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Making
Your Home A Worship Center
By
Pastor Jack Hayford
As biblical,
stimulating, and renewing as worship with the assembly is, God wants
your home to be a center of worship as well.
How does that
happen? Allow me to offer a few practical guidelines to enhance
the spiritual atmosphere where you live.
Kneel.
Yes, Kneel!
Kneeling is an acknowledged point of submission. It
is a way to bring anything under Christ's dominion.
Kneel as you begin the day: "Lord, this home is
Yours for this day." That doesn't substitute for
devotional praying, but it's a good way to start the
day at you house under Jesus' Lordship (Philippians
2:9-11).
When frustrations
rise, anger stirs, bitterness simmers, fear creeps in, and the unexpected
crashes in on you, make kneeling your retaliation.
Sing.
Not much need
to elaborate here. Just do it. Fill your house with song. Tapes
and CDs are good, but don't always have others doing the
praising for you. Sing ... and keep it up.
Invite
Him to dinner.
I abhor "religiousness"
in homes. Few children have survived formulated religiosity—
packaged, pompous piety. So when I say "worship at the table,"
I am not proposing holding a dinner service while the mashed potatoes
chill and a film forms on the gravy. But do make your table prayer
special; do have a part of your table talk related to the
Lord's working in each family member's life; do keep spiritual
reality "natural" to the family circle; do sing
together (and laugh and cry and worship in the Spirit). Yes. Do.
Have
communion.
The elements
of the Lord's Supper ought, I believe, to be available in every
home. I do not recommend such common use of this New Testament
privilege that it becomes glib or meaningless, and all should be
aware that Scripture gives firm warnings to those who partake in
"an unworthy manner." Sensitivity, sobriety of mood, scripturality
of participation—all these factors ought to be observed.
Pray
... while feeding on the Word.
Personal practice
of devotions is obviously essential. Family times of sharing in
the Word and prayer are great, too—if they are alive!
I personally prefer using my parental influence to lead my children
in cultivating their own private devotional life on a daily
basis, while family prayer and reading the Word are occasional rather
than daily.
As each one
in the family grows, sharing your answers to prayer and
your discoveries in the Word become enriching to all.
The home as
worship center ... think on that idea. Better still, act
on it.
What a heritage
to pass along to our children ... memories of home intertwined with
memories of praise and laughter and song and the strong, undergirding
arms of the living God.
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Jack
Hayford Ministries
14800 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91405-2233