Worship, Washington & Work Wednesday
Day Four in “Days of the Week Prayers“
The sun was brilliantly shining down on the playground where I was on recess duty. Fifth graders were playing soccer on freshly cut grass and bouncing balls from square to square. I glanced up to see Mrs. O walking across the parking lot, arms raised. I glanced around to see what the trouble was, but no one was around her or misbehaving. A bit later, I asked her about it. “I was just enjoying the gorgeous day,” she said. “It looked like you were having your own little worship service,” I replied. “I was. It was so beautiful, I had to lift my hands to the One who made the sunshine,” she answered.
Do you begin to feel worn down along about the middle of the week? I know I do. I get busy “doing” and forget to “be.” It is easy to get busy in our lives and routines and even in our prayers and forget to intentionally take time to worship. Any time is a good time to be still before the Lord and take time to appreciate His gifts and acknowledge who He is. The one thing that can take our mind off of our own problems and burdens is to fix our eyes on our Maker.
Psalms 95:1-7 helps me take a deep breath and do just that.
Come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
3 For the Lord is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
4 He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
5 The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too
6 Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
7 for he is our God.
Wednesday is a good time to stop what you are doing and align your heart with God by worship. I kind of have to be filled up with worship before I can dive into my next prayer topic, Washington. One of the best songs that can lead me into that prayer is “Is He Worthy” by Andrew Peterson. If there ever is a time I feel the world is broken, it is now, but knowing that God is still on the throne brings me great comfort.
Ho’Omana:
It is the value of worthwhile work; it is an attitude of intention and full presence in whatever you do. It is the Hawaiian word for worship. Sometimes, when we hear a new word or a word in a different language, even a different version of the Bible it causes us to stop and think about it for a while…what does this word mean???
Colossians 3:23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people
There are around 500 verses in the Bible with the theme of worship. Abraham worshiped in sacrifice, building an altar. Genesis 21:33. Moses pled for the release of the Israelites – he said, “Let my people go so that they may worship. Exodus 10, He also worshiped in repentance. – often building an alter to remember who he was worshipping. Exodus 34:8
What is worship?
Worship is to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission (Webster’s Dictionary,1828).
RT Kendall says Worship is any activity which is carried out under the impulse of the Spirit of God.
It is a state of our hearts.
It is a lifestyle.
It is serving.
It is obedience.
It is healing.
It is a living sacrifice.
It is communion.
It is using our gifts.
It is creative.
It is longing.
It is faithfulness.
It is listening.
It is expectation.
It should be every breath every of every moment of every day.
It is surrender…
It is Colossians 3:23
As we give our whole selves to Jesus in obedience, He meets us, and then we truly know what it means to worship in spirit and in truth. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. John 4:23
I find, if I have focused my mind on God and His sovereignty, I can pray with more faith regarding our country and its leaders, more effectively and without as much anxiety. Honestly, I have a hard time remembering to pray for our leaders. It is on my prayer list, but really, I should pray for them every time I hear a news report, read an article or hear their names. From the local school board to the President of the United States, we should be praying for them.
We are called to pray for our leaders. I Timothy 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
How do you pray for them? Do you just list their names and murmur something like “Bless all the dear children?” Because sometimes “Well, bless their hearts,” is all I can think of. But when I take the time to really think it through, what is it that these people need?
I pray that our leaders would hear God’s voice and listen; that they would have wisdom; that they would surround themselves with wise and godly people who will advise them well. I ask God to make them humble and gentle. I pray that the Christian politicians will act in a godly manner that would draw more people to the cross and to honor God with their words and actions. I also pray for the people of our country to vote wisely and be at peace. And I pray for God’s protection on our country, our children and The Church. My heart’s desire, as it says in I Timothy 2:1-2, is to lead a truly peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
The third W of Wednesday prayer time is work. Your work may be a full-time volunteer, homeschool mom, a teacher, a pastor, a businessperson, or a caretaker for your aging parents. The one thing we all have in common is that we need to think clearly, prioritize, and function in whatever role He has given us.
Proverbs 16:3 says, Commit your work unto the Lord and your thoughts will be established.
And in I Corinthians 10:31 we are encouraged to do everything to honor Him. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
I pray today, that the Lord will direct my paths, my work, my thoughts and that whatever I do will honor Him. I also lift up my husband and kids in the work that He has for them, that they will work diligently, be successful and be a light in the darkness wherever they go.
As I continued to think about Wednesday’s prayer time, W words continued to bombard my thoughts;
I need wisdom – James 1:5-7 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
I pray for the women in my church body. – I Thessalonians 3:12-13 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen
You don’t have to have specific words for specific days to have a full or effective prayer life, but I think that we do have to make an effort to be intentional about making prayer a priority. It is one of the most powerful gifts God has given us to have a joyful and successful Christian life.
What are some of the other W or other “Days of the Week” prayers you can think of? The widows you know, wants you have, what you are wrestling with, writing, woes????
Since Wednesday is a Worship day, I think this is a fitting way to end our prayer time with my favorite hymn of all time, “How Great Thou Art” Read the words. Sing with your favorite recording. And be comforted in Worshiping our Savior.
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
[Refrain]
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”
Carl Boberg, Stuart Hine
This is my favorite YouTube of How Great Thou Art. It is from my women’s retreat a few years ago, 100% unrehearsed, 100% worship from our hearts to the heart of God.
