Presence… worship’s invitation and blessing.

Presence.

The state of being with; in company of; proximity; residing with; existing at this time.

Worship extends to us the most wonderful invitation and opportunity one could ever imagine…

“Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker….Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise….Come into His presence with singing….Let enter His dwelling place and worship at His footstool.” (Psalms 92, 95, 100, 132)

When you truly worship, you enter the presence of God.

Worship isn’t just singing praise songs, saying prayers and listening to a speaker on life application or instruction of God’s Word.
Worship is meeting God; focusing on Him; kneeling before Him; knowing God is HERE.
Worship is His PRESENCE. 
Moses and Abram fell to their faces as they found themselves in the presence of the LORD.  When Moses came down from the presence of the LORD on Mt. Sinai “his face shone bright” from God’s radiance and glory. 
As we enter God’s PRESENCE through worship how can we not be affected?
“In Your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).

Presence.

Now I often consciously enter His Presence as I worship.  I sometimes find tears flowing.  His Presence is overwhelming…  maybe this is fullness of joy to the point of overflowing. I experience worship this way because I was forever affected by a moment in a worship experience involving over 50,000 people in a park during a Christian based ministry CityFest my family and I attended in Portland.  It wasn’t the musicians, the speaker or the number of people participating that changed my heart.  It was a specific moment… a moment of being in worship… cleared mind and open heart… focused on THE ONE WORTHY… standing with my family hands raised.  A moment I truly entered HIS Presence.  A moment I stood in His dwelling place.  A moment I felt an awareness that our daughter stood with us…. A very emotional awareness because she had physically left this world years earlier.  Emotion and joy overwhelmed my heart because for me to know she was there I was truly in God’s Presence. His PRESENCE transcends beyond time and separation.

Christ himself promised us this presence… HIS PRESENCE.  He spoke the promise in Matthew 18:20 saying “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I AM also.”

Every time we worship we accept that wonderful invitation.  We know He has kept His promise.  HE is PRESENT.

 I pray PRESENCE for you as you worship.

Psalm 95:6 - Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Psalm 92:5 - Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
Psalm 100:2 – Come into His presence with singing!
Psalm 132:7 - Let us go to his dwelling place, let us worship at his footstool.
Psalm 140:13 - Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence.
Psalm 89:15 - Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
1 Corinthians 14:25 - as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you”.