I had no intention of becoming a social experiment, but in 2022 I walked through one anyway.  If you’ve ever asked yourself how much worship plays a role in your life from Gratitude to Recalling of Scripture and so much more, I can tell you that it’s impact is huge.  

In 2018 I had the privilege of finally having my very own office and a boss who allowed me to choose my own music.  This resulted in a daily worship service through the speakers of my computer.  This continual meeting with God through worship effected every area of my life.  I stayed worshipful and quick to surrender, I found myself slow to get angry or hold grudges, I existed in a constant state of prayer with words that were not my own.  My writing grew deeper, my sense of well-being was constant no matter the storm.  I grew leaps and bounds in my knowledge of God and found myself gaining new insight and understanding.  It was a glorious 4 years.  

Then, without any desire of losing what I had, worship was gradually removed from my life.  It started when I took a new job at home where music interrupted the cadence of chat messages and meeting prompts, so I had to lay it aside in order to work.  My lunchtime prayer walk with God the one that always resulted in worship became a dog walking session on a very busy road with constant distractions.  My daily commute home that almost always began with my voice lifted in praise until I was lead to pray and pray I did, was replaced with another dog walk.  I began to experience a sadness I couldn’t explain, a weight I couldn’t identify.  

Then only a few months later, our church worship leader left.  In the numbness of this loss, I never identified how much the lack of worship was affecting me.  I began to struggle with being quick to anger, I had trouble staying focused in prayer, and my desire for the Word decreased.  I noted these, but had no idea that they were directly correlated to my loss of worship until I attended Thrive with my youth this past weekend.  

Before the first song ever played, the praise band had already invited the Holy Spirit and He was there to inhabit our praises.  As I began to sing with all that was in me, I heard the voices of our youth in front and behind me.  They too had missed this special meeting with God that only comes through worship.  

So, if you have ever wondered about how much worship plays in the life of a believer, I hope I’ve explained.  If your church isn’t providing it, seek it out through radio and apps.  If you can’t sing in front of others, find that secret place where you can raise your hands to the heavens, where you can lay down your burdens and surrender in song.  It is so worth it.  Don’t go without, because I can tell you, ‘It is a dry and weary desert with no rain’.  God inhabits the praises of His people and when we praise Him we are lifting our voices to the only One who deserves Honor and Praise.  We are singing with the angels, the four and twenty elders and every other follower of Jesus Christ.  Will you join me in lifting my voice to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?  ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.’