I was taken to church at a young age and learned the lessons, listened to the sermons, sang the songs, read the Bible and thought I was well grounded in Christian things.
Years later, when my family encountered the power of God in a real way, I was surprised to find that many things I had heard about were much more profound than I realised. I had a head knowledge, but no real depth of knowledge about many things.
Over time the events recorded in the Bible, the promises given by God and the spiritual things Christians believe in, became much more real to me. Looking back I realise I knew about things in the Bible but I didn’t know them as part of my life or real experience.
In those earlier years, learning about things, like one learns history lessons or scientific facts, my understanding of God was theoretical and intellectual. I assumed that the more I understood things in my head the more real they would be. But that’s not how it works.
Learning all kinds of things about some famous person is one thing, but being a dinner guest in their home and chatting with them for several hours leads to an entirely different way of knowing them.
One area where I had to make quite a journey was in giving honour and praise to God. In my early years we did that by using flowery language when we prayed and by singing songs that spoke of praising God.
When I later heard people enthusiastically say out loud, “Praise God!” I reacted. It didn’t seem like the approved way of speaking to God. It seemed too enthusiastic and too personal. When I heard people pray to God whatever they felt in their heart I also reacted. It seemed like bad protocol to be informal with God.
Yet the Bible speaks of us coming to God as we are and speaking openly to Him, telling Him our needs, crying out to Him, even shouting to Him.
“Cry out and shout, you inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Isaiah 12:6
“Sing for joy to God our strength. Joyfully shout to the God of Jacob.” Psalm 81:1
I had to let go of my religious programming. My church prided itself in being free from the more obvious traditions of other churches, with their candles and robes, but it was still full of traditions and approved ways of doing things.
I recall being in a meeting where some people were kneeling to pray to God. In my church we never did that and I was not keen to ever kneel. It seemed demeaning, or something.
God challenge me to be humble enough to kneel before Him, and I struggled to put my pride aside and get on my knees.
Gradually, over time, I cut the strings of pride and things that held me back from singing loudly, lifting my hands toward God, waiting in silence, jumping for joy and saying all manner of words of praise to God.
The Bible reveals great depths of praise and worship given to God by people and angels. When our heart is free and we encounter God’s glory it is only natural that praise and worship pour out of us toward our amazing God.
I have found worshipful songs very helpful, as they led me to express things to God in song that I could allow myself to say from my heart. “Lord, You are worthy of all praise.” “Holy is the Lord”. “You are great and You do wondrous things”. “I love you Lord”.
I heard along the way that we praise God for what He has done and we worship God for Who He is. Such as: “Praise You God for all the wonderful things you’ve done in my life.” And “We worship You, Lord, for You are holy, and everything that comes out of You is pure and glorious.”
At times over the years I have been among Christians who would rejoice in energetic songs of praise to God. That would bring us into an experience of the presence of God among us and the atmosphere would change. Instead of celebrating what God has done, or His power and victory, we would find ourselves just wanting to adore and worship God for Who He is. There might be a holy hush or the quiet singing of adoration.
After those many experiences I would have to say there is hardly a sweeter experience than to sense God’s presence and, in humility, maybe even on my knees, to sing about God’s holiness.
If you can’t sense God’s awesomeness then giving honour to it is just intellectual, but when we have enjoyed glimpses of God’s sweetness and power, love and grace, then our hearts are released to rejoice in and celebrate the wonders of our God and Father.
When Isaiah was in the temple, having a vision of God and the angels, he heard the angels say, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord”.
“One seraphim cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3
It is likely the angels glorified God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so they had one ‘Holy’ for each of the three: “Holy, Holy, Holy”.
Those angels saw God’s glory all the time, so their wholehearted praise was only to be expected. So what about you? Do you have any taste of God’s glory and wonder?
If not, let me encourage you to cry out to God and ask Him to reveal Himself to you, in His holiness, power, love and grace, and in the truth of His word, the presence of His Holy Spirit, the power of the Blood of Christ and the fulness of all God has for you.
As you press in to knowing Him more and more, may you be released to pour praise and worship from your heart. And may your life be filled with the heartfelt cry of your being to your wonderful Lord and Saviour, Holy, Holy, Holy.
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