A WORD FOR YOUR DAY!

Ministering To The Lord-The Essence Of Worship Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; ... As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said...(Acts 13:1-2). Ministering to the Lord is a very important aspect of our Christian service; it's the essence of worship. You'll never know the depth in the Spirit beyond the ordinary, until you start ministering to the Lord. Ministering to the Lord is something you do consciously, not passively.
The first thing to do in ministering to the Lord is to focus your attention on Him in worship. Secondly, learn to speak words of praise to Him from your spirit; words that extol His majesty. Such praise should have content. For example, simply saying, "Lord, I praise you!" isn't enough. You've got to tell Him what you're praising Him for. Tell Him how wonderful, loving and kind He is; you ought to give substance to your praises of Him. So in ministering to the Lord, you focus your attention on Him and praise Him from your spirit with words of worship and thanksgiving. The Lord responds to you when you minister to Him like this. Hebrews 13:15 shows us that in ministering to the Lord, we're to offer tribute or speech that acknowledges and celebrates His Name: "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." As you make confessions in His Name, Jesus, being your Great High Priest, presents them before the Father, who receives your words of praise and worship as a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. There's so much to thank the Lord for, so lift your hands in worship and love to Him right now, and bless Him for who He is. Worship Him passionately from your spirit as you anticipate the greater glory and victories He has in store for you in the coming year.

PASTOR CHRIS