed and steadfast, making music and praising God for His great love, which never changes.    

With sacrifices of worship, we come before Him in spirit and in truth. In the presence of the King of glory, we enjoy His matchless power and care. The real heart of intercessory worship is seeking His Face, then seeking His heart, not His hand.

Intercessory worship employs the name of God to attract the presence and power of God into a time and place for particular people. I have seen God do amazing things in response to praise and worship, where I simply exalted Him as God by faith and let Him be God. Intercessory worship is faith in action. We know the character of the One who is faithful. Intercessory worship is as simple as singing "He is Lord," which declares the authority of the rule of Jesus in all things. 

Intercessory worship praises God even when the situation doesn't change immediately, because He places His presence in our hearts in His promises, His vision, and His purposes. And we will yet praise Him for His answer that He will bring forth in His appointed time.

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Reflections to Consider

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Publications

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Music

  • Jesus be the centre

    Center is a song that speaks of the essence of our life in Christ, and echoes the words the Christ Read More
  • I Lift My Hands

    A powerful hymn of adoration and praise Arkansas Gospel Mass Choir. This succinctly captures the joy of knowing our savior. Read More
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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Transforming this World: The Hope of Glory by NT Wright +

    Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows Read More
  • What is Good in a World that Defies Hope: a talk by NT Wright +

    This is the second part of three talks by NT Wright at Harvard University in November, 2008 on the topic Read More
  • The Stream, the Lake and the River: NT Wright +

      Acts 2.1-21; John 7.37-39; a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008, by the Read More
  • Jesus in the Perfect Storm by NT Wright +

    Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • Christ is a Great Savior: a review of the movie Amazing Grace +

    Amazing Grace is a historical drama about William Wilberforce who was elected to British Parliament at the age of 21 Read More
  • Wilberforce, Hollywood's Amazing Grace, Charlotte Allen +

    William Wilberforce's relentless campaign eventually led the British Parliament to ban the slave trade, in 1807, and to pass a Read More
  • Making Beauty out of Ugly Things: Grace by U2 +

    Grace, she takes the blame She covers the shame Removes the stain It could be her name Grace, she carries Read More
  • The True Nature of Grace and Love: a movie review of the Soloist +

    The 2009 movie The Soloist is based on a book by the same name, written by Los Angeles Times columnist Read More
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