Change It Up!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6

Yesterday morning, I was trying to spend my usual time with God, but I was really struggling. I didn't know what to study. I didn't know what to read. I couldn't concentrate when I was praying. I was just having a really hard time. Part of the issue was that I was upset and so I struggled to keep my focus. I told God that I didn't know what to do. He said to me, "Spend some time in worship with me."

Years ago, when I first tried to spend daily time with God, I didn't know how to do it. A wonderful woman gave me a formula, for lack of a better term, that helped me to stay on track. It was 5 minutes of praying, 5 minutes of thanking God, 5 minutes of reading, & 5 minutes of writing in my journal. At the time, I didn't know how I was going to do all that for 20 minutes, but it all worked out.

I've still been following the same formula, just longer lengths of time. But yesterday, for what ever reason, I just couldn't do it. Then, when God spoke to me, I said, "OK." I quietly turned on our stereo in the living room (as it was still early) and I spent an hour just worshiping God. I felt so free and so full of joy when I was done and I realized the scripture is true: When we praise God, the chains that are meant to keep us bound up fall off of us and bind our enemy, (see Psalm 149:6-9). The enemy could no longer keep me down and keep me bound up, because I was too filled with God's joy and His peace!

Maybe something in your walk with God has become "routine." Perhaps you need a "change up", a fresh new way to worship your God and King. If you've been feeling dry and not filled up after your time spent with Him, try spending some time a different way. God doesn't want that time to be just a part of your daily routine. He wants that time to be something we look forward to, because He's always looking forward to spending time with us.

Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people ~ Psalm 149:3-4