One of our Whole Life Worship readers recently gave me a great idea to incorporate into Personal Worship: praying our schedule. As we close our Personal Worship with the Lord, we bring to him our schedule for that day: all the tasks, appointments, people, situations, and potential problems. As we pray for these upcoming items, … Continue reading Praying your schedule

At this moment, my family and I are watching Olympian athletes competing for the top prize of their sport. The performances are incredible. But what’s really amazing to us is their ability to press on: requiring years of dedication, discipline, and devotion. A few weeks ago, I preached a sermon about “pressing on toward the … Continue reading Aiming Higher

A couple of days ago, I was driving my youngest grandson, Aiden, to school. He asked for something to drink, so I pulled into the AM-PM store and bought a small bottle of apple juice. The clerk at the checkout was an older gentleman in his 60’s. He was very friendly. My total was $2.04 … Continue reading He must love God

(Doug, Lewis/Dad, Gary, Randy [taken in 2001]) God has blessed me with two amazing brothers (and two amazing sisters, as well – I’ll write about them at another time). My parents did well in raising their family in the ways of Jesus – even though Christ did not become “front and center” in our family … Continue reading Brothers of blood and faith

This weekend, during our “team time,” our worship team had a nice discussion about spiritual growth. I asked them, “What helps you to grow in your faith?” It gave me an opportunity to share about the “Six Spiritual Habits” that our church endorses as primary practices that help us grow. They are: Passionate Worship Authentic … Continue reading Helping each other grow

I received a lot of encouragement from Monday’s blog. I sensed that many of you resonated with the experiencing God when we do tasks in His name and for His glory. One of our whole life worship readers (my mom, to be exact – she’s one of my biggest fans; always has been) received a … Continue reading Dancing with God in Life

One of my daily tasks is to make Letty’s coffee and lunch early in the morning. It’s something that I want to do, as it gives her time to meet with God and to get ready to teach her students (she’s a Kindergarten teacher). The other morning I was reminded of Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you … Continue reading Experiencing God in our tasks

Prayer is a two-way communication between us and God. One of the wonderful privileges of prayer is that we can come to God “just as we are.” The blood of Christ gives us the privilege to enter the throne room of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). However, it is important to also grow in our … Continue reading Growing in Prayer through the Psalms (Daily Office)

In Personal Worship it is so easy to just jump right into the spiritual disciplines. We are so accustomed to “doing” that it is hard for us just to “be” – which is where we need to be when we meet with Jesus. There are so many things that fill our hearts and minds – … Continue reading Being Present to Jesus

One of the great benefits of a Personal Worship approach to solitude is the anticipation and expectation of “hearing the voice” of our Lord, the Great Shepherd and the Lover of our Soul. While the language I use is rather intuitive/feeler oriented, I believe that God desires to speak to us in ways we can … Continue reading Hearing God’s Voice in Scripture