Worship Study Prompts Spiritual Battle and Tears of Joy

I just received a second email from a college student in Botswana, Africa. She is going through my study, Praise More Powerful. (We will call her V.) I post this to illustrate the fierce battle Satan wages when people begin this Bible study. I hear of this and see this time and again. And it comes as no surprise. Satan hates it when we determine to gaze on God and be transformed. (See 2 Corinthians 3:18) The powers of darkness cringe when we begin to grow in our understanding and experiencing of true, Biblical worship.

For the hundreds who are presently going through the worship study, please read what this girl wrote and be more determined than ever to keep climbing that “mountain of worship”! (Note her struggle in Week 3 that wasn’t present in Week 1. Also be sure to note her renewed determination to keep growing and going through the study!) – Dwayne

First email from V…

I just wanted to let you know what an awesome experience the Bible study is for me so far. I got so excited about week one that I started it with my ladies Bible study. At the end of the night, they all said they were going to make it their mission to worship God right. They’ve committed to praying for the music leaders and for each other.

This morning I went through day 2 of week 2 and when you talked about lifting my hands to God was like a child lifting their hands to their parent to be picked up the only thing I could think was wow!!!! I dropped onto my knees in the living room and just stretched out to God, it was amazing. Because my perspective on lifting hands was changed, I literally felt God lift me up. At the end of my quiet time, the anxiety I had about the day before was gone. God had just put all my worries into perspective. I’ve always lifted my hands before, just to reach out to my heavenly Daddy but just seeing the analogy for the first time made the experience that much more powerful.

Second email 5 weeks later…

I just finished my quiet time and i just had to tell you what it’s meant to me. I’ve been struggling for a long time to connect with God. I hadn’t had quiet time with God for days and my prayer life was reduced to almost nothing. I felt so far from God and so sinful because I kept messing up. In my heart I knew all that was wrong. I knew I needed to drink from God again and I wanted to. Oh I so desperately wanted to, but I just couldn’t.

This morning I woke up determined to try. To spend time in His word. So I took out the bible study again. The amazing thing is though I’m behind on the study, the lesson for today spoke directly to what I was going through. God in His Omniscience knew I’d mess up but still worked it so I’d hear His message of faithfulness, holiness and Mercy (oh that sweet mercy). I bawled my way through the study (week 3 day 3) and when I was done I felt so tired. Like I’d been straining and now has release but what wonderful release! All I could say to Him was thank you, thank you thank you.

This is the prayer I wrote for My Daily Surrender: Lord in Your Holiness, make me holy and cleanse me. In Your Faithfulness stick with me through my mistakes until I’m just like You. In Your Mercy, forgive me please. In Jesus’ precious faithful, holy and merciful name Amen.

Please continue to pray for me. My heart’s desire is just to be what God wants me to be. That’s all I want, not just the forgiveness but the Forgiver…

• To order the worship study, Praise More Powerful: Insights to Transform Our Worship, please go to www.PraiseMorePowerful.com/blog/worship-discipleship-resources.