Worship With Me

Worship With Me

A Journey of Praise & Worship

By Mary Ann Lewis-Francis

©2022 By Mary Ann Lewis-Francis Printed by BT Johnson Publishing www.BTJohnsonPublishing.com Toll Free: 1-866-260-9563

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-938311-

Worship With Me

1.....Introduction – My season of change......................5

2.....What is worship......................................................15

3.....Types of Worship....................................................21

A....Private Worship......................................................

B.....Public Worship.......................................................

4.....Comparison of Public and Private Worship.......35

5.....Benefits of Worship to the Worshipper...............41

6.....Why should we worship?......................................47

7.....Hindrances or Limitations to Worship................57

8.....Hindrances to the Worship Leader......................63

9.....Becoming a Living Sacrifice..................................71

10....8 Things a Worship Leader Should Not Do.......93

11....I Love to Worship..................................................99

Dedication

Firstly, I would like to thank God for giving me the

ability and for His guidance in penning this book.

Thanks to my now deceased mother who cultivated

the love for the Word of God in me daily.

This is also dedicated to my dear sister and friend

Patricia David who was my first worship mentor.

She left an impeccable impression in my life and

wherever God takes me, a part of her is always with me.

Finally, I dedicate this book to my family and my church

family “Eternal Love Ministry International” and all the

wonderful women I meet on this journey in “Passion For

Souls International” thanks for all the prayer & support.

CHAPTER 1

My Season of Change

“ T is so sweet to trust in Jesus,” and “I trust in

God'' were the two powerful hymns that I loved

ministering to congregations not realizing that God

had created me to be more than a soloist in my local

church or even in visiting churches.

As a young lady I was on fire for God and was

committed to the things of God. Paul in Romans 8: 39

declared that, “ For I am convinced that neither death

nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the

present nor the future, nor any powers, neither

height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God that

is in Christ Jesus.” These verses resonated in my

spirit so much that I found myself in the sanctuary

once the doors were opened. With a mother who

5

diligently sought God, I had no choice but to exercise

similar sentiments when it came to the work of God.

My mother may have understood in her simple

manner that I was not just born to exist, but I was

born for purpose even though it was never

verbalized by her since such expressions eluded her.

I am thankful that I was exposed to sound

doctrine and with profound and powerful

intercessors in my corner. As believers, we are never

to despise our humble beginnings because it

influences who we shall become.

Many who have heard my voice described me

as the woman with the voice of thunder but with all

the accolades something was missing. Worship for

me was vague, rigid structural presence with little or

no room for the Holy Spirit to take pre-eminence in

the life of the congregants and furthermore through

me the “song - leader.” Yes “song - leader,” is used

6

with a self-explanatory connotation because

undoubtedly that was my experience. Unfortunately,

because of denominational beliefs, ignorance and

arrogance, my passion and desire to pursue God

deeper was halted and in many instances stifled.

Beyond my human intellect, was a soul dying to

experience the Creator in a way that I could never

imagine. My inner spiritual capacity for worship

was crying out and like a pregnant woman I had to

endure the unspoken pain and discomfort in order to

deliver a full term.

One glorious day in my devotions I came

across John 4: 23 & 24:

“ But the time is coming and has now come

when the true worshipers will worship the

Father in Spirit and in Truth, for the

Father is seeking such as these to worship

7

Him. God is a Spirit, and His worshipers

must worship Him in spirit and in truth. ”

This scripture is one the most phenomenal

reference point that a worshiper must aspire to

attain, worshiping God in spirit and in truth. I have

read this passage many times but, on this occasion,

the Holy Spirit himself opened up my eyes to a new

level of understanding and revelation. It was an

understanding that echoed in my spirit that a shift in

my life was inevitable.

A transformation was about to take place so

that I could be a conduit of true worship. The clarity

of the truth about my worship to God caused me to

relentlessly pursue Him like never before, thus

resulting in God being my priority and

simultaneously, I sought to please Him with my

worship. It now meant that my worship could no

longer be vain and repetitive. It meant that my life

had to become saturated with His words on my lips

8

and a praise in my heart not only for all He has done

or doing but because of recognizing His infinite

worth.

As a worshiper, I thank God for the revelation

of knowledge that was bestowed unto me. No longer

was I satisfied with mediocre worship because of

lack of knowledge or my undying loyalty to religion.

