Worship - The key to His presence.

I believe worship is an extremely important part of serving God. Worship is very personal and is something that I have to WANT to do. I have to cultivate a desire to worship God.  It comes from a deep love and reverence for God. 

Worship cannot be extorted from people and a common mistake is for a worship leader to berate Christians for not worshipping.  Worship leaders need to lead by example.  Leadership produce after their own kind.  We create an atmosphere of the presence of God that draws people into

it by and stirs a desire to worship.Worship is expressing my love for God and acknowledging His love and provision for me. Worship makes me aware of the Presence of God. Worship brings me closer to God.

God's word comands, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’" Luke 10:27    Worship is not distracted but intimate and requires me to put my will and strength into it.   Worship is not "wishy washy" but a definite act of adoration for God.  

For the past 44 years, I have led worship in every one of my meetings, the first 26 years using a guitar and the past 18 years I have used a keyboard.   I was taught originally that a good minister always makes eye contact with the audience.  But as I was leading worship and watching people, many looked disconnected and disinterested.  It troubled me and was a great source of distraction and always made me feel like I should stop.  I felt I was not doing a good enough job and people were disinterested. 

I asked the Lord how I should deal with this issue and He said very simply, close your eyes and worship Me as if you are the only one in the auditorium. Those who want to, will join you and get caught up in the moment.  It has worked ever since, because it took my attention off of trying to please man and onto God and His awesome presence. 

My philosophy now is, if they want to join me, we are going worship in the throne room of His presence.  If not, there was little I could do to make them worship.   Even if I am not ministering, but part of the audience, I love to worship and get involved with God.

But it saddens me to see so many believers, who have never had a revelation of how awesome it is to worship God with all their heart, mind and strength.  It troubles me to see pastors or guest speakers who only come into the sanctuary when the worship is almost over.   They reason that it keeps them focused on what God has planned for their time of ministry. 

But I contend, that the whole part of the meeting should be orchestrated by God and directed by the Holy Spirit, and we should be involved from the beginning.   When I am ministering at a church, I love to join in from the beginning.  Of course, whatever works for them is ok and I don't stand in condemnation of them, but wish they could see what I have seen.  

There is a great benefit from intense worship, because it brings you right into the presence of God and in the presence of God is fullness of Joy.  There is also love and peace and when you invest in worship, the result is quite amazing and you will feel refreshed, revived, strengthened and encouraged.

Gods richest blessings

Gil Howard-Browne

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