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What on Earth Am I Here For?
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Sunday, September 28, 2003
My Prayer Today
Dear God, thank you for your purposes in my life. I ask that you would help me to make you my #1 priority in my life. Help me to resist the devil's temptation to put something else before you. I want you to reign in every area and aspect of my life. Help me to worship you with all that I am and all that I do. You alone are worthy of my worship. I want to be someone who worships you with my life. So I ask this day that you would reign as the Lord of my life. I pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.
Bible Verses
Luke 4:1-14
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become like bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live by bread alone.' 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against the stone.'" 12 Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test." 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Reflecting on Worship
Read Luke 4: 5-8
1. Why did the devil desire that Jesus worship him?
2. What did the devil want from Jesus?
3. According to Jesus' response, who is the only one who should be served and worshipped? Why?
Exploring Worship
Worship is something that encompasses many things. Often we think of worship in terms of singing praises (and this is one aspect of it). But worship is something that we not only do with our lips, but it is also something we do with our actions. In everything we do, we are to give worship and glory to God alone. Through the devil's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, we see that he does not want God to be served and worshipped. If you want to make the devil mad today, worship God in everything you do. This should be your purpose and your priority!
How can you worship God at home today?
How can you worship God at work or school today?
When would be a good time today to sing and worship God with your mouth?
Understanding Worship and My Purpose
We are created to worship! Whether or not we realize it or not, at every moment of our day we are worshipping something. We could be worshipping our job, our family, a car or television, or even ourselves. But what God desires from us is that we worship Him at all times in every thing we do. To worship means "to ascribe worth to." Although we may ascribe great worth toward our family or friends, we are never to place them above God. Anything that we place above God Himself, becomes an "idol" in our life and something that hinders us from truly becoming all that God wants us to be. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-14), the devil came to him and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and said: "If you worship me, it will all be yours." What the devil was doing was tempting Jesus to bow and worship something other than God Himself -- and that would be sin. Jesus responds by saying "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." Jesus was saying that God was (and is) the only one who is worthy of our praise. He alone is to be our priority! Just as the devil was tempting Jesus in the wilderness to bow and worship him, so he also tempts us. The temptations the devil offers us today are often disguised and sometimes subtle, but nevertheless potent. Anytime that we make something a priority over God, we are acting in sin. God knows that we have jobs to do and families to care for, and these are great priorities which are important, however, what God wants from us is to allow these things to be in alignment with his will and purposes. When we learn to put everything under His control, we are worshipping Him the way he wants us to!
Applying Worship to My Daily Life
What are the priorities in your life? Sometime today, sit down for a few minutes at a table with a pen and paper. Write out all of the things in your life that you value greatly. You may write down your family, a hobby, church, your job, a sport, or whatever comes to your mind. As you write these things out on paper, try to prioritize these things in accordance with what is most important and rank them all the way down to what is least important to you. Now ask yourself, "Are any of these things that I value placed above God." One way to think about this is to ask yourself how much time and energy you have been spending lately with God. We all have responsibilities that take our time and are things we value, but are you allowing God to penetrate these areas of your life? After you write these priorities out and think about what is most significant in your life, if God is not placed at the top of your list, write Him in there. Ask God that he would give you the desire to worship him in every area of your life. When God becomes our main priority in life, we are living with the purposes that He intended. Jesus, when tempted, was asked to bow and worship the devil. However, he kept God his #1 priority and remained pure in every way by resisting temptation. The next time the devil tempts you to make something other than God your main priority, remember that God alone is the only One to be worshipped!
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