Fortunately, with the revelation of who God is, His

desire for true worship and my conscious decision to

become a “God - Pleaser” religion had no more hold

on me. I was delivered from the spirit of religion

therefore, the blockages which hindered my access to

the Kingdom of God were destroyed by the power of

the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit, my best friend, commenced a

revolutionary spiritual heart-to-heart transplant

which caused me to seek Him more and more.

Jeremiah 29.13:

9

“ You will seek Me and find Me when

you search for Me with all of Your heart. ”

This resulted in a changed mind-set.

Instead of being committed to religion I was

now committed to a relationship. As a true

worshiper there is a new level of relationship that

exists between you and the Father that explodes and

is transferred even into the congregation for the

glory of God now resides in you.

Clearly, religion no longer had a hold of me. I

was delivered from all the hindrances that obscured

my access to the throne room of God. How can I be a

true worshipper if it is “restricted?” Some of the

things that I observed that restricts worship

knowingly or unknowingly are routine, time,

structure and the one often overlooked, self.

Unfortunately, what I was exposed to was

“empty worship.” Where was the encounter with

1 0

God? As I allowed the Holy Spirit to work in me, my

life was transformed spiritually from that empty, dry

relationship to one with God that had meaning,

depth, substance and purpose. I encountered a life

changing event just by knowing Him and by seeking

Him fervently. My Father altered my mindset with a

new understanding of worship, and He declared me

a vessel of honor unto him, a vessel of praises. As a

worshiper, I now knew that I am not ordinary or

simple, instead, I am a carrier of the Glory of God

and as a consequence it is imperative to live

according to His principles as instructed in the Word

of God.

Religion (manmade system) shuts out worship

by cultivating empty prayer, empty worship, forms

of goodliness, with absolutely no manifestation of

the power of God or even the manifestation of the

Kingdom of God in one’s personal life.

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Please do not get me wrong. I embraced the

shifting and I do believe in structure, systems and

submission to leadership, but a person is not to be

subjected to a system where there is the absence of

God’s manifestation or the hindrance of the move of

God because of a man-made program or an agenda.

Our worship therefore is never to be restricted or

“boxed in.” Our worship and our praise are never to

be secondary to the direction of a man or a woman of

God of authority with the mandate to halt God’s

move. There are protocols and dimensions in

worship that must be adhered too. I shall touch on

both in forthcoming chapters.

Experiencing the true essence of worship got

me through some challenging times in my life

because it shifted my focus away from the problem

to the problem solver, that is where I discovered the

four P’s, namely: process, purpose, patience and

potential.

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David, the greatest worshiper and the author of

Psalm wrote explicitly in Psalm 34:1:

“I will bless the Lord at all times, His

praise shall continually be in my mouth. ”

I came to the terms with the fact that my

worship to God should not be hindered by my

personal circumstances. Just as David, we must be

able to quickly repent and realign ourselves with our

God given purpose not allowing our weaknesses to

be our deterrent for entering into the presence of

God or for dominating our destiny.

My journey or my pursuit to freedom led to the

greater appreciation for the greatest worshiper or the

psalmist. David worshiped from his heart in spite of

his shortcomings. I observed also that David was a

man who loved God dearly. He understood the

character of the Creator and he reminded me often of

my pitfalls in life, a broken vessel, unworthy,

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rejected and one who was overlooked by man but

thankfully one selected by God to worship Him

passionately. Hallelujah

For the purpose of this book, I shall be using

David as one of my main points of reference. It is my

prayer that as you read this book that the worshipper

in you would arise or be revived. I pray that this

book would boost your confidence as a worshipper

as you strive to worship God with all of your being.

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CHAPTER 2

What Is Worship?

T his is a question that has been used

interchangeably with prayer and praise. However,

according to Webster’s Dictionary, “worship is to

honor with extravagant love and extreme

submission”. In other words, true worship is defined

by the priority we place on who God is, His very

character demonstrated in our lives.

To be more precise and to alleviate any myth,

let me share some light as to what does not constitute

worship. Firstly, worship is not the slow songs

rendered by the worship team or choir in the Sunday

morning services as many were taught to believe.

Worship is not utilizing the best singer who practices

little or has no biblical lifestyle to lead the choir or

the song service. Worship is not putting the biggest

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offering in the basket or even working with the

youth department or men’s group. Notable the latter

two are very important in a ministry but are acts of

expressions of worship.

