Yesterday, in my time of worship, I began to think about the time in my life that I first learned about worship and the power it brings forth.
I remembered reading an article in Kenneth Hagin’s magazine about praise and worship more than twenty-five years ago – that began a whole new way of knowing God to me – to know Him through worshipping Him – when you worship God, your relationship with Him becomes very intimate.
After that time, I would see the hand of God move in my life during times of worship. Many times He would give me revelation during worship. But the thing I was thinking about yesterday was the times that I had experienced His healing power during times of worship. I want to share a couple of those with you today.
Several years ago, I was helping my Mom clean and cut out some shrubs. At one point, I was trimming some bushes in a wooded area. I suddenly felt something and saw a spider roll down my leg. Out of my spirit, I began to sing ‘no weapon formed against me shall prosper.’ Although I thought that was odd, I didn’t think about it again until the next day when I realized I had been bitten by the spider and it was a brown recluse.
The first thing I did as I saw my leg swelling and hot with fever was seek God and He told me to trust Him. Therefore, I confessed the word and trusted Him. As the days went by, my leg became worse. My family became quite concerned. Finally my Mom had a nurse come by and look at it. The nurse told me it was bad and close to the point of the poison getting into my blood stream. She informed me if that happened I would know because there would be red streaks all down my legs.
The next day when I awoke, red streaks were all down my leg. Still I trusted God (now, I do not recommend you do this in any situation unless you KNOW God has spoken) and stood on His word. A couple more days went by and I was literally dragging my leg around, it was extremely hot with fever and swollen twice the normal size. I went to God that night and said ‘okay, something has to change, tell me what to do.’ He told me to take communion and worship Him. I did. The next morning when I got up, you couldn’t even tell it was ever there. If I look closely, I can still see where the actual bite was but worshipping God and taking communion brought healing. Worship brought healing quickly.
That wasn’t the first time I had noticed that worship changed an atmosphere and brought forth healing. The first time was just after I had surgery in Knoxville, TN. I had donated a kidney to a friend of mine. I had been released from the hospital that day and some friends had driven up from the ministry to bring me home in a van so I could lie down and rest. The doctors had given me prescriptions for the pain but I was going to wait until I arrived home to get them filled.
It was a two hour drive back and that was if traffic was not too bad. However, on the way back the van broke down on the highway. We sat on the side of the highway for about four hours – by this time the pain was great. Finally a tow truck came and pulled us to a garage – but we still had to wait for the van to be fixed. Here I was, in my p.j.’s and a great deal of pain. It was horrible, any movement caused unspeakable pain. I was trying to stay in peace but the pain was making it difficult.
A friend from the ministry was with us. She took my hand and she began to sing to God, she began to worship God. Here I was lying in the back of a van in my pajamas, in a garage filled with men and she boldly began to worship God. Suddenly His presence filled the van and the pain left – it left immediately and it didn’t come back as long as she worshipped God, which she continued to do.
When I think of that time, it still amazes me. There is so much power in praise and worship. When you worship God, His presence invades the atmosphere and He comes where you are – and His reward comes with Him. His reward may be healing – I have certainly seen that manifest. His reward may be finances – I have seen this manifest too. Whatever it is that you have need of, when you worship God, truly worship Him in spirit and in truth, He shows up and His reward comes with Him.
I will never fail to stand in awe of the faithfulness of God. When we worship Him, which is what He deserves, He will move heaven and earth to get to us – to give us all we need. If we could just remember to put Him first, seek His way of doing things first – everything else would come so much easier.
I don’t know if you spend time worshipping God or not, but I do know that if you will begin to do that – you will see great change in your life – He is looking for those whose hearts are right before Him, to show Himself strong on their behalf, are you one of those?
Do you need healing today? I know worship brings forth healing – take time today to worship God – tell Him what He means to you – tell Him who He is to you. Worship Him.
Do you need finances today? Don’t ask God for them again, simply say ‘God, I am not going to ask for anything today, I am going to worship you and know that you have met every need because you are my God.’
Do you need restoration today? Worship God and watch Him bring it forth. He will – He is so faithful. Worship brings…God, His awesome presence…and His reward is with Him. Seek God. Worship God and everything else will come to you.
