{"id":2056,"date":"2021-05-31T13:51:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T17:51:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/?p=2056"},"modified":"2021-05-31T13:51:52","modified_gmt":"2021-05-31T17:51:52","slug":"the-day-hour-for-worship-a-prayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/devotional\/worship\/the-day-hour-for-worship-a-prayer\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cDay\u201d & \u201cHour\u201d for Worship [a prayer]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The \u201cDay\u201d & \u201cHour\u201d for Worship [a prayer]<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year (1\/26\/21), I was reading where Jesus severely scolded people with Isaiah 29:8-14 (Mat 15:7-9) where Isaiah warns that those who worship with their lips, but not their heart, will become blind and deaf to God\u2019s Word because of a spirit of deep sleep that will fall upon them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah\u2019s prophecy was actually fulfilled with those religious folks (priests, scribes, and Pharisees) of Jesus\u2019 day. In fact, that \u201cspirit of deep sleep\u201d<\/em> so numbed them to God\u2019s Word that they ended up criticizing and finally crucifying the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ! That is scary stuff!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul referred to it as the \u201cblindness of Israel\u201d<\/em> (the \u201chardening of Israel\u201d<\/em> in some translations). He called it a \u201cmystery,\u201d<\/em> and he warns that a similar hardening and callousness can happen to us also if we are not careful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.<\/p>Romans 11:25 (NKJV)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Paul also explained that hardness as a \u201cveil\u201d upon their hearts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.<\/p>2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (NKJV)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Yet, in spite of the grimness of his warning, Isaiah went on to prophecy of a day he called \u201cthat day\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (a phrase Isaiah uses 45 times!) when eyes and ears will be opened to see and hear \u201cthe words of a Book\u201d<\/em> (God\u2019s Word), and they will \u201cincrease their joy,\u201d<\/em> and those who erred in their attitude with criticisms and complaints would be healed so that they could \u201caccept instruction\u201d<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that day<\/strong> the deaf shall hear the words of the book,
And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.
The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord\u2026<\/p>Isaiah 29:18-19 (NKJV)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Those who err in mind will know the truth,
And those who criticize will accept instruction.<\/p>Isaiah 29:24 (NASB)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Similar to Isaiah message of hope, Jesus spoke about an \u201chour\u201d<\/em> <\/strong>that would come when true worshippers would worship in \u201cspirit and in truth\u201d<\/em> which is the only kind of worshippers the Father seeks for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the hour<\/strong> is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.<\/p>John 4:23 (NKJV)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

These two Biblical phrases \u2013 \u201cthat day\u201d<\/em><\/strong> and \u201cthat hour\u201d<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 are actually prophetical promises for us to claim. As an example of how this can work, look at what happened when Mary asked Jesus to help at the wedding in Cana. Jesus told His mother, \u201cWoman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour<\/strong> has not yet come\u201d<\/em>. But Mary turned that \u201chour\u201d<\/em><\/strong> into THE \u201chour\u201d by acting in faith and preparing for what then became Jesus\u2019 first miracle (John 2:1-11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By believing, we, too, can turn \u201cthat day\u201d<\/strong><\/em> and \u201cthat hour\u201d<\/strong><\/em> into the \u201cright now\u201d! Therefore, I choose to believe RIGHT NOW for my \u201ctoday\u201d<\/em> and my \u201chour\u201d<\/em> and this is my prayer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heavenly Father, by faith I prepare my heart and choose to make \u201cthat day\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (as Isaiah called it) into \u201cmy day\u201d TODAY; and I choose to make \u201cthat hour\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (as Jesus called it) into \u201cmy hour\u201d RIGHT NOW!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I purpose to worship You with ALL my heart and to be the kind of worshipper that You, my Heavenly Father, are seeking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holy Spirit, please let Your burning conviction drastically prevent me from worshipping with empty and useless \u201clip service\u201d from an indifferent heart, crusted over with religiosity! I don\u2019t ever want the \u201cspirit of deep sleep\u201d<\/em>, the \u201cblindness,\u201d<\/em> the \u201cdeafness,\u201d<\/em> nor the \u201chardness\u201d<\/em> that came upon Israel to come upon me and prevent me from beholding Your Wonderful Word of Life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holy Spirit, just as You inspired David to pray: \u201cEnlighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death\u201d<\/em> (Psalm 13:3), I also pray that You would be swift to awaken me out of even the slightest religious slumbering. I ask You to daily inspire and instruct me to be a true worshipper in Spirit and in Truth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Jesus, I claim Isaiah\u2019s promises! I believe Your Word, that if I make my \u201cnow\u201d into \u201cthat day\u201d<\/strong><\/em> and that \u201chour\u201d<\/em><\/strong> of worship, then You, Jesus, will fill me with fresh joy and cause my ears and eyes to behold wonderful things in Your Word!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amen! Let it be so, Lord!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The \u201cDay\u201d & \u201cHour\u201d for Worship [a prayer] Earlier this year (1\/26\/21), I was reading where Jesus severely scolded people with Isaiah 29:8-14 (Mat 15:7-9) …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[384],"tags":[383,382,242],"class_list":["post-2056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-worship","tag-blindness-of-israel","tag-religiosity","tag-worship"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/EF77C3F5-B3FA-4ECD-B2DB-B2CF60D57751.jpeg?fit=618%2C340&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8ofw-xa","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2056"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2063,"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2056\/revisions\/2063"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}