Psalm 9:1–4
When we worship in spirit and in truth, we don’t just repeat praise songs and phrases like a bunch of Pentecostal parrots. We search our hearts and find the truths the Holy Spirit is quickening to us. We thank God and praise Him out of fresh revelation and true gratitude for the good things He has done.
Some time ago, for instance, I was overseas just sitting in my hotel room praising the Lord when the Holy Spirit began to give me a fresh revelation of Jesus as my Savior. As He did, I lifted my voice and began to thank Him and worship Him for saving me—not just once when I was born again but every day of my life! I thanked Him for saving me from sin, saving me from sickness, and saving me from the traps of Satan.
That day, the Lord guided me through the Scriptures and kept giving me more light about His saving grace. The more light He gave me, the more I worshipped and praised Him for it. My, what a marvelous time I had!
Brother Kenneth E. Hagin used to talk about a prayer group in one of the churches he pastored that spent hour upon hour in such praise. He said that prayer group could get anything from the Lord. When I asked him why he had only taught on faith over the years instead of teaching people to worship the way those pray-ers did, he told me something interesting. He said it was because when he started out in the ministry, people didn’t have to be taught that kind of thing. They already knew it.
Sadly, that knowledge has been lost for the most part in our circles today.
But, thank God, we can get it back. We can go to the Bible and find out how to truly worship and praise the Lord.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 96:1–13
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”