Are You Willing to Worship?

Psalms 51:12-13

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

Are you willing to worship?

The above passage tells us that we need to focus on ourselves first. Not because we're being selfish, but because we need to adjust our hearts before we can be concerned about others. We need to remember how amazing Jesus' sacrifice truly was and get the joy that we are free back in our souls. It's so easy to forget how God sent his only Son to die on the cross for OUR SINS. He saved us from an eternal life in darkness and pain. He rescued us from Hell. He’s given us everything we have and provided us with a purpose. And yet, we can't find time to worship Him?

David is also praying for a willing spirit to sustain him. We first must have the joy of our salvation and then be willing to sustain it. Keeping that joy, especially through hard or frustrating times, isn’t easy, but we have to be willing to work at it and keep praising God. There are countless worship songs that sing about praising God through storms and finding victory in the midst of a battle. It’s easy to sing them, but much more difficult to put them into action.

And, to be honest, how many times do we forget to praise God during the good times too? It’s easy to sit back and be content when everything is going great, letting our relationship with God dwindle. We need to be willing to worship with gratitude, not just necessity. We need to be willing to keep the relationship going with communication (prayer), devotion (reading the Word), and worship.

Once we are able to remember the joy that Jesus provides, we can then share it with others. It’s like when the flight attendant tells you to put your oxygen mask on first and then help others. If we don’t take care of our relationship with Jesus first, then we won’t be able to show others how amazing He truly is.

One of the songs we sing here at Catalyst Church on Raceway is called “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake. In the bridge, it says,

“So come on, my soul

Oh, don't you get shy on me

Lift up your song

'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs

Get up and praise the Lord”

I love those words because it’s literally us singing to ourselves to “Get up and praise the Lord”. Sometimes, worship comes super easy. But other times, we have to remind ourselves to let go of whatever is going on and praise God. You have to push yourself to get up, focus on Jesus, and give Him your offering of praise.

Are you willing to worship?

Written by Brittany Forthun

Worship Leader at Catalyst Church on Raceway

A church in Jericho, Vermont