It is amazing how God can take one message given by the preacher and use it to speak to everyone at the same time in a different way. This past Sunday the word came from Matthew the 25th chapter. The minister used this scripture passage to pose the question; will you be ready when Jesus comes back? The story was about 10 virgins, 5 were wise and 5 were foolish. The wise virgins had oil in the lamp and some to spare.
The foolish virgins had barely enough oil in their lamps and did not pack extra oil. While the virgins were awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom the lamps of the 5 foolish virgins started to go out. The foolish virgins wanted the 5 wise virgins to give them some of their oil. The wise virgins did not share their oil instead they told them where they could buy some more oil. When the 5 foolish virgins realized that the 5 wise virgins were not going to help them, they left to buy some more oil for their lamps. While the minister was preaching this word, my mind begin to become distracted with what the Lord wanted me to take from this message.
The Lord used this story to point out three things to me:
- Only leave the house when you have oil in your lamp
- Take extra oil because you may run out through the course of the day
- Know where you can go to get more oil if you run out.
Over the last few months the Lord has been stretching my family in every area of our lives. I truly believe the Lord has something great in stored for us and he is preparing us for it. In the past I viewed church as a place that I could fellowship with other believers while praising God. My view hasn’t changed; however, my focus is no longer on fellowshipping with others but rather allowing myself to get lost in worshiping God.
This word reminded me that we need to always have a spirit that is full of praise. The church is a hospital for the sick, a place where people go to get better. The Lord used Matthew 25 to remind me that we should never leave the house to go anywhere, especially church, with just enough oil in our lamps. We should only leave the house after we have spent time with the Lord by ourselves first. When you spend time with God first, your peace and joy does not rest in the hands of others or your environment.
While the word was coming forth the Lord brought Romans 13:14 to my mind, “Put ye on the holy spirit.” We cannot wait until we are at worship to praise God, because the church is a hospital. Everyone is constantly fighting their flesh. God is TOO holy to let our praise depend on how well people are doing spiritually each Sunday or any day of the week. So, how do we manage to have a heart of worship despite our environment? Below I have listed four tips for having a heart of worship.
- Pray– God knows more than anyone including yourself what you need. In Luke the 18:1 the word says, “Men should always pray.” Pray before you leave the house. Pray when you can see the enemy attacking. Pray, Pray, Pray.
- Read the bible– The bible says in Roman 10:17, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If you need more of God, you have to read his word. The more of the bible you read the easier it is for God to speak to you at any moment. The bible says in Isaiah 55:11 “the word will not return void.” Study the bible and God will draw on the word inside of you at the very moment you need to hear it.
- Have a worship song– We are told in Philippians 4:4 to “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice.” Select a song that takes you into worship every time you sing it. Whenever you are feeling spiritually low sing your worship song, out loud or in your head. The point is to always have a song that takes you back into his presence. You can have more than one song and your song can change daily.
- Stay Focused– In Matthew 14:22-23, Jesus was walking on water. Peter wanted to walk to him, and he was fine, as long as he kept his eyes on the Lord. We witness how far we can sink when we take our eyes off of the Lord. Keep your eyes on the Lord!
www.Christianmarriagehq.com Challenge: Select a song that speaks to your spirit. Learn the words to it. Sing this song anytime you need more of Jesus throughout your day.
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