Worship Through the Day
Psalm 100:4 - "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." (NIV)
Romans 1:21 - "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." (NIV)
Ephesians 5:19-20 - "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV)
Colossians 3:16-17 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 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)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (NIV)
Is worship meant to be confined to a once-a-week church experience or even a daily quiet time? These times of intentional corporate and personal worship are needed. But, what about all of the in-between times in our day. Is God worthy of all of it? The answer is obvious… yes, of course. But, how do we worship God throughout our day. Worshipping God with our lives can sound good. But, can it really happen?
Thanksgiving is the key that unlocks a life of worship. Colossians 3:17 says, "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) In the same way, Ephesians 5:19-20 says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV) In fact giving thanks is specifically God's will for your life (1 Thess. 5:18). The declaration of thanksgiving from our mouths brings God great glory. He loves when we pick up on the details of his beautiful creation. When we give thanks for God's character reflected in each other, for God's beauty in nature and for God's creativity pouring through human beings, he is honored that we notice. How often do we miss his amazing beauty, because we have chosen not to give thanks?
James 1:17 says that God is the Father of the heavenly lights who is constantly giving good gifts to his children. God never ceases in his provision of blessing. But, we ignore his gifts through complaint and self-centeredness. When thanksgiving stops and complaint enters in, worship ceases. God does not gain glory through our complaint. In fact our complaint is offensive to the Father who is always pouring out his gifts to us. Choosing to offer our worship through thanksgiving pleases God's heart. This can happen all through our day in little moments of "Thank you, Lord, for______." Practice this, and it will become part of your daily language and routine.
For More Study
Thoughts and Questions for Application
Memorization
Colossians 3:17 - "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)
Romans 1:21 - "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." (NIV)
Ephesians 5:19-20 - "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV)
Colossians 3:16-17 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 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)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (NIV)
Is worship meant to be confined to a once-a-week church experience or even a daily quiet time? These times of intentional corporate and personal worship are needed. But, what about all of the in-between times in our day. Is God worthy of all of it? The answer is obvious… yes, of course. But, how do we worship God throughout our day. Worshipping God with our lives can sound good. But, can it really happen?
Thanksgiving is the key that unlocks a life of worship. Colossians 3:17 says, "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) In the same way, Ephesians 5:19-20 says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV) In fact giving thanks is specifically God's will for your life (1 Thess. 5:18). The declaration of thanksgiving from our mouths brings God great glory. He loves when we pick up on the details of his beautiful creation. When we give thanks for God's character reflected in each other, for God's beauty in nature and for God's creativity pouring through human beings, he is honored that we notice. How often do we miss his amazing beauty, because we have chosen not to give thanks?
James 1:17 says that God is the Father of the heavenly lights who is constantly giving good gifts to his children. God never ceases in his provision of blessing. But, we ignore his gifts through complaint and self-centeredness. When thanksgiving stops and complaint enters in, worship ceases. God does not gain glory through our complaint. In fact our complaint is offensive to the Father who is always pouring out his gifts to us. Choosing to offer our worship through thanksgiving pleases God's heart. This can happen all through our day in little moments of "Thank you, Lord, for______." Practice this, and it will become part of your daily language and routine.
For More Study
- Romans 1:18-32
- 1 Corinthians 1:4-9
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
- Ephesians 5
- Philippians 1:3-11
- Colossians 3
Thoughts and Questions for Application
- Name three things that you are thankful for.
- How free are you with speaking out thanksgiving to people and to God?
- How often does complaint stir around in your mind and come out of your mouth?
- Practice speaking out thanksgiving. Pick two people to affirm today. Tell them why you are thankful for them.
Memorization
Colossians 3:17 - "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)
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