Many years ago when I was on a worship team, during prayer, it was always said, “if you are going through something, if you feel like you need to pause and not sing this week, it’s okay, take your time and get yourself right with the Lord.” We’ve all heard that. “If you are not in a place where you can minister to others, take a pause.”
A few years later, I was running a messianic dance troupe and we would say the same thing, “if you aren’t ‘right’ before the Lord, sit out today.” Then I thought to myself, what kind of advice is that? It’s self explanatory. No, no it’s not.
Your teaching and direction should always, always, always (did I say always) be scriptural and bible based. You can’t take for granted that someone knows what scripture you are talking about. You can’t take for granted that they simply may not know where to find the basis for saying, “Who can come before the Lord? How can you come before the Lord?”
When you’re teaching, you give them resources. Our resource and baseline is the Word of the Lord. So when you are teaching who can come before the Lord as a vessel to be used in worship ministry, you teach Psalm 24.
Psalm 24 is very clear. Who may come before the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? Those who has clean hands, who are pure of heart, those who don’t raise their hands to idols or lie. The Levites, when they entered the temple, did a cleansing to enter into the holy place. God is sovereign. He knows the trials you are in, He knows all. Jesus is the one who made the way to get us past the outer court into the holy of holies by the shedding of His precious blood. That veil was rent! Hallelujah!
As worshipers, we want to present ourselves before Him pure in hand and pure in heart. Before you take up your ministry each time, come with an attitude of repentance. “Oh God, as I prepare to worship you today, I present my hands and heart before you. God forgive me of what I may have not that was not pure, of attitudes that had me trapped. God cleanse my mouth and heart of the things I may have thought or even said that were lies. Lord help me to remove idols I’ve made in my life. By your precious blood, I lay before you, I repent, I ask you to cleanse me that I may worship you in spirit and truth. I want to worship you Lord with clean hands and a pure heart. God wash me by Your precious blood and make me new so that I can stand before Your throne in purity, to worship You the way You want to be worshiped.”
Oh what a mighty God we have. He loves His children and He longs to spend time with you. Get ready by praying through Psalm 24. His desire is that you come before Him and if you come seeking you WILL find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 says, seek me and you will find Me [IF] you search for me with [ALL] of your heart.
All of your heart. All of your repentant, cleansed, clean by the blood of the Lamb, heart. The Lord WILL meet you where you are at. He wants to be with you. He wants to commune with you. You are His child, his beloved. Come before Him with your clean hands, clean heart, clean motives, clean mouth and mind. Come before Him now in worship! Glory to the Lord. ~ Kristy
Psalm 24 NLT – A psalm of David
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.
3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
who do not worship idols
and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing
and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek you
and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.[a]
Revelation Worship Now 