Sacrifice of Praise

Yesterday I returned to Kampala to one of the most warm welcomes I have ever experienced. I heard Nahni's back screamed from staff members, neighborhood kids, and MSTs. It was so wonderful and made it much easier to be back!

Friday night brought with it our usual worship night. As we were worshiped God began to reveal something to me... How incredibly powerful worship is. God brought back to my mind time after time in scripture when worship was what changed circumstances...

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas had been imprisoned for proclaiming Jesus. They were beaten and put into stocks in the jail. As they were in the stocks they began to pray and sing songs of worship. As they lifted their worship to God, the walls of the jail fell down!! The worship changed the circumstance!

In the Old Testament Israelites marched around the fortified city of Jericho. They were thought fools! They marched around the city for 7 days. On the 7th day they marched around the city 7 times and on the 7th time they cried out to God! They screamed the name above every name. and the walls fell! The worship changed the circumstance!

Before the Israelites entered the Promised Land they faced a huge army which it looked like they could not defeat... God told them to send out the worshipers before the soldiers! The battle was won! The worship changed the circumstance!

Am I being redundant?! Worship changes circumstances!!! 

As God was telling me all of this, I was thinking... I'm not really going through anything hard right now... Why is God bringing this to me when I'm in a really good place...

Well, as I was going to bed last night I was in a lot of pain and couldn't sleep. I was up most of the night and in pain through a lot of the day... As I was laying in pain I heard God say "Will you worship in this painful prison? Will you worship through the battle? Will you worship until the circumstances change?!" 

It's so humbling and hard to worship, to praise, to proclaim the name of Jesus through pain and through the battle.

But I did it anyway... What are you going through? What are you struggling with? Are you willing to worship through whatever God allows? Are you going to worship till the circumstances change (even if the only thing that changes is your heart?)

I bring a sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord! Sometimes praise is a sacrifice! Do it anyway. God doesn't change. He is good, He is love, He is faithful. No matter what!

Until All Have Heard,

lauren michelle gross