Praise Must Be Expressed – by John Lanferman

This excerpt comes from the Confluence blog:

Praise must be expressed. The expression of what you are enjoying is the consummation of it. There is a fulfillment and joy found in sharing your expression.

ADMIRATION AND REFLECTION

Praise is admiration and reflection. Just wanting an experience is religious existentialism. Worship must be rooted in reality. God loves us and His Spirit pours out an experience that is a greater reality of what we know. Our worship is a consummation. It is being flooded with reality. We have a greater consciousness of being with the Lord. There is within us an appetite for God. David expresses this when he declared, “As the deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps. 42:1-2). An increasing appetite for God will move us on.

WORSHIP ENTAILS ENCOUNTER

We highly value being in God’s presence. When we worship, God touches us and dwells with us right where we are. The Message Bible describes Jesus’ coming to the earth as God “moving into the neighborhood” (Jn1:14). God remains present among us today and worship wants Him manifested. In worship is intensity, God coming upon us with power.

In worship we express that we desire encounter with God. One song expressed this longing with the simple phrase, “I long for you, oh Lord…” We always want to know God and encounter Him in our worship!

We need to long to encounter God and find our highest joy in Him.

via Praise Must Be Expressed – Confluence | Newfrontiers USA Charismatic Reformed Blog | Confluence Blog.