Friday, July 27, 2012

Triplets of Praise: How to Worship


As we have seen in our study of the Trinity, God’s Triune nature is reflected in His creation, His attributes, the names of Christ, Old Testament worship, feasts and prophecies, and the birth of His Son. Not surprisingly, His instructions for worship in the New Testament are also triplets of praise!

God designed mankind to need Him, because only He gives us all we need: life, breath (spirit), and all things (Acts 17: 25). He designed us to be complete only when He indwells us at the moment of salvation. This occurs in a three-step process (Acts 17:27) – we seek Him (an intellectual process involving the mind seeking truth), we feel after Him (an emotional process involving the heart realizing its own emptiness), and we find Him (our spirit places its faith in Him as the only true Savior and living God).

Jesus promised that anyone who asks, seeks and knocks in this fashion will receive, find and gain entrance (Matthew 7:7-8;  Luke 11:9-10). From that moment on, we are His, and in Him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Only then can we love Him as Jesus commanded us (Matthew 22:37), and as was foreshadowed when the Lord spoke to Moses (Deuteronomy 6:5), with all our heart, soul, and mind.

When we are born again, we place our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15) as the only way to Heaven. Before ascending to Heaven, Jesus Christ gave His followers (including present-day believers) the Great Commission: to go, teach, and baptize (Matthew 28:18-20).
When we pray, we pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9), in the name of Jesus Who intercedes for us (1 Timothy 2:5), empowered by the Holy Spirit Who searches our heart and delivers to the Throne Room the prayers we cannot even utter (Romans 8:26).

As Jesus taught His disciples in the model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), our prayers should include adoration (praise and thanksgiving for Who He is and for what He has done; Matthew 6:9-10,13), repentance (confession of our sins; Matthew 6:12), and supplication (petitions asking for the needs of others and of ourselves; Matthew 6:11,13). The prayer closes by recognizing that to God alone belongs the kingdom, and the power, and the glory (Matthew 6:13).

Prayer is an important part of our corporate worship, as is praise and preaching the Word. The writer of Hebrews (10:24-25) urges us to continue meeting together for worship, especially as we draw closer to Christ’s return. By doing this, we can exhort one another (to refrain from sin) and encourage one another to love and to do good works.

Paul tells us that we can do this by speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and that in addition to uplifting each other by speaking in this way, that we should sing aloud and make melody in our heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).

When Paul urges us to follow the path Christ has set before us (Ephesians 4:1), He reminds us that we are rooted in one Lord, one faith, and one baptism and that God is above all, and through all, and in us all (Ephesians 4:5-6). God blessed each believer with a special role within the church body, which can broadly be grouped into three categories: for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

Jesus tells us that God is spirit (John 4:24), and John tells us that God is light (1 John 1:5), and love (1 John 4:8,16). Accordingly, Paul tells us to walk in the spirit (Galatians 5:16,25; Romans 8:1,4) and in love (Ephesians 5:2), and John tells us to walk in the light (1 John 1:7), Three gifts of grace: faith, hope and love (1 Thessalonians 1:3).enable believers to do this.

May we always worship God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit with triplets of praise!


© 2012 Laurie Collett



40 comments:

Denise said...

Blessings dear.

Jody Lee Collins said...

"Triplets of praise"--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Laurie, you've distilled so much.

thank you!

Frank E. Blasi said...

Another awe-inspiring blog. Thanks for posting.

Laurie Collett said...

God bless you too, dear one!
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks so much for your encouragement, Jody Lee!
Blessings to you,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Frank, for your kind words! May you have a blessed week in Him,
Laurie

Pamela said...

I feel so blessed to have the freedom of corporate worship. So many times I have to remind myself--it's easy to take for granted what you've already had.

Laurie Collett said...

Amen, Pamela! Christians suffer persecution in so many countries where it is illegal to assemble for worship. Our nation is blessed indeed -- may we be thankful for the freedom we enjoy.
God bless,
Laurie

Dolly @Soulstops said...

Grateful for how God gives us the gift of His presence and being able to worship Him...blessings, Laurie...linked up behind you at Ann's place

Donald Fishgrab said...

