The devotion below ("IN NEED OF WORSHIPERS") came from Tozer On Christian Leadership, A 366-Day Devotional Compiled by Ron Eggert, from June 26th.
I think what Tozer says applies to the Church as a whole in our day and age. If Tozer saw these things when he wrote them some 70 to 80 years ago, how much more have they come to pa ss in our current day.
I also think this applies to the hearts of all men too, because we are still men, prone to wander and prone to grow in only one of two directions - 1. closer to God; or 2. away from God. There is no neutral direction. And I think our worship of God plays a big role.
Check it out and see what Tozer says about worship. I was challenged by it and I think it's a good challenging, reminder that supplements Chapter 9 - Discipline of Worship, of the Disciplines of a Godly man book.
After reading the devotion (below), come back to ask God to search your heart regarding the following challenging questions:
I think Tozer is onto something - worship of God plays a huge role. If we are not worshipers of Him; if we cannot bow down before Him; then why should we get the privilege of standing before His people?
If you have a burning desire to serve God in some way, don't let my words discourage you. We ought to want these things for the right reasons - for Him - out of a worshipful heart for our God, because we love Him and are thankful for all He has done and all of His goodness, for which we can never repay! Amen?
IN NEED OF WORSHIPER
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. —Acts 6:4
Well, we have great churches and we have beautiful sanctuaries and we join in the chorus, “We have need of nothing.” But there is every indication that we are in need of worshipers.
We have a lot of men willing to sit on our church boards who have no desire for spiritual joy and radiance and who never show up for the church prayer meeting….
They are the fellows who run the church, but you cannot get them to the prayer meeting because they are not worshipers….
It seems to me that it has always been a frightful incongruity that men who do not pray and do not worship are nevertheless actually running many of the churches and ultimately determining the direction they will take.
It hits very close to our own situations, perhaps, but we should confess that in many “good” churches, we let the women do the praying and let the men do the voting.
Because we are not truly worshipers, we spend a lot of time in the churches just spinning our wheels, burning the gasoline, making a noise but not getting anywhere. WHT016-017
Lord, make the men in our church, especially the leaders, men of prayer and worship. Please don’t allow us to try to lead others where we have not been; don’t let us spin our wheels because we are not worshipers. Amen.
[To Ron Eggert's prayer, I add: Lord, makes us worshipers, and then raise us up in our Church to rightly lead your flock; make us examples of worshipers of You for this purpose in our homes also, for your name's sake first, and then for the sake of our families, wives, children, and other loved ones. Amen.]
I think what Tozer says applies to the Church as a whole in our day and age. If Tozer saw these things when he wrote them some 70 to 80 years ago, how much more have they come to pa ss in our current day.
I also think this applies to the hearts of all men too, because we are still men, prone to wander and prone to grow in only one of two directions - 1. closer to God; or 2. away from God. There is no neutral direction. And I think our worship of God plays a big role.
Check it out and see what Tozer says about worship. I was challenged by it and I think it's a good challenging, reminder that supplements Chapter 9 - Discipline of Worship, of the Disciplines of a Godly man book.
After reading the devotion (below), come back to ask God to search your heart regarding the following challenging questions:
- Why do I want to stand up in front of people and be counted as a "leader"?
- Why do I want to teach?
- Why do I want to lead a ministry?
- Why do I want to run things in the church?
- If I'm not willing to kneel before God, with His people, FOR His people, then why do I have a desire to teach or lead them?
I think Tozer is onto something - worship of God plays a huge role. If we are not worshipers of Him; if we cannot bow down before Him; then why should we get the privilege of standing before His people?
If you have a burning desire to serve God in some way, don't let my words discourage you. We ought to want these things for the right reasons - for Him - out of a worshipful heart for our God, because we love Him and are thankful for all He has done and all of His goodness, for which we can never repay! Amen?
IN NEED OF WORSHIPER
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. —Acts 6:4
Well, we have great churches and we have beautiful sanctuaries and we join in the chorus, “We have need of nothing.” But there is every indication that we are in need of worshipers.
We have a lot of men willing to sit on our church boards who have no desire for spiritual joy and radiance and who never show up for the church prayer meeting….
They are the fellows who run the church, but you cannot get them to the prayer meeting because they are not worshipers….
It seems to me that it has always been a frightful incongruity that men who do not pray and do not worship are nevertheless actually running many of the churches and ultimately determining the direction they will take.
It hits very close to our own situations, perhaps, but we should confess that in many “good” churches, we let the women do the praying and let the men do the voting.
Because we are not truly worshipers, we spend a lot of time in the churches just spinning our wheels, burning the gasoline, making a noise but not getting anywhere. WHT016-017
Lord, make the men in our church, especially the leaders, men of prayer and worship. Please don’t allow us to try to lead others where we have not been; don’t let us spin our wheels because we are not worshipers. Amen.
[To Ron Eggert's prayer, I add: Lord, makes us worshipers, and then raise us up in our Church to rightly lead your flock; make us examples of worshipers of You for this purpose in our homes also, for your name's sake first, and then for the sake of our families, wives, children, and other loved ones. Amen.]