True worship calls for an indispensable

response of living a holy life. I am confident based on

experience that I can therefore further expand on the

definition and conclude that worship is a lifestyle

which must be pleasing to God everywhere you are,

be it on the job, at home or even in the community.

Avoid limiting your worship to God as just being

contained in the four walls of a building.

Beloved, if your lifestyle as a worshipper is not

one which reflects holiness and your submission to

God does not work in harmony then you must

therefore make a serious decision to yield to the Holy

Spirit so that true worship becomes your immediate

resolution whilst you still have the time and that is

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only by my calculation because our days are

numbered and is only known by our Creator.

Psalm 96:9:

“ O Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,

fear before Him all the earth .” (KJV).

The Book of Psalms illustrates in many of the

chapters who, how, why, when and where to

worship. It may be unbelievable for some to

conceptualize that as an individual, you may listen to

great worship music from anointed ministers, read

the scriptures or even write your own worship songs

and still not have the incomprehensible knowledge

of the term worship in the practical sense of the

word.

To be considered a true worshipper there must

be an indispensable response as seen in a holy life.

Based on my hands-on experience of worship, I can

confidently conclude that worship is a lifestyle which

1 7

is far more than a song and, in many instances, more

than a sound. Worship was designed to put the

supreme worth of God on display. Is there any other

God that can be honored, revered, treasured or loved

more than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Beloved, as you read this book, allow the Spirit

of God to minister to you especially if your lifestyle

of holiness and your submission to God endeavors to

operate in harmony with Almighty God at all times. I

am appealing to all worship leaders, choir directors,

music ministers, sound technicians, moderators,

those with or without titles - all who call on the name

of Jesus kindly make a decision to yield to the Holy

Spirit so that true worship becomes your decision

daily. Do not be ashamed to be considered an

authentic worshipper of God. Be one who knows

him truly and treasure him daily based on your

practical relationship with Him.

1 8

In my personal life, worship became the ladder

which was used to give me access to different

dimensions in the Spirit. It is an infinite tool or

weapon if well utilized and it is able to counteract

and dismantle areas of evil assignments upon your

life. Whatever you may be going through right now

believe that when you worship, God intervenes on

your behalf. Believe me when I say if God did it for

me, be assured that He is well able to respond and

validate the songs, be it for healing, deliverance or

restoration in your life.

Worship then is absolutely not only a tool and

a weapon but can also be referred to as a key to

intimacy with God through communication for

worship is a two-way process. You speak to God,

you honor or revere Him, enter into His presence

through spiritual songs, prayer and whatever else

His spirit bids and in return God responds. When

worship is well engaged it enables us to withstand

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the trials and the problems that we encounter, with

the capacity to effectively restore and maintain the

joy of our salvation.

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CHAPTER 3

Types of Worship

C ome along with me as we explore the

different types of worship:

A. Vain Worship

Matthew 15: 8-9:

“ These people honor with the lips, but their

hearts are far from me. They worship me in

vain, their teachings are merely human rules. ”

Upon examining verse 8 it revealed that the

people drew near to God, they observed all the

rituals or religious practices of the day, they openly

prayed, they could be seen all in the streets, always

in the synagogues and with what appeared to be

reverence and devotion to God. Many can relate to

these busy buddies and those that perform their

2 1

righteous act to be seen by others. Sadly, too many

believers are of the opinion that they can attend all

the church events, give to charity-even display it on

social media, sing the loudest and be considered as

participating in true worship. Unfortunately, our

worship to God must be beyond what mere mortals

can see.

As a worshipper on the stage or in the pew you

have to acknowledge God as your Sustainer, Creator,

Healer and Preserver of your souls. We sometimes

go further and make a boast in Yahweh and declare

that He is the one and only true God and identify

Him as the God of Israel. Additionally, the praises on

our lips are echoed in the atmosphere and there is

wh at appears to be an attitude of gratitude for God’s

loving kindness, tender mercies and unmerited favor

apparently with sincerity and true affection to God.

Even nations, churches and individuals feel God can

be fooled with our open gestures of generosity and

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prayer vigils. Definitely, those are commendable but

according to the scripture it only demonstrates

worship from the mouths or their lips. Let us not

aspire to be lip worshippers or carriers of vain

worship.

One can never evade the statement of truth that

Jesus is the searcher of hearts and mind.

