5 Habits - Worship #2
Welcome to Everyday Devotions. These daily Bible readings and Prayer Pathways are designed to help you go deeper with God each day in response to what you are hearing at the Everyday Church services and Life Group gatherings.
Tuesday 21st January
In this week’s Everyday Devotions, we are looking at the third habit of a healthy Christian – spending time worshipping God on our own and embracing singing as a means of deepening our friendship with God.
Bible Meditation
Psalm 73:1-17
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like - always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like - always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
1) How do you think Asaph, the writer of this psalm, feels in verses 1-14? Why do you think he feels that way?
2) What changes for Asaph in verses 15-17? What does this teach us about the power of worshipping God?
The Scottish nationalist politician Andrew Fletcher famously said: “Let me write the songs of a nation, and I care not who writes its laws.” Andrew Fletcher believed that worship doesn’t just express what we believe. It also shapes what we believe.
The German reformer Martin Luther said something similar about Christian worship: “Music is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents that God has given us. Satan is the inveterate enemy of music, for he knows that by its aid we drive away temptations and evil thoughts: he cannot make head against music ... Next to theology I give music the first place and highest honour.”
3) How much has this been your own experience of sung worship? In what ways do you find that worshipping God changes your own heart towards God?
Psalm 108:1-5
1 My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
4) It becomes clear in verse 6 that David is writing this psalm while under great pressure and distress. Nevertheless, he insists that his heart is “steadfast” – that is, that his heart will not be moved. Instead of letting his emotions master him, he is determined to use the power of singing worship songs to God as a means of mastering his emotions. How do you find this encouraging? How do you find it challenging? How can you do the same thing that David did today?
5) David is convinced, even in the darkest night of his soul, that if he sings worship songs to God then “I will awaken the dawn.” Which areas in your own life feel like ‘night’ to you right now? How can you sing over them, with a steadfast heart, and awaken a new spiritual ‘dawn’ in the same way that David did?
Prayer Pathway
Spend some time praying the same simple Trinity Prayer that you prayed yesterday. Linger over the rich meaning of 2 Corinthians 13:14 – “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
THE LOVE OF GOD: Worship God the Father for his deep love towards you. Be as specific as you can about the ways in which you have witnessed his love towards you, like the bright light of day breaking through into the darkness.
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: Worship Jesus the Son of God for his grace towards you. Praise him for dying on the cross to be your Saviour and for rising from the dead to be your Lord. Thank him for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Thank him that this love is ‘steadfast’ – it never changes with the ups-and-downs of our own hearts.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Worship the Holy Spirit as your Senior Partner, who has come to dwell inside you to equip and empower you to worship God in the Spirit and in truth today.
THE LOVE OF GOD: Worship God the Father for his deep love towards you. Be as specific as you can about the ways in which you have witnessed his love towards you, like the bright light of day breaking through into the darkness.
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: Worship Jesus the Son of God for his grace towards you. Praise him for dying on the cross to be your Saviour and for rising from the dead to be your Lord. Thank him for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Thank him that this love is ‘steadfast’ – it never changes with the ups-and-downs of our own hearts.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Worship the Holy Spirit as your Senior Partner, who has come to dwell inside you to equip and empower you to worship God in the Spirit and in truth today.
End with Worship
In order to help you to respond to God in sung worship, we have created two playlists for you on Spotify.
The Everyday Devotions playlist contains a handful of songs which are particularly relevant to our Everyday Devotions this week. This song list changes each week along with our devotions.
The Everyday Church Song List playlist contains most of the songs that we are singing right now across the venues of Everyday Church. This is a wider song list for you to play throughout the day to help you worship as you wash up, as you drive, as you shower, as you sit on the bus and as you go about your daily life in other ways.
If you are somewhere where you can sing loudly, why not use these two playlists to end by singing some songs of worship to the Lord? If you are on the bus or train, why not put on your headphones and sing in your heart to God instead?
The Everyday Devotions playlist contains a handful of songs which are particularly relevant to our Everyday Devotions this week. This song list changes each week along with our devotions.
The Everyday Church Song List playlist contains most of the songs that we are singing right now across the venues of Everyday Church. This is a wider song list for you to play throughout the day to help you worship as you wash up, as you drive, as you shower, as you sit on the bus and as you go about your daily life in other ways.
If you are somewhere where you can sing loudly, why not use these two playlists to end by singing some songs of worship to the Lord? If you are on the bus or train, why not put on your headphones and sing in your heart to God instead?
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Connect: We’d really like your feedback on how these Everyday Devotions are helping you and how we might help you even better. Talk to us by emailing: devotions@everyday.org.uk
Continue: your connection with us by attending our Online Church Service
Connect: We’d really like your feedback on how these Everyday Devotions are helping you and how we might help you even better. Talk to us by emailing: devotions@everyday.org.uk
Continue: your connection with us by attending our Online Church Service