Day 10 Worship Journey

-Selah-

Today’s Goal- To pause and reflect of the conditioning of my heart towards God.

Selah- Scholars of the Bible have tried to determine the meaning of the word Selah which appears 74 times in the Old Testament. Some believe it is a musical term meaning ‘silence’ or ‘pause’, while others interpret Selah to mean ‘to lift up, exalt’.

Today’s video

Today’s bible verse- ‘Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
     Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
     I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10

Reflect- the last four days have been about the condition and orientation of our heart. Consider again God’s response to a broken and contrite heart.

Pray- Close your eyes and express your gratitude to God for who he is. Thank God for the attributes mentioned in the last four days. Perhaps close your eyes and listen to the music from the video as background to your praise of God and realign your heart towards him.

Challenge activity- Write on your hand (or a piece of paper and carry it with you) one word; ’gratitude’ and every time you see it, think of one thing that you are grateful of God for

Day 9 Worship Journey

-Two Wells-

Today’s Goal- Consider wherever you are as a place of worship.

Today’s video

Today’s bible scripture- Read John 4:1-30.

Reflect- Jesus is the location for all of our worship. Where is Jesus throughout the day?

Pray- Thank him for his son Jesus, for the for the forgiveness of your sins, for his grace.

Challenge activity- Often we have a comfortable place we go to for a daily devotion. Today, find a different or unusual place that you would not consider in which to give God praise. If you are feeling brave, let someone else know where you went to today.

Day 8 Worship Journey

-Psalm 103-

Today’s Goal- To forgive others as Christ forgives me.

Today’s bible scripture- Read Psalm 103

Reflect- ‘He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.’ Psalm 103:12 Consider the account in Matthew 18 when Peter asked Jesus how many times he was required for forgive others.

Pray- Ask God for a renewed perspective on forgiveness and that it would be the first thought when offended. Forgive those who have wronged you and give thanks to God for his forgiveness of yours.

Challenge activity- try the activity as outlined in the video either today or in the next few days. Find some shells or small rocks, give them the names of people you know, think on the hurt and transgressions made against you from these people, and cast them out into the waters, physically forgiving them. Alternatively, picture in your minds eye this activity and play out the activity with your imagination.

Day 7 Worship Journey

-Psalm 51-

Today’s Goal- To consider what God seeks in a worshipper.

Today’s bible scripture- Psalm 51:10-17

Reflect- God is a merciful God who loves us and forgives us when we ask. Consider 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Pray- Ask that God creates in you a clean heart and renews a right spirit in you. Thank God and express your gratitude to him for his forgiveness of your sins.

Today’s challenge activity- Listen to Matt Redman’s song “Heart of Worship” on YouTube.

Day 6 Worship Journey

-Frame-

Today’s Goal- To consider other expressions of worshiping God.

Today’s Video

Today’s bible scripture: ‘And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.’ Colossians 3:16

Reflect- Consider the creativity of God in his creation and then think about what different ways worship is expressed around the world.

Today’s challenge activity- Write down as many ways you can express worship to God. Choose one that is a little different from your list and use it to glorify God.

Pray- Thank God for who he is, his creativity and the creativity he has given us to express our gratitude to him.

Day 5 Worship Journey

-Selah-

Today’s Goal- To pause and reflect on the greatness of God.

Selah- Scholars of the Bible have tried to determine the meaning of the word Selah which appears 74 times in the Old Testament. Some believe it is a musical term meaning ‘silence’ or ‘pause’, while others interpret Selah to mean ‘to lift up, exalt’.

Today’s video

Today’s Bible Scripture- Read Psalm 96.

Reflect- The last four days have been about God’s character, his faithfulness, trustworthiness, love, that he is our hope, his love for us. The scriptures have mentioned his holiness, his beauty and splendour.

Pray- Close your eyes and express your gratitude to God for who he is. Thank God for the attributes mentioned in the last four days. Perhaps close your eyes and listen to the music from the video as background to your praise of God.

Today’s challenge activity- Write three words that describe God’s character. Carry the paper with you throughout the day where you’ll see it often. Pause for a moment and thank God for those three characteristics.

Day 4 Worship Journey

-Clay-

Today’s Goal- To consider the love that God has for you.

Today’s video

Today’s bible verses - ‘For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.’ Psalm 139:13-18 (NIV)

Pray- Thank God for his love for you.

Day 3 Worship Journey

-Psalm 42-

Today’s Goal- To consider that our hope is in God.

Today’s Bible Scripture- Read Psalm 42

Reflect- What difficulties are you facing today? What resistance are you wrestling with that makes focussing on God our hope difficult? The Psalmist writes about the turmoil and strain with his circumstances, what does he resolve to do? Read Isaiah 40:31

Pray- Just as the Psalmist wrote of his trouble, let God know of yours. spend some time thanking God for his faithfulness, that he is trustworthy. Thank Him for the salvation through his son Jesus.

Day 2 Worship Journey

-Wildflowers-

Today’s Goal- To consider the magnificence of God.

Today’s video

Today’s bible verses- ‘“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!’ Luke 12:27-28 (NIV)

‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’ Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

Reflect- How magnificent is God to you? How magnificent is he in your everyday life? Even though we can’t reciprocate his love he still chooses to love us unconditionally!

Pray- Thank God for his grace, for his mercy, for his son Jesus. Ask God to reveal himself through every interaction today that you would be aware of his continued presence in everything.

Today’s challenge activity- Find a wildflower. Perhaps take a photo of it, see if it has a smell, see how God takes care of it and consider how much more you are precious to him

Day 1 Worship Journey

-Beauty-

Today’s Goal- To consider the beauty of God

Today’s bible verse- ‘One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.’ Psalm 27:4

TODAY’S VIDEO

Reflect- How is God revealing his beauty in your day today? How about in difficult people? How about within difficult choices?

Pray- Spend time on thanking God for his character and attributes. For example; his faithfulness, his loving kindness, his grace, that he is our rock, our salvation, his strength and might, that he is our refuge, he is our help in times of trouble, he is truth, etc.

Today’s challenge activity- Find a small token of God’s creation, whether it be a leaf, a captured photo of the sky, look at its detail, consider the intricacy of it’s creation. See how the glory of God is revealed in such detail.


Welcome to the 30 day Worship Journey

Welcome to Hope Central’s 30 day Worship Journey.

In the following 30 days you will receive prompts to activate your awareness of God’s presence and encouragements to orient your heart towards God in gratitude through his word, prayer, and devotion.

The devotions are to promote an awareness to God’s presence and to respond in worship, that is, a heart response to who He is and what He has done for us; worship being initiated from the core of our being and expressed through our lives using all that we do and say as expressions of our gratitude to Him.

Welcome to Hope Central’s 30 day worship journey

Each day will feature a video that highlights a just few thoughts for you to contemplate, followed by some scripture reading and prayer prompts.

There is no time limit set for each devotion, you can take as long as you wish or even spread it out over the day. The devotions are designed to encourage you to dwell on God and who he is through his word, prayer, and prompts throughout the day. Each day providing a small portion of greater possibilities for your to orient your heart to God and consider him in your daily tasks.

Daily Activity Challenge- Most days will have an encouragement for you to participate in an activity challenge that will activate your awareness and practice of God’s presence.