For a few minutes as you read honestly answer

the following questions”

1. Are you genuinely in love with Jesus?

2. Do you have unwavering faith in Him?

3. Do you have the fear of the Lord?

4. Are you desiring more of His presence?

5. Are you still struggling with worldly lust?

6. Do you seek the applause of men?

7. Are you concerned about what the searcher of

the heart sees when he searches your heart?

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My recommendation for all is that you start

with that inner essence of worship before it is

transferred to a more public expression. The

awesome blessings of God which you desire to

always enjoy are subjected to God given conditions.

Never let your worship be in or be categorized as

zero or even empty. It becomes null and void when

your worship is absent of the heart dimension which

Jesus mentioned in Matthew 15: 8 & 9:

“ This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth,

and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far

from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching

for doctrines the commandments of men.”

Yes, you can be excited about leading worship,

leading the choir, attending crusades to sing, and

never be a true worshipper because in essence,

everything you did was for your personal

advancement and promotion not by God but by man.

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Some believers may not realize the power that

worship can activate in their lives. There is much

strength, edification and joy that can be attained

from proper biblical worship or should I say regular

worship. These benefits can be achieved in either

private or public worship where His presence is

involved.

To suggest that worship is an important part of

your journey as a Christian is an understatement. It

is, however, critically necessary for us to engage

ourselves in the practice of daily worship. Once you

grasp God’s grace and His love for you, worship

becomes so automatic that you would operate with

an attitude of gratitude every moment of the day.

The benefits are achievable when you totally

surrender your life to become a true worshipper, this

however, shall be revealed in another chapter.

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B. PRIVATE WORSHIP

Whenever you decide to pray in isolation, read

the Bible, sing a song or a hymn, meditate on matters

pertaining to things in your life that is what is

referred to as private worship or personal worship .

Again the book of Psalms is an excellent

template of David’s spontaneous act of worship unto

the Lord. This he did steadfastly in times where

battles were won and even when he fell in sin. Child

of God, in order to mature in Christ and in the work

of the Kingdom you must develop a pattern of

making worship priority; it must be a part of your

daily routine commencing with developing your

prayer life which is the ‘springboard’ for you

becoming a better worshipper.

Matthew 6:6:

“ But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father,

2 6

who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ”

In this passage Jesus gives the perfect example

of how we should pray.

Note the Word of God was clear: it says WHEN

YOU PRAY, not if you pray. When denotes a

compulsory instruction or a command in this

instance. In other words, it is imperative that men

are to always to pray and not to faint as is referred to

in ( KJV ) Luke 18:1:

“ And he spake a parable unto them to this end,

that men ought always to pray, and not to faint . ”

Do you wish to develop strong character and

spirit?

If yes, then your private meditation and Bible

study are the mechanisms to achieve the

aforementioned. Take time out of your schedule to

spend time with God. Why don’t you take ½ hour

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lunch instead and use the other ½ hour as your

private time of worship? Many of my deep periods

of private worship have been when I am driving. It is

when I shut off the world (yes even as I focus on the

road), and I would meditate on the Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ.

Worship is truly powerful. I am a witness. I can

recall some years ago, there was a foul smell in my

home and having that spirit of discernment I knew it

was a demon. On my way home on a particular day,

I just shut in, started to worship, went in tongues and

commanded that demon to vacate my premises

before I arrived at home.

The Holy Spirit did not fail me. That foul

demon had to run as far as the east is from the west.

In those private moments I received answered

prayer, word of knowledge, prophecies for my life

and for others, and revelation of the Word of God,

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even sermons to preach the following Sunday. Be

determined not to remain a spiritual dwarf or a

malnourished member of the body of Christ.

Do not be derailed, distracted or deceived. Jesus

says , John 14.6:

“ I am the way the truth and the life: no

man cometh unto the Father but by Him. ”

Become delivered from distraction as I

prophecy to many readers where a negative word

may have been uttered over your life or you may

have heard negative voices hindering you from

spending that valuable time with God. Come in

agreement with me as we break that spirit of

distraction in the Mighty name of Jesus.

Stay in His presence for that is your heritage!

Go deeper, desire to enter beyond your intellectual

understanding. Declare things over your life. The

voice that speaks fear or depression has no power

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over you. Declare that you are an overcomer as you

worship. Remember the devil is still a liar. It is

absolutely necessary to be intentional and therefore

one must oneself to worship. Pursue God today with

a new passion and a new revelation, that you get to

know Him for yourself and know that your Father

can break every spiritual deficiency and any area of

weaknesses you may be encountering even now.

