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Personal Worship must be a priority!

Last night, during the evening service, we looked at what personal worship looks like. (If you missed it, you can find it here. You can also download the Worship Guide from here.) Personal worship is an integral part in the life of every believer. The difficulty is we understand the importance, but fail to practice it. Here are three simple thoughts on developing effective personal worship from our passage in Exodus 34. 

Exodus 34:1-4

And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

1. Make personal worship a priority!

Exodus 34:2,4

And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount… and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

Here in Exodus 34, God has given Moses an “appointment” to meet with him. Can you imagine having an appointment to meet with God alone? I’m sure that was a meeting Moses wasn’t going to miss! It was a priority. The truth is though, God does want us to meet with us. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (dine/ fellowship) with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) He desires for us to spend time worshipping Him! We simply have to make it a priority. Could you see Moses going about his day and forgetting to meet with God, because he was just too busy? Take some time to schedule an “appointment” to spend time with God. 

2. Come prepared for worship! 

Exodus 34:1-2

And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest… and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

The second observation from this passage is that personal worship requires preparation. One of the myths of worship is that it is spontaneous. Worship requires thought and action. God tells Moses to cut out two tables of stone and bring them to the mountain in the morning. When it comes to our personal worship, do we come prepared to receive something from God? Do we have a passage to study, needs to pray for, or praises to give? Or do we simply read wherever the Bible opens, and pray for whatever happens to pop into our head in the moment? Even on a more practical level, do we take time to simply write down things God shows you about Himself in His Word? Come to God’s Word desiring to receive something from it. The Psalmist exclaims “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God…” (Psalm 42:1-2)

3. Keep personal worship personal!

Exodus 34:3

And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

The last practical tip for personal worship is to keep personal worship personal. It’s really easy in the busy lives to trade small group bible studies, family devotions, and many other wonderful corporate opportunities for personal worship. But when God met with Moses, God wanted just Moses. The same thing is true in our lives! Church, Christian school, and Bible studies are all amazing things, but we need personal one-on-one time with God. Jesus is our example. “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He (Jesus) went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone. (Matthew 14:23) If Jesus needed time alone with His Father, than so do we!

I hope these three observations will help you as you begin to practice personal worship. They are not new or difficult truths, but they take faithfulness and dedication to practice them!

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