Unlock Your Way of Experiencing GodEsimerkki

Let me ask you a question: when you're at church and the singing (worship) is happening, are you deeply connected to God?

Do you feel His presence and love for you in that moment?

Or do you feel silly because you can't hold a note in a bucket and hope nobody can hear you?

Which is right?

Which is wrong?

Neither. It simply means that worship is or isn't one of your ways of experiencing God.

Worship is my number one way of experiencing God and His love for me. It is not my wife's. While I enjoy 10-15 worship songs, she is a 3-4 minute kind of girl. That doesn't make her any less spiritual or Godly. In fact, she is one of the most Godly women I know, and her faith often surpasses mine.

Next, let's discuss prayer. For many of you, this is one of your primary ways of experiencing God. Our best friends, Tim and Sherri, are prayer warriors. Don't ask them to pray before a meal because the food will be cold when they're done. They are quickly and easily drawn into God's heart when praying.

Understand me in this: I pray daily, probably 15-20 times per day, but it isn't one of my primary ways of experiencing God. I have had some amazing times in prayer and completely believe in the power of prayer, but it's not one of my natural ways of connecting with God. Leading a men's ministry with an entire prayer intercessory team, I often felt less than because this wasn't one of my primary ways of experiencing God.

I want you to see that God is in all of these things, but each of us has primary ways to connect with God more deeply than others. That doesn't mean that if worship isn't one of your primary ways of experiencing God, you should stand there with your arms closed and scowl. Or if prayer isn't one of your primary ways of experiencing God, you shouldn't pray. It simply means God, as a good Father, knows each of his children individually and loves us personally.

I want you to remember two key points:

1) If worship or prayer is one of your primary ways of experiencing God, don't shy away from it; embrace it. Start your day with it, and use it offensively before and defensively after challenging circumstances.

2) Don't judge others whose primary way of experiencing God isn't worship or prayer. We are all the body of Christ, and it takes every part of the body to function properly to be whole.