I can recall times when it was a challenge or

even impossible for me to pray. I felt I was not even

worthy to enter the outer courts far less the Holy of

Holies. Would God accept my praise and my

worship? Then I remembered that He loves me with

an everlasting love, and it was at that point I started

to focus on His love for me. I grasped the concept of

God with deeper communication through prayer and

through His Word.

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Hear the Word of the Lord in James 1: 5-8 King

James Version (KJV) ”

“ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of

God, that giveth to all men liberally, and

upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

For he that wavereth is like a wave of the

sea driven with the wind and tossed. For

let not that man think that he shall receive

anything of the Lord. A double minded

man is unstable in all his ways. ”

God speaks profoundly to all of us through His

Word. Spend time reading His Word and receive His

instructions with great eagerness knowing that there

is a message somewhere in the lines of the scriptures

that relates to you and your situation.

All worshippers must thrive to delight

themselves in the Lord and meditate on His Word,

day and night allowing it to dwell richly in their lives

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with transformational results as Ambassadors of the

Most High God.

In your private worship expect that God would

meet with you and your ability to worship is only

developed through applications. What are you

saying? I am saying that you learn to worship by

worshipping. Yes, allow me to repeat “you learn to

worship by worshipping.”

C. PUBLIC WORSHIP

“Oh come let us sing unto the Lord. Oh come

let us sing unto the Lord. Oh let us make a

joyful noise to the Rock of my salvation

Oh come let us sing unto the Lord.”

This short refrain was one of my best friend’s

favorite opening anthems. As I write the words of

this song, we would appreciate that it speaks

plurality and not singleness and as a consequence

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was ideal for announcing to the congregation the

commencement of service.

With deeper examination, that song is really

Psalm 95 which David may have also made a sweet

melody within the synagogues as it summons all to

give thanks unto God once you are in His presence.

Public worship is therefore worship conducted

without privacy, under the authority, in a public

space, according to the rules that govern a religious

organization. It is that place where the congregation

gathers with the sole purpose of glorifying God in

the beauty of holiness.

Corporate worship is therefore collectively

involved worship to God and is sometimes

expressed as the “gathering , ” assembling or as

congregational worship.

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CHAPTER 4

Comparison of Public and Private Worship

1. I t is believed that God is more glorified by

public

worship

than

private

worship.

God is glorified by us when we acknowledge Him.

“ For where two or three are gathered together

in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

(Matthew 18:19 – 20, NKJV) God therefore obtains

multiplied worship and praises.

2. The presence of God is more inflated.

He is present with his people in the use of public

worship in a greater capacity being extremely

effective and intimate. Matthew 18:19 1” Again, truly

I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about

anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my

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Father in heaven. ” There is a greater outpouring of

His power and His anointing.

3. God manifests himself – it is believed that

God’s manifestation is seen and experienced more

clearly in public worship rather than in private

worship.

For example, in Revelation, Christ is manifested

“in the midst of the churches.” This relates similarly

to #2 above for there is a greater demonstration of his

power thus resulting in an effectual individual

operating in signs and wonders. Please do not think

for a minute that it is only the pastors or those

operating in the five-fold ministry that are given

spiritual gifts. You as a worshipper; or any other

member of the body of Christ can also be the

recipient of such a gift because God gives His gifts

liberally.

4. There is more spiritual benefit in the use of

public worship.

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Yes, there are benefits of private worship but

there are much more to be expected in public

worship when it is done right.

5. Public worship is more edifying than

private.

I really love this point most of all because as a

worshipper this is an area, where we can really serve

the people by praying on their behalf without

focusing excessively on one’s personal needs. Yes,

we “pray ye one for another.”

6. The Lord works his greatest works in public

worship.

Deliverance, conversion, regeneration and so on

are usually accomplished through public worship

and as a consequence makes it easier for a visiting

unbeliever to believe in the manifested power of our

Lord Jesus Christ.

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7. Public worship is the nearest resemblance

of heaven.

In the Bible’s depictions of heaven, there is

nothing done in private, nothing in secret; all the

worship of that glorious company is public. The

experience can be referred to as a ‘Heaven Touching

Earth’ experience.

8. The most renowned servants of God have

preferred

public

worship

before

private.

