This is such a beautiful song and the prayer that has been rising from my heart lately. Just thought I would share it. The name of the song is "Please Be My Strength." Their new album "Ghosts Upon the Earth" comes out September 20th if you like their style.
I've tried to stand my ground
I've tried to understand
But I can't seem to find
My faith again
Like water on the sand
Or grasping at the wind
I keep on falling short
So please be my strength
Please be my strength
'Cause I don't have any more
I don't have any more
I'm looking for a place
Where I can plant my faith
One thing I know for sure
I cannot create it
And I cannot sustain it
It's Your love
That's keeping me
Please be my strength
Please be my strength
I don't have any more
I don't have any more
And at my final breath
I hope that I can say
I fought the good fight
Of faith
I pray your glory shines
This doubting heart of mine
And all would know that You
You are my strength
You are my strength
You and You alone
You keep bringing me back home
Oh, You are my strength
You are my strength
You and You alone
Keep bringing me back home
It's You and You alone
Bringing me back home
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Friday, September 9, 2011
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Light of Life
This morning when I was taking the kids to school the song "Forever Reign" came on the radio. I cranked up the volume and the kids and I sang all the way to school. The song speaks so many great truths about God. If you've never heard it, I'd recommend sticking around for five minutes or so and listening to it.
Later in the day, as I was lighting my candles for today's Small Thing, I couldn't help but think of Jesus.
He is the creator of light (Gen. 1:3).
His Word is light (Psalm 119:105).
He brought me out of the darkness and into the light. (Ephesians 5:8-9)
He IS light.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-John 8:12
Light of the world...forever reign!
Later in the day, as I was lighting my candles for today's Small Thing, I couldn't help but think of Jesus.
He is the creator of light (Gen. 1:3).
His Word is light (Psalm 119:105).
He brought me out of the darkness and into the light. (Ephesians 5:8-9)
He IS light.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
-John 8:12
Light of the world...forever reign!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Glad Surrender
"Discipline is the wholehearted yes to the call of God. When I know myself called, summoned, addressed, taken possession of, known, acted upon, I have heard the Master. I put myself gladly, fully, and forever at His disposal, and to whatever He says my answer is yes."
-Elisabeth Elliot, Discipline, the Glad Surrender
I have been thinking a lot about surrender lately. We sing about it when we worship Him. We talk about the surrender of our whole hearts unto Him. However, the Bible does not "directly" address the matter of what it means to surrender totally and completely to Christ. So what does it really mean to "surrender all?"
Mark 8:34-35 says this:
humbly I fall on my knees
to proclaim your everything.
My life's nothing without you
take my hand and lead me through
you are my sustaining love.
I live to worship you (2x)
CHORUS:
Here I am worshiping you, with all I am worshiping you.
Bowing down in spirit and truth with lifted hands worshiping you.
Why do we lift our hands to the Lord when we're worshiping Him? It's an attitude of surrender. For me, it means letting go of whatever He asks. I gladly surrender to Him my life, because my life is nothing without Him.
What does total surrender mean to you?
-Elisabeth Elliot, Discipline, the Glad Surrender
I have been thinking a lot about surrender lately. We sing about it when we worship Him. We talk about the surrender of our whole hearts unto Him. However, the Bible does not "directly" address the matter of what it means to surrender totally and completely to Christ. So what does it really mean to "surrender all?"
Mark 8:34-35 says this:
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
Jesus lists three conditions here for those who wish to come after Him:
1. Deny yourself.
2. Take up your cross.
3. Follow Him.
Total and complete surrender. I abandon my own will for Christ's. Not without sacrifice, but with much reward.
Jesus promises in Mark 10:29-30:
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life."
Eternal life. That is the reward of total surrender.
This morning in church we sang the song "Worshiping You" by Deluge. The words are simple:
Take this offering that I bringhumbly I fall on my knees
to proclaim your everything.
My life's nothing without you
take my hand and lead me through
you are my sustaining love.
I live to worship you (2x)
CHORUS:
Here I am worshiping you, with all I am worshiping you.
Bowing down in spirit and truth with lifted hands worshiping you.
Why do we lift our hands to the Lord when we're worshiping Him? It's an attitude of surrender. For me, it means letting go of whatever He asks. I gladly surrender to Him my life, because my life is nothing without Him.
What does total surrender mean to you?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
He will be Found
After a great worship night, I tucked the kids into bed, grabbed my computer, and began to search for a song that has been running through my head lately. I must have heard it on the radio because my husband (the Worship Pastor at our church) says we've never sang it church before. The song is "My Help Comes From the Lord," by The Museum. Great lyrics. Catchy tune. Here's the chorus:
Maker of heaven, giver of life
You are my strength, my song in the night
My refuge, my shelter, now and forever more
My help comes from the Lord.
Anyone who has read my blog before knows that I love a good worship song. Most of my playlist is made up of praise and worship songs that speak straight into my life. Tonight, my heart soared as I worshiped my God. It was as if there was only the two of us in the room and I was singing directly to Him. There's another worship song that has a refrain that goes "I don't wanna talk about You, like You're not in the room. Wanna look right at You, wanna sing right to You." Yes, His presence was thick in the sanctuary this evening. As I walked away, I didn't want to lose that feeling.
The great thing is, I don't have to! As long as I am seeking Him, He will be found.
Jeremiah 29:11-14a says:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you..." (Emphasis mine.)
Oh yes, He will be found. In the ordinary moments of my day. When I am preparing meals, He is there. When I am washing sticky fingerprints off the walls, He is there. He is found in the quiet moments that I steal away during the day and in the crazy loud laughter that comes with having five kids. I love that about God.
