CULTIVATING WORSHIP AT HOME
One of my earliest memories as a child was my dad playing his guitar in our living room while we gathered as a family to worship together. I’ve always enjoyed our family time, but I realize now that cultivating time and space to worship at home is a legacy to be passed on to our children.
Worshiping God comes in many forms, but in the context of music, I’ve seen how it has instilled in me the desire to draw near to God through various seasons of my life. As we follow along in Joshua 6, we can see how God longs for us to rely deeply on Him, and we can tap into His presence through songs of praise.
WORSHIP REFRESHES OUR SOUL
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
(1 Samuel 16:23 KJV)
This story in the Bible points to the fact that without God, our soul is corrupt and susceptible to attacks from the enemy. There were times when I didn’t intentionally spend time with God in the morning, and low and behold, I couldn’t handle the pressures that were thrown at me as the day went on. The moment I do not guard my soul with His Truth and songs of thanksgiving, I am practically allowing myself to be exposed to fear, anxiety, or hopelessness.
I understand that music greatly influences our emotions, but when we turn our focus and songs to the Lord, it changes the atmosphere of our hearts. The repetition in hymns and song lyrics helps us remember who our God is and our identity as His beloved children. My songs of thanksgiving have led me from complaining about my situation to giving thanks that He is my Good Shepherd and my portion forever.
Our lives are constantly being tugged and pulled in different directions, whether spending time with people, meeting deadlines, handling responsibilities, or completing goals. But if there’s anything my parents have taught me, it’s that worshiping God comes first. God commands us to have a Sabbath with Him because it is the only way we can connect with Him. Building an altar of praise paves the way for Jesus to pour peace, joy, love, and vision into our family.
WORSHIP EMPOWERS US
There are many accounts in the Bible where worship works hand in hand with radical faith. As we follow Joshua and the fall of Jericho’s walls due to their act of worship, we see this power. Similarly, in the book of Acts, Paul and Silas were deep in worship in prison, which caused a great earthquake that tore down the prison cells and freed them from their chains.
When David stood up against Goliath, his confidence was surely not something he built up within a day. It must have come from those silent days he spent with the Lord, faithfully tending to his sheep while praising God with his lyre. It is no wonder that he says in Psalm 59:16 (AMP),
“but as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress.”
Worship is an act of obedience and surrender. It creates space for us to be vulnerable and authentic with Him. David recognized that his strength only comes from the Lord.
When it was my time to share at the IFGF youth conference in Sierra Leone, the church’s generator suddenly stopped working, and all of the PowerPoint slides I had prepared couldn’t be projected. I was already nervous about speaking in front of 1,000 attendees, and on top of that, the mic couldn’t be used during my sharing. I quickly prayed to God to somehow take me away from the situation, but He gave me a solution. He urged me to lead His people in worship, and so I did with my guitar, not plugged in.
It was raw and beautiful. We didn’t have speakers on, but it felt like there must have been angels proclaiming with us, “How Great Thou Art.” At that moment, God directed me to ask one of the leaders of the church, with a big resounding voice, to help me with my sharing. The Spirit moved people, and that day I truly saw that it was not based on my might, but all God’s power. I continue to look back on that day because I realize now that when I lack the boldness to testify or share about the gospel at my workplace, I can simply ask Jesus.
But just as it takes dedication to exercise every day, I believe that singing praises and giving thanks need to be built into our daily habits. It is a culture that we need to implement in our routine, coming together as a family and inviting Jesus into our daily walk with Him. The time and space to worship need to be created in a way that brings joy into our homes.
This may look like listening to or singing worship songs at home, writing down things you are grateful for, or enjoying God’s creation in nature. Ultimately, it’s significant to take a moment to pause and reflect in response to God’s constant unconditional love. Corporate worship, especially at home, unites us as a family to be led by the Spirit and see God’s work in every detail of our lives.
Source: Jennifer Wijaya (Global Women Coordinator)
