“When we feed daily on God’s Word we worship God. Worship is a daily encounter.”
John the Baptist was a great rabbi. He taught his disciples many godly principles for living. One of these involved prayer. Undoubtedly, John was a great man of prayer. However, one day he said, “He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” He was, of course, referring to the coming of Jesus Christ.
The Jewish law requires that a believer pray three times a day: at sunrise, at noon and at sunset. Jesus, being a Jew, adhered to this law. One day, after Jesus had been praying, His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. In reply, Jesus said, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
This prayer has become the foundation prayer for all who would come to God, through Jesus Christ.
Daily Nourishment
Prayer is worship, and worship is prayer. The songs we sing in church are often directed at God. That is, we speak to God through psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Speaking to God is prayer. Jesus opens the prayer He taught us to pray with a statement of worship: Father, hallowed be your name. The word, ‘hallowed’, means holy or sanctified. In other words, when we declare God’s name as hallowed, we are ascribing great honour and reverence to His name. That’s worship. Worship is declaring the worth of something or someone. And God is worthy of our worship every single day.
The next words Jesus taught us to pray were, “Give us each day our daily bread.” I do not think for one moment, that Jesus was haphazardly jumping from declaring the hallowed worth of God to a personal egoistical request for daily needs. Jesus was neatly linking worship with a daily sustenance. Indeed, the Lord is the source of all our needs met; God meets all our needs according to His riches in Christ.
However, I believe there is a deeper link here between bread (or food) and worship. In Deuteronomy 8 we read that we do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God’s mouth. In Psalm 138 we read that God has exalted His name and His word above all things. Therefore, God’s Word is associated with His reverence. When we feed on God’s Word we are expressing deep worship of the Lord Most High.
In its context, the phrase daily bread refers to daily nourishment. Just as we physically cannot live without food, so too, spiritually we cannot live without God’s Word, which is to be exalted. When we feed daily on God’s Word we worship God. Therefore, worship is a daily encounter.
Worship Lifestyle
The word ‘lifestyle’, can mean several things, including routine. My style of living is seen by how I live and what comprises my daily routine. If Jesus linked worship with daily nourishment, then it is safe to say that worship, like eating, should be an integral part of my daily routine. There are many ways to worship God in a daily routine. Here are some examples:
- Acknowledge the Lord at the start of every day. When the alarm rings and you open your eyes, why not say out loud, “Lord, this is Your day. Praise Your name.”
- Give thanks at every meal. Remember, prayer is worship and worship is prayer. So, every time you pray, you are worshipping God.
- Fill your home and your car with the sounds of worship. Listen to good Christian radio. Play praise and worship music at every opportunity. Sing His praise in the shower.
- Fill your vocabulary with praise words. Get into the habit of meaningfully saying things like, ‘Praise God,’ or ‘Hallelujah’ at every viable opportunity.
- Make it a habit to praise God in your private devotion times. Read a psalm or two every evening.
- Present your needs to God with thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6 tells us to not worry about our needs, but to present them to God with thanksgiving.
Living out a daily life of worship can be the most rewarding and satisfying experience you’ll ever enjoy. Developing a habit of worshiping God will revolutionise your prayer life. Your daily bread is God’s Word, so live a lifestyle of worship by daily feeding upon God’s Word. I guarantee that, as you daily hallow the name of your Father in Heaven, He will give you each day your daily bread, and forgive you your sins, as you yourself forgive everyone who is indebted to you. And lead you not into temptation.
This article was written by Dudley Anderson of Sure Reality Media and pastor of Cornerstone Family Church. Dudley has a background in radio and is the author of God-Tracking Through the Year and Overflowing Hope. He also writes a weekly GodTracker devotional.