The Lord did not withdraw from public ordinances,

though they could be considered corrupt at times.

Public worship was more precious to the apostles

than their safety, liberty, and lives.

9. The promises of God are more easily

manifested in public worship than in private.

There are more promises in public than to private

worship, and even the promises that seem to be

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made to private duties are applicable and more

powerful for public worship.

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CHAPTER 5

Benefits of Public Worship to the Worshipper

E ngaging in public worship is of great

importance to every member of the body of Christ as

there are many benefits of participating in corporate

worship. Closely let us examine the following

benefits below:

1. A Step of obedience

Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)

“ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves

together, as the manner of some is; but

exhorting one another: and so much the

more, as ye see the day approaching. ”

As reflected in the scripture, God commanded

that assembling is necessary and should be our

modus operandi indicating categorically that it is not

41

optional. Almighty God unequivocally blesses

obedience.

Bear in mind, that as a worshipper, you cannot

afford to abandon the gathering of the saints.

Unfortunately, the act of abandoning the assembling

with other believers who share the same core

spiritual beliefs have caused numerous ills and many

have succumbed to be classified as those who were

“almost persuaded” to one being identified as being

in a backslidden condition. I declare that you shall

remain rooted and grounded in Christ with a

conviction to find yourself in the presence of God

and glorifying God with your fellow brethren. It is

worth emphasizing that if you are a worship leader

or a member of the worship team it is highly

impossible for you not to attend public worship

regularly.

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1. A relational experience – This benefit is

twofold.

Undoubtedly, a closer relationship is

developed firstly with God and also with the rest of

the congregants simultaneously which has proved to

be beneficial to the overall operations of any

ministry.

3. Spiritual growth for others – Public worship

creates the opportunity for an increase in ones’

spiritual capacity from the pulpit to the pew. Growth

therefore is no respecter of person but with a heart

that desires to have a closer walk with the Lord you

can be guaranteed it is inevitable. As one gathers in

the house of the Lord the omnipresent God would

inhabit the praises of His people and the preached

Word when delivered would expose all to sound

teaching and instructions which shall therefore

minimize any misinterpretation or misapplication of

the Word of Truth. Now understand that as a

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worshipper it is imperative that you know the Word

for it is the same Word that is regurgitated to God as

part of your act of worship to Him.

There is a school of thought which subscribes

to the fact that one does not have to attend church to

have a relationship with God…this continues to be a

debatable topic however, as a worshipper there is

much danger in staying away from the gathering of

the saints, so it is advisable to be vigilant and be

aware of the strategies of the devil to keep us away

from being empowered in God’s presence.

4. Maximization of our gifts – Evidently, your

gift can be used individually in your closet but there

is a greater sense of accomplishment by utilizing

your gifts as an encouragement to others who may

be discouraged, frustrated, oppressed or rejected.

Additionally, you can also benefit from the gifting of

others by the care and love you receive. One can

debate that you can send an email, a text or connect

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via a telephone call for strength or encouragement

which are all remote approaches in comparison to

that face-to-face interactive system. Conclusively and

convincingly, it is a fact that nothing can be

substituted for that feeling of love and togetherness

that is felt when there is that physical bonding.

5. Experience Strength – As we assemble

ourselves together in worship our faith is

strengthened. All of us experience moments of

weaknesses, moments of doubts, moments of

bewilderment and moments of stress. However, by

the grace of God and by gathering with the saints of

God your faith is strengthened and even developed

making it absolutely difficult for the enemy to have

you believe that you should ‘throw in the towel’

because the challenges in life are too much for you,

but I admonish you to “press in” and worship Him.

“Let the fire on your altar never burn out.”

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CHAPTER 6

Why Worship God?

H ave you ever noticed how difficult it is for us

to worship God when all the walls around us seem to

be falling apart or caving in upon us?

When worship is embedded in us however, it

does not matter the prevailing circumstances you

literally dig deep within your spirit and shout unto

God with a voice of triumph in spite of.

I recall getting the most life changing call on

the 11 th of January 2009 when my sister called me to

inform me of the passing of our dear mother. I

became immediately hopeless and feared that I

would not be able to make it in this world without

her.

Amazingly, the day of her home going

celebration I conducted the service, and all eyes were

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on me as I led the worship team. Questionable eyes

pierced through my body and thoughts were

scattered all over the room because I was unmovable

and unshakeable. I was not loveless, heartless or

emotionless. What perhaps was demonstrated as I

learnt over the years was mastering the key of

worshipping in the face of my pain and my loss.

