Sometimes you just have revelations that God places on your heart about the things we do, words we say, how we create context, and it’s all wrong or done for no apparent reason. I’m guilty; many of us are. We grow up in a culture or society that might behave in a certain manner, and we no idea why, but we still do it anyway.Recently, one thing came to mind regarding how we pray. I have probably said this, and I’m sure others have as well. When you’ve been in a gathering of fellow believers, have you ever prayed and “invited” Jesus there into your presence? You want him there, right?! That’s why you’ve gathered…in his name. I wonder why we invite him.This scripture passage came to mind from Matthew 18:
15“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Pay attention to verse 20. I know this passage is in the context of church discipline (that’s another blog entry–many entries). However, Jesus did not make his statement exclusive of dealing with an errant brother. He said where there is agreement among brothers and where they gather in his name, HE IS THERE.
As I meditated on this, I thought of the Queen of England or that of the President of the United States. The Queen comes into mind because when she shows up it has a tendency to be a bit more majestic than our own president. When the Queen comes, the Guard ushers her in. With grandure and formality she enters, and all along the way she maintains her stature.
What is the response of her people? AWE! It’s the Queen! Seldom must they see her, so it’s awesome when they do. Regardless of the frequency, they gather to experience the Queen.
Because we don’t need to invite Jesus into our presence, when we come into an encounter with him, isn’t it something in which we should marvel?! I can’t help but think of the word “worship.” Worship is dicussed constantly in the church. New definitions, descriptions, illustrations and catch-phrases are surfacing regularly. Shouldn’t this be the picture of true worship? We should fall to our face because the King is HERE…in all of his majesty…in all of his glory…in his uniqueness, perfection, righteousness…he is in our presence!
