It had been a few months that we moved from California’s bay area to Dallas Texas, orginally my home. And the Holy Spirit began to stir in me that it was time to begin looking for a church home. Slowly but surely we began church shopping.  By God’s grace, direction, and encouragement, we found a church we could call home.  One of the first spotlights God placed in that church was on the people who were praising God during the worship service.

I came from an Orthodox denomination, where we didn’t put our arms up passed our waist much less passed our chin and up in the air. It was so foreign to me. Right before we came to Dallas,  we had begun searching for a bible based church, and I had seen people worship God with their arms in the air, but I never did. What I did begin to experience was my heart melting during the worship service, and I would sob puddles of tears.

After my family and I began attending our new home church, and God began to convict my heart of unfinished business with Him, I began growing and hungry for what God was trying to give me all these years…freedom, wholeness, forgiveness and grace. But it all began with me going through the motions first after I had made a decision to seek God first.

I observed people during worship, and I would think to myself, why do they appear as if God Himself were speaking to them, and there was something they were receiving that I wasn’t?  I honestly couldn’t understand it all. I kept saying to myself, I can worship the way I want, I don’t have to put my arms up. God knows me and the way I worship is unique to me.  And I said that for about a year and a half.

As the years progressed, and I began to get a deeper revelation of God’s promises and love towards me, my heart became receptive to who my heavenly father really was. Attending bible based group studies, and immersing myself with the lead of the Holy Spirit in everything God, I began to raise my hands up in the air without embarrassment. But only half way…you see it felt uncomfortable and not natural. I have never raised my arms up to the Lord, ever!  Sadly, I have never felt worthy too.  Have you ever felt like that? Condemnation prevented me from approaching God.  To be frank with you, the enemy liked me that way and I accepted it. Because you know what? I felt like I deserved it, I punished myself!

Then, it happened, God touched my life in a big way, and this time I received His gifts of forgiveness, healing and wholeness by Jesus and His finished work at the cross and by faith took the gifts! That very next Sunday at church in worship service without so much as to even thinking about it, I raised my hands high up in the air and as natural as it could be and praised My Sweet God! Amen Hallelelujah,  Worship Sets an Atmosphere of Victory! Barriers broken, faulty thinking, shame, and condemnation gone, I was set free! I have never worshiped the same since that day!

Family, listen to me! When you worship God by yourself, or in your church, getting a deeper revelation of who Christ is in your life will push your arms up to praise Him for who He is in your life, it sets the temperature for everything Holy, and Pure! Amen. Today, in your worship time, don’t push your hands up because I’m telling you to. Go in deeper by hearing His word through the bible(I love the NIV, Life Application Study Bible), pastors, Christian books, listening to worship music, praying, and just talking to Him, surround yourself with everything God, you’ll never be the same! Your arms will lift without you even thinking about it, that’s true worship.

Lord, today, I pray that every chain of bondage be broken off your children, that their arms will rise to praise you through good times and bad, because when we worship you, our life becomes a place of Victory!  Thank you Jesus!

Today, I challenge you to go deeper in your walk with God, worship Him daily in your comings and goings. If you feel overwhelmed, put on your favorite worship music and cast all your cares to Him, He will refresh, and restore you! I have placed a you tube video at the beginning of this article, take a moment and worship with Hillsong from Australia! God bless you!

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