From the Prayer Room
Sunday, April 25, Stephen Venable spoke about the glory of God and the worth of Christ. The end goal of all things is the recognition and celebration of the glory of God. Repeatedly in the Bible we see God’s jealousy for His name. All things were made to put His name on display, and this is the end towards which God is moving all of creation.
This message has dramatically affected the way our IHOP–KC worship teams lead in the prayer room. There has been a noticeable difference as songs of praise have gone forth from the prayer room with marked fervency and gratitude. The missions base feels the reverberation of the truths that Stephen expounded upon. Because Jesus is supremely glorious, the worship movement can exist as an end in itself. We worship night and day simply because He is worthy. There may be many other reasons for night and day prayer, but in order to stay faithful in the place of prayer and worship, our focus must be on the person of Christ, the One who upholds all things.
I feel the sting of conviction in that I have made the act of worship an event in which the focus is on my need for restoration instead of God’s exaltation and praise. Undoubtedly, I receive from the Lord when I worship Him. My goal should not be receiving; it should be giving extravagant devotion and praise to Him. The truth is that worship is an end in itself because God’s glory is an end in itself. I have been ruminating over this, and it has changed the way I approach God every time I enter the prayer room. It makes me unbelievably grateful to realize that I am invited by the Creator to fulfill the very purpose for which He created me: the recognition of His glory.