Listen to me, God gives us strength.

Similarly, King David learnt to worship God in

His pain and loss of his son who had died. I cannot

imagine the magnitude of pain that he felt upon

losing his child, notwithstanding the fact that the loss

of a loved one is a mammoth burden to bear. During

David’s period of grieve and despair his posture was

turned from mourning into rejoicing – we should

emulate such posture.

The Bible declares in 2 Samuel: 12:20 that

David got up from his slumber on the ground (which

represented a defeated position in this instance),

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washed himself, applied lotion on his skin, changed

his raiment and entered into the tabernacle to

worship God. (paraphrased). David felt so much pain, he

was in much agony. I can relate to these emotions, but I

preserved in worship because I needed God then and still

need Him now more than ever.

Evidently, we ought to worship God because

we need Him. Worship is where we focus on Him.

How can there be worship absent of the creator? We

sing songs, we listen to prolific preachers bellow

profound sermons, and we even serve effectively in

ministry and classify these as worship.

Unfortunately, these are all elements of

worship which can easily become distracted by

personal issues. One may be attending church but

did not like the song selection, or the worship team

did not harmonize, or the preacher’s tie was not

matching his pants and shoes unknowingly, right

there...distraction comes because the concentration

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point was not on God. However, when you have a

purpose in your heart you shall enter the courts or

sanctuary to worship wholeheartedly, you honor

God by your act of surrender and submission.

As a worshipper, your likes or dislikes are

shelved; for worship is never based on your personal

preferences but on the King of Kings and Lord of

Lords who is our focus point. In other words, it is

critical to experience a move of God as the

worshipper; this can only be achieved by total

submission to the Holy Spirit and you intentionally

decreasing (flesh) thereby allowing the Holy Ghost

to have full pre-eminence. Do not ever strive to be a

hindrance to your breakthrough. Successful worship

that pleases God requires a complete dying to the

flesh and the works of the flesh.

The famous Psalm 100:4:

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“I would enter His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise; be thankful

unto Him and bless His holy name.”

Beloved there is no mention of the Psalmist

lamenting the fact that he would enter the gates with

worries and his own opinion. Advisably, the

statement one should let go and let God is very

applicable when approaching or entering into the

presence of God. God is able to handle your

circumstances just leave them all at the altar so that

he can alter your affairs.

Worship becomes easy when we love God, and

we are appreciative of all that He is doing in our

lives and upon the face of the earth His mercies are

evidently and definitely new every morning. The

journey of worship is progressive, for it is a selfless

act of our love towards God. The more we love Him,

the more we fall deeper in love with Him and as a

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consequence, our expression of worship becomes our

regime of the day regardless of where we are.

Breaking news brothers and sisters, don’t you

know that worship is not predominantly for us?

Don’t get me wrong , we do benefit from it, but it was

designed first and foremost from a selfish position of

love towards God. He loves us and demonstrated

His love toward us even when we were wretched

and worthless He died for us.

That right there is enough to give Him the

praises that is due unto Him.

Examine the character of God as faithful, the

Creator of the universe, our undisputed champion

and our forever friend He is indeed worthy of our

adoration.

“When I think of the goodness of Jesus and

what He has done for me, my soul cries out

hallelujah thank God for saving me.” The

aforementioned is a well-known old chorus which I

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grew up singing and today I understand that God

deserves to be worshipped for His great work

toward all of humanity.

As you reflect on your personal life, you have

testimonies of the great things that God has done for

you. May I remind you that being alive and

experiencing soundness of mind is enough to give

God some praise. I can join you in testifying that as I

write this book under the leadership of the Holy

Spirit, He has kept me alive for a purpose. It is not by

chance that He has me writing this book whilst I am

confined in the walls of my apartment due to the

spreading of the COVID-19 in China.

In the midst of this experience, it is the worship

in me that kept my family and I upbeat and hopeful

by experiencing the peace of God. Advisably, we are

to engage in worship in all our circumstances and see

the hands of God operating in our affairs by allowing

and disallowing some things in our lives.

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In this life-threatening saga emanating from

this unknown and deadly virus it was critical for me

to maintain the connection with God by drawing

nearer to Him, “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer

blessed Lord to the precious bleeding side.” This is a

line from one of my favorite hymns which

expressively reminded me of the desire to be drawn

closer to my Father... As we worship God, He

inhabits our worship. Don’t you know as we worship

God enthrones it, which is to say our worship

becomes His throne; He rests upon it.

