Week 7: 21 Weeks of Prayer & Fasting

WEEK 7 

A Call to Consecration - Created to Worship

You are a worshiper! You were created for worship!

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. - Revelation 4:11

As we conclude week 1 of our Prayer Encounter, we close out this call to consecration by calling us to the posture of worship. What does this look like?

There is a concept when studying scripture called the "law of first-mention." It is a principle in the interpretation of Scripture which states that the very first time a word or concept is mentioned in the bible, scripture gives that word it's most complete and accurate meaning to serve as a key in understanding the word's Biblical concept. Do you know where the first mention of the word worship is found in scripture? In Genesis 22:5 Abraham has been given a command by God to take his only son Isaac to the land of Moriah and to offer him, as a burnt offering, on one of the mountains. Verse 5 we read, "Abraham said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go and worship and come back to you." According to Abraham and scripture they were going up the mountain to worship God. The Hebrew word that is translated "worship" is the word "Shachah" which literally means to bow down, fall down flat, humbly beseech, reverence. How were they going to worship? Abraham said he was going to present his only son upon the altar to God and sacrifice him as an act of worship. This is a foreshadowing of the greatest act of worship ever that took place outside of Jerusalem where God would offer His son and Jesus would offer himself. Worship!

While we are most familiar with worship in song and celebration, the first mention and the foundational understanding of worship is actually about sacrifice and bowing down. Worship at its foundation is less about the songs we sing and mostly about the life that we live. The image in Genesis is not a stage with a band and lights but rather the mountain of the Lord and an altar of sacrifice. This is the hour that the Lord is blowing a trumpet and calling us once again to His holy mountain to lay our lives upon the altar as living sacrifices, holy separated unto Him. It is about consecration, humility, repentance and an un-offendable heart. IT'S ABOUT WORSHIP! 

I love to worship with song and praise, with instruments and voices, lifting holy hands. But if we are lifting holy hands and have not bowed our hearts and surrendered our lives then our worship is more about us and how we feel then God and His receiving Glory due His name.        

RESPOND

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).

What would it look like if you truly offered your body to God as a living sacrifice? What would have to change? Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness, bow before Him and offer yourself a living sacrifice. Here I am Lord, send me, use me, lead me, forgive me.

PRAY

Pray that that all who would gather at CFM would engage in true worship. Pray these scriptures over your life and CFM:

• Psalms 8:1 - O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
• Psalms 29:2 - Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
• Psalms 95:6 - Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
• Psalms 99:5 - Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

Next week, from the posture of humility and consecration, we will begin to declare the identity and Character of God over our lives and nation.