What makes Christian praise Trigger Sprayer Company and worship so important? Discover how you can literally open the door to God's heart through praise and worship.
Have you ever spent time with one of your kids where all you did was just "hang out?" If you have grown kids, and you ask them what they remember most about their childhood, I would bet they recall a time where you spent an afternoon participating in some fun activity.
As parents, it sometimes takes a while to discover that the thing our kids want most from us is our time. But oh, time always seems to be the thing we find in short supply.
I remember when my son was about 4 years old. He attended a local preschool, but it was only a few mornings a week so, very often, I had this four year old who wanted my time. Every day. All day.......
So I played board games with him in the afternoons. I remember he and I would always claim to be "Champion of the World" when one of us would win. Of course, beating a 4 year old isn't exactly something to brag about on my resume, but nonetheless, I always made sure the title passed back and forth....sometimes.
My son and I both fondly recall those days as very special times when we built a relationship. And the truth is....I had a hard time saying no to my son after all that relationship building. I knew my son wasn't hanging out with me just for what he could get me to buy him, but the relationship we built meant that when he did ask for something, my heart was more than willing to consider it.
Why is it so difficult to see that as a parent, God is no different? There are some who see God as a giant Santa Claus. You simply submit your wish list and wake up one morning to find that all is well. They fail to realize that relationship is everything. It's the one thing God wants more than anything else. And it's when you take the time to seek God's face, which is simply that ongoing relationship with Him, that He extends His hand because His heart is open to hear all you have to say.
A few weeks ago I read an amazing book called, "Daily Inspirations for Finding Favor with the King", by Tommey Tenney. In this book it talks about the importance and relevence of Christian praise and worship in building a relationship with God. What impressed me was the author's insistence that praise and worship must be directed to God's face and NOT His hand. If your motive is to love God, to spend time with God, to truly want to be in God's presence, then your praise and worship will be met by God with open arms.
If, however, your motive is to try to earn a blessing, or to impress those around you, or even to fulfill some sense of obligation, you've missed the boat....Completely.
So how do you know if your relationship with God is centered around His face or simply His hand? What can you do to make sure your motive is pure as you praise and worship God?