My 7 year old asked me on the way home tonight, "What did you do tonight mom?" To which I answered "I sang to God with all my heart, son."
Then my three year old asked, "Mommy, God was there?" And I said "Yes, son, God is everywhere."
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." -Psalm 105:4
Always singing, always seeking,
~Melissa~
Maker of heaven, giver of life
You are my strength, my song in the night
My refuge, my shelter, now and forever more
My help comes from the Lord.
Anyone who has read my blog before knows that I love a good worship song. Most of my playlist is made up of praise and worship songs that speak straight into my life. Tonight, my heart soared as I worshiped my God. It was as if there was only the two of us in the room and I was singing directly to Him. There's another worship song that has a refrain that goes "I don't wanna talk about You, like You're not in the room. Wanna look right at You, wanna sing right to You." Yes, His presence was thick in the sanctuary this evening. As I walked away, I didn't want to lose that feeling.
The great thing is, I don't have to! As long as I am seeking Him, He will be found.
Jeremiah 29:11-14a says:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you..." (Emphasis mine.)
Oh yes, He will be found. In the ordinary moments of my day. When I am preparing meals, He is there. When I am washing sticky fingerprints off the walls, He is there. He is found in the quiet moments that I steal away during the day and in the crazy loud laughter that comes with having five kids. I love that about God.
My 7 year old asked me on the way home tonight, "What did you do tonight mom?" To which I answered "I sang to God with all my heart, son."
Then my three year old asked, "Mommy, God was there?" And I said "Yes, son, God is everywhere."
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." -Psalm 105:4
Always singing, always seeking,
~Melissa~
Saturday, January 30, 2010
My Worship Experience
Thursday night was worship night at our church. I had a really hard time getting all the kids ready to go (because my husband is the Worship Pastor I was on my own) and I didn't have a very good attitude by the time we got to the church. But I just knew I needed to be there. In my heart of hearts, I knew God had something for me.
The first set was good. The songs were all ones that I love and the room had a good vibe going. Our Pastor came up and prayed, and took an offering. My DH took a few minutes to read a devotion and then we had two minutes of complete silence. During this time, we were supposed to listen to God. Not pray and ask Him for things or even spill out our hearts to Him, just simply listen. Tears began to roll down my cheeks as I felt the Holy Spirit minister to my heart. He simply said over and over "My daughter, I love you. I will not leave you. I want all of your heart."
The band started up again and by this time people were sitting or kneeling to pray all over the sanctuary. When they began to sing the song "You Won't Relent" I felt a stirring in my heart to stand up and stretch my hands out into the air and receive His love for me. I hesitated, because I didn't want to disturb those around me and become a distraction.
Don't we do that sometimes, not only when we are worshiping, but even just in our day to day walk with God? We have a hard time simply practicing a childlike faith because we don't want to be "noticed." We'd rather blend into the crowd. I tell you, this child of God is done blending into the crowd! I want to be noticed for Jesus!
Priscilla Shirer talks about a young lady in her book "He Speaks to Me" that did just that. She had a child like faith that stood out in the crowd. Her name is Ryan, and she is Autistic. Here's what Priscilla had to say about her:
"She hasn't learned that her style of worship should please and impress people. Her worship hasn't been tainted with religious pomp and circumstance. She doesn't pay attention to the people around her or worry about what they might think of her. Out of her childlike relationship with her Savior, Ryan just gives Him everything she has."
We could all stand to be a little more like Ryan.
I did end up standing up and giving Him everything I had in me. I sang loud and I raised my arms as high as I could get them. I sang "Come be the fire inside of me, come be the flame upon my heart. Come be the fire inside of me, until You and I are one." And I cried. And I cry still.
Come Lord, Come.
I'm so glad He doesn't relent. Aren't you?
The first set was good. The songs were all ones that I love and the room had a good vibe going. Our Pastor came up and prayed, and took an offering. My DH took a few minutes to read a devotion and then we had two minutes of complete silence. During this time, we were supposed to listen to God. Not pray and ask Him for things or even spill out our hearts to Him, just simply listen. Tears began to roll down my cheeks as I felt the Holy Spirit minister to my heart. He simply said over and over "My daughter, I love you. I will not leave you. I want all of your heart."
The band started up again and by this time people were sitting or kneeling to pray all over the sanctuary. When they began to sing the song "You Won't Relent" I felt a stirring in my heart to stand up and stretch my hands out into the air and receive His love for me. I hesitated, because I didn't want to disturb those around me and become a distraction.
Don't we do that sometimes, not only when we are worshiping, but even just in our day to day walk with God? We have a hard time simply practicing a childlike faith because we don't want to be "noticed." We'd rather blend into the crowd. I tell you, this child of God is done blending into the crowd! I want to be noticed for Jesus!
Priscilla Shirer talks about a young lady in her book "He Speaks to Me" that did just that. She had a child like faith that stood out in the crowd. Her name is Ryan, and she is Autistic. Here's what Priscilla had to say about her:
"She hasn't learned that her style of worship should please and impress people. Her worship hasn't been tainted with religious pomp and circumstance. She doesn't pay attention to the people around her or worry about what they might think of her. Out of her childlike relationship with her Savior, Ryan just gives Him everything she has."
We could all stand to be a little more like Ryan.
I did end up standing up and giving Him everything I had in me. I sang loud and I raised my arms as high as I could get them. I sang "Come be the fire inside of me, come be the flame upon my heart. Come be the fire inside of me, until You and I are one." And I cried. And I cry still.
Come Lord, Come.
I'm so glad He doesn't relent. Aren't you?
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