Finding Words for Worship

Worship is the most profound form of prayer. Worship is not asking, it's giving to God, enjoying God, and acknowledging the magnitude of God's goodness. If worship doesn't come as easy, you may need some words to use. Here are some from Revelation 5:12, directed to Jesus.

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

There are actually seven words I have in mind particularly here: power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. These are each ascribed to Jesus, "the lamb who was slain." 

I think we could use one of these words each day of the week. For example, spend time in prayer recognizing that God, in and through Jesus, is the one who holds all power: he is over all nations, his will overrides all others, he uses his power for our good and salvation. 

Wealth: now there's a good one. Spend time cataloguing everything you own and giving it back to Jesus. Commit everything to him. Instead of asking for stuff, we are thankful for all God has given; more than that, we recognize that everything we have is not for our own pleasure but to be used for his glory.

At Christmas, it's also great to remember that Jesus is the eternal, divine Son of God. He was not merely a great guy or inspired teacher, he was God in the flesh. That is actually asserted in this text because the words are actually borrowed from the Old Testament, 1 Chronicles 29:11-13. We are told there that all these praises, given to Jesus, are due to God alone: 

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name."

Okay, now we have words for worship. Let's use them.