A Prayer for a Heart Full of Worship
By Emily Rose Massey
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17, NIV).
What does it mean to give God glory? The word “glory” bears with it the idea of the greatness of splendor of God as it pertains to the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the word “glory” is translated to mean “honor, dignity, worship, and praise.” When we put the two together, we see that glorifying God means acknowledging His greatness and giving Him all the worship and honor, and thanksgiving in all that we do and say. God’s glory is the essence of His nature- we bring Him glory when we revel in His divine essence.
How often are we consumed with mundane activities that we forget who we are doing them for? I believe if we lose the motivation that we are doing it to glorify God, we are prone to grumbling and complaining, much like the children of Israel. We become ungrateful, and our hearts begin to grow hard and cold toward God. We begin to simply “go through the motions” in life, and soon we are looking to other things to satisfy a longing in our soul that only living a God-glorifying life can satisfy. We were made to worship God, and He gave us the gifts and abilities in which to do that every day.
In Colossians 3:17, the apostle Paul sends an encouragement in his letter to the Church as Colossae: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (NIV).
He was reminding the Colossians that their ultimate purpose on this earth was to give God glory by showing God’s love and walking in peace with one another and doing all things with a heart full of gratitude and worship unto the Lord.
Worship simply means “ascribing worth.” It is what/who you give your time, your devotion, your affection, your finances, your heart, your praise, and thanksgiving. We have all been created to worship. Ultimately our Creator, but since the fall, many people worship creation and/or themselves. This is idolatry, which is sinful. Worship is not just singing to the Lord or playing music unto Him (although that's important); It is making it a priority in our life to spend time with Him in the Word and in prayer daily. Worship is denying yourself and saying "yes" to God every single moment of your life- walking in obedience by God’s grace through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every time we obey God and say "yes" to Him, we give Him glory. When we love God with all that we are, our hearts can't help but overflow with His love for others by sharing the Gospel with them or pointing them to His truth to know Him more. Worship is a daily lifestyle. We can worship God in the simplest ways just by doing whatever it is just for Him and with a good attitude. Let us ask the Lord to help us daily have a heart full of worship so that He may receive all the glory through our lives.
Let’s pray:
Father God,
I know it is easy to get stuck in the routine of life and forget why we are here on this earth or who we are living for. Our flesh wants us to walk in pride and boast of our own strength and abilities, but we know that You are the One who gives us the breath in our lungs and our talents and abilities. Help me remember to stay humble and point others to you in my words and deeds. Holy Spirit, would You please fill my heart with gratitude so that I can give You the worship You deserve? I want to glorify God in all things. Please help me embrace the “less of me and more of You” mentality and walk in obedience daily, looking to You for grace and strength so that others may learn how to love You as I love you. You are so good and faithful, Father.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Emily Massey began writing short stories and poetry as a little girl, entered the blogging world in her early 20s, and published her first book in 2015. She enjoys being a stay-at-home momma while still being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Believing she has been forgiven much, she loves much, and desires to point others to Christ and His redemptive and transforming power, especially by sharing truth found in God’s written Word. If you would like to connect with Emily, you can visit www.emilyrosemassey.com
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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