Andy Nagahara

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❖ Audio

O God! O LORD! (A prototype for worship)  (Psalm 54)

0 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A <maskil> [1] of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

1 Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.

2 Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.

3 Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life– men without regard for God. <Selah>

4 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.

6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good.

7 For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

1. A basic desire (1,2)

Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. 

(Matthew 6:8-13) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 

2. An expression of suffering (3)

Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life– men without regard for God. <Selah>

3. A confession of trust (4, 7)

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

4. Specific requests (5)

Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.

5. An offering of thanks (6)

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. 

(Psalm 59:30,31) I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

(Romans 12:1) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. 

Summary

The Psalms reflect the Israelites practice of temple worship and the elements of their worship are found in our worship today. Prayer is a part of worship. Form is not the central part of prayer or worship. Regardless of what form it takes, true worship reveals our genuine desire, unwavering trust, honest confession, sacrifice of thanks, and God’s call to us, which includes his answer to our desires, confession, and thanksgiving.

For Discussion

1) What happens to people who don’t come before God?
2) What kind of worship should we offer?