So many times we miss out by only looking at part of what is described. For example one group said prayer is asking. they neglected repentance and praise. Those who focus on praise and worship songs fail to fulfill the command to sing Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs, missing out on some aspects of worship. Thanks for reminding us that more is involved.

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks so much for visiting & commenting, Dolly! We have so much to thank Him for!
God bless,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Good point, dfish! God prescribed patterns of prayer & worship that would be balanced, but often church bodies or services today do not maintain that balance.
Blessings to you,
Laurie

Laura said...

I am really enjoying meditating in these triplets, Laurie. Thank you for this study.

Mandy said...

Fascinating. This was very informative. Thank you! I'm coming to you from Debi's Funki Planet. Blessings to you!

Laurie Collett said...

You're very welcome, Laura! I'm blessed to hear that you are enjoying this series.
Love in Him,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks so much, Mandy, for your visit & kind comment!
God bless,
Laurie

Susan said...

Hi Laurie, I'm hopping over from ICD!

What a rich post! I love praise music and have been known to do a "happy Jesus dance." I think there will be a lot of that in Heaven :)
Hugs to you from the mountains of VA!
Susan

Laurie Collett said...

Hi Susan -- lovely to meet you! Thanks so much for your visit & comment! My husband and I have a dance ministry to praise Him & to spread His Word through dance: http://www.praisehimwithdance.com/
I agree -- I think we'll be singing and dancing a lot in Heaven, all to His glory!
God bless,
Laurie

Unknown said...

Wow! You packed a lot in there! I love finding the triplets in Scripture. God is so detail oriented!

Thanks for linking up with WIP Wednesday!
Mary Beth

Leslie Monroe said...

Laurie so nice to *meet* you! Thanks for linking up with Simply Better. What a great post. Be sure to link up again next week. Blessings - Leslie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Mary Beth! I appreciate your encouraging comment and opportunity to link up.
God bless,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Great to meet you too, Leslie! Thanks so much for your visit & kind comment!
Love in Him,
Laurie

Charlotte said...

Beautifully said. Thank you for sharing with us on Spiritual Sundays.
Blessings,
Charlotte

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Charlotte, for your encouraging words, and for hosting Spiritual Sundays!
God bless,
Laurie

Unknown said...

Laura.. I too am recently committed to my Lord Christ and savior... you have a beautiful blog!! and are quiet talented!! What a blessing!!
Thank you so much for joining us in Thursdays Favorite Things Blog Hop! With His grace, wishing you peace and many blessings to you and yours… Carla

Laurie Collett said...

Praise God that you are His! Thank you so much for your visit and sweet comment! Love and blessings to you,
Laurie

Katherines Corner said...

God Bless, Thank you for your bloggy friendship and for sharing on the Thursday Favorite Things hop. Hoping you have a great weekend xo

Unknown said...

:) following you too! I love meeting Christian sisters!! Just means I have yet another friend that I can count on praising Him with!!

healthymommyhealthybaby said...

Thanks for linking-up! Have a great weekend!

Wendy @ E-1-A said...

Another fabulous post Laurie. You are so spoiling us!

a joyful noise said...

Triplets of Praise is a new way to consider this admonition:
Jesus promised that anyone who asks, seeks and knocks in this fashion will receive, Ask Seek Knock. Excellent!

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks so much, Carla! Praise God that He brings sisters together on the Internet to share in His praise! Have a blessed week in Him!

Laurie Collett said...

You're very welcome, Katie, and thank you for all you do to glorify Him and spread His Word.
Love in Him,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks for hosting! Blessings to you,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks, Wendy, for being such a blessing and such an encourager! May you have a blessed week in Him,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Amen, A Joyful Noise! May we ask, seek and knock daily. Thanks so much for your kind comment, & God bless,
Laurie

Joan Hall said...

Laurie - I love the way you bring out all the "triplets" in scripture.

Blessings to you!
Joan

Shari said...

I really enjoy how you dig deep into scripture and help us learn new things. I am so thankful that you link up with Leaving A Legacy. You are such a blessing to me!

Shari

Laurie Collett said...

Thanks so much Joan, & God bless you too!
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Hi Shari,
Thanks so much for your sweet comment -- you and your blog are a blessing to me also!
May you have a glorious week in Him,
Laurie