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(Originally published at my church blog.)

I think of worship as “honoring God.” That language helps me to remember that my worship is more than just praising God, or praying to him, or reading scripture devotionally, or whatever. It reminds me that I am called to worship God by living my life in a way that honors him.

We’ve all known people who were very engaged with God in their public worship, and very engaged with the flesh in their daily lives. It’s so easy and self-assuring to condemn the hypocrisy in someone else. But haven’t we each experienced that same incongruity?

However, when we bring our lives into alignment with our prayers and our praises — when we begin to honor Jesus by how we live our lives, then we’re not only “saying our prayers,” we’re living them! And every essence of who we are in this world shouts out God’s praises!

Leading worship begins with living worship because worshiping God begins with living in a way that honors him.

That’s the prayer of the new song we introduced last week, “With All My Life.” I wrote it as a prayer of request and resolve for living a life that honors Jesus.

The last line in verse two is my heart’s favorite. My worship is not about getting comfy in the christian safety zone where I console myself that “well, at least I’m forgiven; at least I’m ’saved.’” It’s better than that: Not only can I be safe, but I can become free of the “sin that so easily entangles,” and press on to live a life of integrity for Jesus (Heb 12.1).

And I feel confident that it’s a prayer that he answers for all who pray it with their living as well as their words.

Love of God consume me; Holy Passion rage within

Burn away persistent lusts and debris of my sin

Fan the flames of my first love, I’m here to be renewed

With reckless abandon offering all I am to you.

I will worship you with all my life…

Turning, moving toward you I am leaving what I’ve been

Thinking less of what I’ll lose and more of what I’ll win.

I press in to take hold of the promise held for me

That not only can I be safe, but I can become free!

I will worship you with all my life…

I will follow you Lord

I believe in you.

In everything I do Lord

May I honor you…

I will worship you with all my life…

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 5:48 pm and is filed under spirituality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.