Dear Friend,
Have you ever experienced a “worship moment?” One of those occasions when you are suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness and greatness of God? An instance when you stand awestruck and amazed at the scope of His power and glory?
When such experiences occur, they tend to be brief and fleeting. In some ways, that is understandable, since it would likely be impossible to live our entire lives in that rarified atmosphere. (But wouldn’t it be great to try?) Peter had made that very request of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration—to stay in that moment of awesome wonder.
A Breathtaking Sight
Just a few months ago, I had one of those “worship moments.” It came one evening as I was sitting outside during a visit to Houston. The forecast for that night called for a “blood moon”—a form of lunar eclipse casting a reddish-orange glow upon a full moon.
The glorious event in the eastern sky came right on cue. I watched the full moon emerge on the horizon. Then it continued its rise with a red tinge first outlining the moon, and then overtaking it entirely. Involuntarily, the lyrics from “How Great Thou Art!” spilled into my thoughts: “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder….”
The next several minutes were “worship moments” for me—a time to remain transfixed and amazed at His power and glory. In fact, I told Him so. More than once.
A few weeks later, I was in Halifax, Nova Scotia talking with David, a dear friend who is originally from Ghana. He told me that as a little boy growing up in his remote village, he would look up at the blue sky and say, “God created that!” Even though he did not yet know the Lord, it didn’t keep David from that sense of awesome wonder.
Three “Magnificats”
You and I can draw great encouragement and inspiration from some of the “worship moments” recorded in the Bible. One of the most touching is the exclamation of Mary, the mother of Jesus, when her cousin, Elizabeth, confirmed that she was the mother of the Messiah. Here is a portion of the worship that burst forth from Mary in Luke 1:46–55: “My soul magnifies [declares the greatness of] the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name” (vv. 46, 47, & 49). The essence of Mary’s words? Awesome wonder!
A few verses later, Zacharias, the husband of Elizabeth, regained his speech in the days after the birth of their son, John the Baptist. He had his very own “worship moment.” Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zacharias said this in Luke 1:68: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people.” Awesome wonder.
The Apostle Paul had his own “magnificat” in Romans 11:33–36 as he expounds the profound mystery of God’s plan to redeem His chosen people, the Jews: “Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.... For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Paul—expressing awesome wonder!
Revealing His Glory
Where is all of this leading us? What is God’s ultimate purpose for such “worship moments” that stop us in our tracks? In a message called, “A Time of Restoration,” Derek Prince provides great insight [and a very hopeful perspective] for these questions.
I have come to the conclusion that the end purpose of God’s grace is always His glory. That is why He bestows His grace—that it may ultimately redound to His glory. If He had to wait for us to earn it, it would never happen. So, we have to receive His grace in order to be able to glorify Him.
God’s visitation of grace and mercy on His people is so that the whole earth may be overawed by the demonstration of His power and His glory. “So the nations [all nations] shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth Your glory” (Psalm 102: 15). Verse 16 gives us the real key to understanding the significance of this period: “For the LORD shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory.”
Many translations say, “the LORD shall rebuild Zion.” The King James Version says, “when the LORD shall build up Zion, He shall appear in his glory.” That is in exact agreement with Acts 3 [vv. 19–21]. In the time of the restoration, we may look for the return of the Lord. The fact that the Lord is rebuilding Zion is a scriptural guarantee that He is getting ready to appear in His glory.
Asking the Lord
Can you and I adjust our focus toward an expectation of such unplanned moments of worship and adoration? Frequent inspired opportunities to stand in awe of the Lord and His goodness? Is it appropriate to ask Him for such experiences? I think so.
Let’s place the matter before Him together with the following prayer:
Dear Lord, first and foremost, I open my spirit to You. If I have been resistant in any way, please forgive me and fix me. Right now, I welcome any opportunity to be overwhelmed by Your presence and Your power. Take me out of any preoccupation with the events of normal life that may have caused me to miss those “worship moments” I might have enjoyed. No more distractions!
Lord, I want to maintain a readiness to see You in all Your glory—not only the majesty of Your creation, but the impact of Your work in my life. At such times, I look forward to being overwhelmed by You, gazing in amazement at Your goodness and glory, regarding You in awesome wonder. Amen.
Teachable Moments
Are you ready to express some “magnificats” of your own? You and I have just asked the Lord for “worship moments”—and He will surely bring them our way.
All of us here at Derek Prince Ministries stand with you as you step into these new experiences. They may occur in a simple reading of the Bible; or in a “teachable moment” when you and I suddenly understand a truth that has previously eluded us.
Some might label these “Aha moments.” Many of these regularly come from Derek’s excellent teaching of the Word—messages like “A Time of Restoration,” from which we drew Derek’s quote. Just use the download link below, simply one way for us to thank you sincerely for your friendship and partnership with us.
Expressing the Overflow
I want to wrap up this letter with a note of prophetic encouragement. The “worship moments” we have talked about—from personal experience, from examples in Scripture, and from Derek Prince’s teaching—are not beyond our reach. They are available to us.
As Romans 10:8 says, “The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart.” If you and I keep our eyes open, we will experience such moments. The event may come unexpectedly—a sudden awareness and recognition of the power and glory of the Lord Jesus all around us and in our own lives. Watch for it. Wait for it with expectancy.
What should we do at such significant times?
We can simply let our mouths express what is overflowing in our hearts. We can create a “magnificat” of our own—simple praise, worship, and adoration for Jesus, our Lord. What might that look like or sound like? Maybe we can recite and personalize what Mary, Zacharias, or Paul said in their moment. Or, another suggestion might be to join with the multitude of heavenly voices spoken of in Revelation 19:1 in exclaiming: “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!” (There is a wonderful YouTube video, “Revelation 19:1” by the Maverick City worship team.)
Isn’t this very month a time designated for such an outpouring of thanksgiving? Wouldn’t this be a perfect season to be on the lookout for opportunities to give glory to Jesus? What will be at the core of our adoration? A deep sense of awesome wonder!
All the best,
