How do you begin your day? Do you start by acknowledging that Jesus is in charge of every aspect of your life? That He occupies first place and priority in all you do?
At times, our lives can become so hectic that we forget this very necessary step—acknowledging His sovereignty over every area of our lives. It doesn’t have to be complicated. We simply recognize His Lordship over us. We begin with worship.
Starting the Week Right
Dick’s comments: Cindi and I had a recent visit from her brother, Glenn Basham, who happens to be a virtuoso violinist. During almost every visit, he asks if we can engage in one of his very favorite activities—worshiping together, with me on the keyboard and Glenn on the violin. It is ALWAYS a very special time.
Because this particular visit was filled with many other activities, Glenn and I hadn’t yet had the chance to worship together, and he was departing soon. So, it came to me that we might have our worship session at the regular Monday morning DPM staff meeting. I thought, “What a great way to start our week! We can begin with worship.”
That phrase echoed in my mind, and I realized immediately that this truth has a much wider application for us. Every activity of our lives ought to begin with worship.
An Essential Step
Philip’s comments: Here is a rarely known fact about Derek Prince’s life and ministry. Prior to speaking to any audience, Derek would regularly get on his face before the Lord. It was an act of humble worship in which Derek would say, “Lord, if You don’t give me something to share with these people, I have nothing to offer.”
Anyone who knows Derek’s excellence in teaching would say that he could have selected any section of the Bible at random and taught from it. Even so, Derek himself recognized his utter dependence upon the Lord. So, he chose to begin with worship.
With Derek as our example, we do the same thing. We get on our faces, even before putting together this monthly letter. It is our way of humbly asking Him to provide the theme and the content for what we share each month. We always begin with worship.
The same is true three times a year at every DPM-USA Board meeting. Before the members commence the business side of governing DPM and making any decisions, we have a time of worship and communion together. It is essential to begin with worship.
Examples to Follow
Philip and Dick together: We see some clear examples of this practice in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In 2 Chronicles 14, after King Asa had been informed that Israel was about to be attacked by one million Ethiopian warriors, verse 11 says that Asa “cried out to the LORD his God.” Then, he began to declare God’s power, ending with, “O LORD, You are our God!” In a time of trouble, Asa began with worship.
A few chapters later, King Jehoshaphat showed the same wisdom when the armies of three nations came to battle against him. Verse 3 of 2 Chronicles 20 tells us that Jehoshaphat “set himself [set his face] to seek the LORD,” calling upon all of Judah and Jerusalem to do the same. In verse 6, he said, “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?”
What is that but an act of overt worship? Jehoshaphat began with worship.
Then, we have the teaching of Jesus, when He was asked by His disciples how they ought to pray. What is the beginning point? We see it in Matthew 6, verse 9: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” Other versions translate this verse to say, “May Your name be kept holy.” Even in prayer, the beginning point is worship.
On Our Faces
Earlier in this letter, we mentioned Derek Prince’s usual practice of getting on his face before the Lord prior to speaking to any audience. In a wonderful sermon called “Worship,” Derek mentioned this customary routine, also emphasizing some helpful principles about the practice of worship. For Derek Prince, it all began with worship.
We are dealing with the fact that the ultimate act of worship and the most commonly described one in the Bible is to prostrate yourself on your face before God. This, too, has a meaning. It means total dependence on God. It means, “Lord, I can do nothing without you. I can’t even start.”
See, every time I preach now (I did it this morning), I tell God, “God, I’m totally dependent on You. If You don’t give, I have nothing to give.” I always feel secure when I say that.
I don’t always get down on my face, although Ruth and I were both on our faces this morning in our bedroom before this meeting. I will tell you: I feel secure on my face, because I can’t go any lower.
I think it was John Bunyan who said, “He that is down need fear no fall, he that is low no pride. He that is humble ever shall have God to be his guide.”
See, when you are on the floor and say, “Lord, I’ve come as low as I can come. There’s only one way I can go from now on—that’s up.” It’s a secure feeling.
In Every Situation
Like Asa and Jehoshaphat, you may be facing some daunting circumstances right now. Following their example, the next step would be to set our faces to seek the Lord. It doesn’t have to be a matter of urgency though. For every aspect of our lives, it is good for us to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus in everything. We begin with worship.
Dear Lord Jesus, I begin this prayer by giving You all the glory and honor for what You have already accomplished in my life. You are my Lord and my Savior, and it is only because of Your goodness and faithfulness that I am able to stand fast and to survive. I worship You, Lord. I honor Your holy name.
With this prayer, I get on my face before You, recognizing You as King of kings and Lord of lords. No one can surpass You; no one can equal You.
With all my heart, I worship You. I will make it my aim to begin every day and to start every activity in my life with the awareness that You are Lord of all, and You are in charge of all aspects of my life. I will begin with worship. Amen.
Our Lives Belong to Him
What you and I have just declared together is a monumental shift in our approach to life. It is a recognition that Jesus is in charge. At DPM, we begin every week in this way. We affirm that this is not our work, but the Lord’s work—and He is in charge.
Knowing the importance of this kind of posture in our lives and in our work, we stand with you completely. Our main objective here at DPM is to assist you in any way we can. So, please feel free to include us in any matter of concern to you right now.
If you would like to request “Worship,” the full message from which we drew Derek’s quote, it is available to you free of charge. It is our honor to stand with you—and supplying Derek’s materials is just one way for us to express our profound thanks for your partnership with us in prayer and in financial support. Thank you so much.
The Majesty of Jesus
In closing, there is one obstacle we may want to consider. One of the biggest obstructions to staying in a posture of reverence and worship toward the Lord can be the issue of over-familiarity. It can creep into our lives so easily, and it can become a barrier.
What can help us to combat this tendency? Seeing the Lord in all His holiness.
We can take a lesson from the book of Revelation, written by John, the beloved disciple. Because of his sense of familiarity with Jesus, John was the one who had felt the liberty to lean upon Jesus’ chest in John 13:23, 25. Actually, it is wonderful that John enjoyed such a close and familiar relationship with Jesus. Certainly, we should experience that same sense of closeness to the Lord—as long as worship is not sacrificed.
It is very interesting to note that when John encountered the Messiah in the full display of His majesty, it became a different story. In Revelation 1:10–16, we read the description of what John saw and heard—the glorified Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, clothed in majesty with hair that was white as wool, with eyes that burned like a flame of fire. His countenance was like the shining sun, with a powerfully booming voice.
We read John’s response to this vision in verse 17: “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.” All the familiarity was gone. John hit the ground in worship. The lesson is unmistakable. In all our service to Jesus our Master, we begin with worship.
Sincerely in Christ,
Philip Wyns
President, DPM-USA
All the best,
Dick Leggatt
Executive Consultant/Senior Editor
