Praise through the Pain

The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy. The King is mighty, he loves justice— you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.  Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. Psalm 99:1-5

Many of you will know I have battled a debilitating illness since 2009, that was diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis in 2010. This condition greatly effects my day to day life and has tried to eat away at all aspects of my life including physically, emotionally and mentally. Although God has greatly strengthened me and continues to do so I can not remember a day when I didn’t experience pain and limitation. Despite all this I’m a worship leader and though I have had the great honour of leading thousands of people in worship around the world I am first and foremost a worshipper. I have a heart to see the presence of God invade lives and places but I have an even greater heart to see God lifted up, to see Him given the glory as the rightful King He is!

When I speak about praise and worship I’m not talking about the allocated slot during a Sunday service or conference, though as a worship leader I love this outward expression of worship & the times we get to engage corporately. I’m speaking of a lifestyle, the way we act and live on a day to day basis. Either honouring God and all He is or not.

Over the years many people ask me, ‘How can you worship, with all that you’re facing, with the pain and even the disappointment of not experiencing total healing?’ but my answer i, ‘Yes it is hard but it’s not about me.’ The thing is, if I base worship on how I feel rather than who He is then I have never really understood what worship is. Worship is always about Him & never about us, it is based on His worth! It’s about His ability not ours, His strength not ours or indeed lack of, His character not ours, His capability. Just Him, Him, Him, its all about Him!

It’s funny because though worship is all about Him it actually has an incredible effect on us, again this is not why we do it but it’s just what happens when He shows up. We get touched, empowered, equipped and strengthened. It’s as simple as when we make room for Him He comes and when He comes He does what He does.

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