SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1311

“In The Zone”

This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me…- Matthew 15:8-9

Baseball was my passion as a youth. I vividly recall those times when I was ‘in the zone’. The fast ball seemed to move in slow motion. I could see the sweet spot of my bat connect solidly with the ball and you just knew that it was a home run even before you left the batter’s box.

The Zone is defined as an intense, undivided focus on the activity you are engaged in. It is the merging of action and awareness. Your actions become effortless, your senses are heightened and feedback about how you are doing is available immediately. The zone is something that athletes of all disciplines strive to be in.

We speak of getting in the zone in the context of sports. What then shall we say of our time spent in worship and prayer? Do we have an intense, undivided focus on worshipping God?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also; No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. – Matthew 6:21;24

Our reference Scripture speaks of our worship being nothing more than lip service. We dutifully say our morning and evening prayers and attend church services but are we really there in spirit as well as in body? Are we just going through the motions?

Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty… – Hosea 10:2

We all suffer from divided hearts.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9

We have all been there: Clapping hands, singing worship songs all the while thinking about what we will have for lunch, work, or study activities due this week, why that person in the third row is dressed the way they are and so on.

We are going through the motions of worship and our hearts are far from God. We are not in the zone and our worship is in vain. So how do we ‘get in the worship zone’?

Desire. First and foremost, we must want to enter God’s presence and worship Him.

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. – Psalm 42:1

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8

Preparation, Anticipation and Expectation: Eagerly prepare your heart and mind to come into your loving Father’s presence. It is like the anticipation of returning home after being away far too long.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Philippians 4:8

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! – Psalm 100:4

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! – Psalm 95:1-2

Focus.  God’s Word refers to ‘the sacrifice of praise’. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we ‘press in’ to the presence of God shutting down all the errant thoughts that would distract us.

Therefore, by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name – Hebrews 13:15

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; – Psalm 50:23

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ – 2 Corinthians 10:5

Go Deep. God’s Word describes the Living Waters that flow from His Temple in Joel 3:18, Zechariah 14:8, and Ezekiel 47. At first, Ezekiel finds the river to be ankle deep and a little further out, knee deep, then further still, waist deep and finally water so deep that He had to swim. We must not be satisfied with an ankle, knee, or waist deep relationship with Jesus. We need to go for a deep immersion in God’s presence in our worship and prayer.

Again, he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. – Ezekiel 47:5

May you know the joy and peace of His presence as you continually worship Him in spirit and truth.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. – John 4:24

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer. – Psalm 19:14