Ultimately, as you draw closer to Him you are

empowered and enlightened for truly, we are

beneficiaries of worship and therefore we are to be

cautious that as we worship it is a selfless expression

of our love to Him. We must never be self-centered.

Flesh must be crucified in His presence and outside

the courts. In other words, flesh must die every day

as God perfects us in His image and likeness.

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Our dedication towards worship to God is

extremely essential in our walk for we are mandated

not only to be servants of God, joint heir with Christ,

sons of God, kingdom builders, kingdom movers

and shakers but also worshippers.

There are some unbelievable truths that

confirm that you may attend church but did not

worship. Many songs may have been sung and

executed lustily and yet worship to God would have

been absent. In some cases, one may have listened to

a powerful preached word but yet the element of

worship or even the expression of worship can be

absent.

Amazingly, zeal does not equate to worship.

Allow me to clarify. Operating in the Body of Christ

with all the zeal and passion can be exhibited but

your heart in worship is one that is yet to be desired

for there is only an outward impression but

internally man’s heart may be so far away from God.

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All our external drama can prevent us from

truly experiencing internal peace.

Unfortunately, my dear reader, many times all

of the above may be achieved yet it is not received in

the nostril of God as a sweet-smelling savor.

Notably, all the above are all wonderful elements of

worship, and it shall be erroneous to classify those as

worship in and of themselves in other words, these

acts cannot stand on their own.

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CHAPTER 7

Hindrances Or Limitations

To Worship

N otwithstanding the fact that we are to

worship God in spirit and in truth, we all encounter

challenges that may hinder our worship to God. Let

us, therefore, closely examine the many hindrances

of worship.

1. Your attitude – It is particularly unbecoming

to worship God with the wrong attitude. John 4: 23-

24 once more reminds us of the importance of

obeying God’s Word which focuses on the attitude of

worship ( the how to worship ) which must be done in

spirit and in truth. Matthew 15:8 further highlights a

people that was drawing nigh to God with their

mouths and a people that was honoring Him with

their lips but sadly like some of us in the Body of

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Christ today our hearts are far from God. Having the

right attitude as we embark upon entering the house

of God or your secret place of worship makes it

easier to receive from God, to hear from God, to

allow you to pour out your heart to Him, to intercede

for others and to enjoy being in His presence.

In Psalm 122: 1,2 it says:

“I was glad when they said unto me le t us go

into the house of the Lord our feet shall

stand within thy gates oh Jerusalem.”

Your attitude towards worship is also reflected

by your process of preparation. This preparation of

excitement to encounter the King is depicted even

before you enter the building. As you enter your

vehicle, as you enter the taxi or if you are living in

close proximity of the sanctuary your attitude should

be one of expectancy and joy for you are ready to

commune with your Savior.

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Accepting God and having the right attitude

towards God is not the major challenge. What about

possessing the right attitude to God but a wrong

attitude towards a fellow brother or sister, is it

possible to worship God effectively? My response is

a resounding NO!

Matthew 5: 23-24 and Matthew 18: 15-17 advise

the children of God how we are to relate to our

brethren in Christ. Every bitterness, unforgiveness,

malice or even ill-thought against your brother must

be never mentioned among you as a child of the

Most High God. In order beloved, for God to accept

your sacrifice of worship our hearts must be clean.

Repent and reconcile with your brother immediately.

Never allow the spirit of Cain to reign in your heart

for that nature shall limit your worship to God who

desires your worship and is ready to forgive you.

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Lack of knowledge – The Bible says in Hosea

4:6:

“ my people perish because

of lack of knowledge. ”

One of the main purposes of this book is to

deposit additional knowledge of worship and your

relationship with God. Even as you delve deeper

into worship it is absolutely necessary for your

knowledge to be expanded. The Bible is your

only road map that directs your worship experience.

Be informed therefore that your worship to God

must be truth related and not one that is directed by

doctrine of men.

Examine Matthew 15:9 as it reveals of the

discourse between Jesus and the Pharisees his critics,

“ In vain do they worship me, teaching of doctrines

of men ” . Do not allow ignorance to hinder your

worship but seek to know God even more. God is

ready, willing and waiting on the souls that desire to

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