Servias Ministries Blog

We are to pray with thankfulness!

Complaining is prayer in reverse.  Complaining, criticism, and resentment actually reveal that I’m losing the battle over my thought life.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 4:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Paul didn’t stop there.

8 Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and Holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising Him always.

When we focus on the things of the world, we allow toxins to form in our minds, slowly but surely.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Thessalonians chapter 5:

16 Rejoice always,

17 pray without ceasing,

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

19 Do not quench the Holy Spirit.

This passage summarizes the passage in Philippians chapter 4.  We are warned in verse 19: Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.

In the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.  We should walk in unbounded joy, praying continually, and giving thanks to GOD no matter what happens in our lives.  These three virtues combine to form the wonderful expression of Christ’s Life within us.

Any situation that I cannot rejoice in or give thanks in, I’m losing the battle over my thoughts.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 11:

2 You need to know that God’s passion is burning inside me for you, because, like a Loving father, I have pledged your hand in marriage to Christ, your True Bridegroom. I’ve also promised that I would present His fiancée to Him as a pure virgin bride.

3 But now I’m afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s clever lies, your thoughts may be corrupted and you may lose your single-hearted devotion and pure Love for Christ.

4 For you seem to gladly tolerate anyone who comes to you preaching a pseudo-Jesus, not the Jesus we have preached. You have accepted a spirit and gospel that is false, rather than the Spirit and gospel you once embraced. How tolerant you have become of these imposters!

14 That doesn’t surprise us, for even satan transforms himself to appear as an angel of light!

We must protect our thoughts from being corrupted.  The adversary will use any means possible to take your focus away from your priority of becoming fully mature and serving THE LORD in all areas of your life.

Rejoicing and thankfulness are absolute expressions of faith.  It is what sets us up to pray effectively. 

If I am in the middle of a situation or conflict I don’t like, once I can honestly move into a place of absolute surrender, celebrate with joy, and give thanks in the middle of what I don’t like, I am losing the battle over my thoughts!

If you are attempting to pray but you don’t have joyfulness and thankfulness, there are toxins that need to be dealt with.

Without service, worship is simply spiritual self-indulgence!

Self-indulgence is seen as the excessive gratification of one’s own desires, prioritizing personal pleasure over God’s glory and the needs of others.  If you worship THE LORD on Sunday and then live for yourself the rest of the week, your worship is simply spiritual self-indulgence.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter Matthew chapter 4:

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.‘”

Service should never be separated from worship.  The tempter wanted Jesus to serve him by giving Him the world’s kingdoms, in essence, serving the tempter.

Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Deuteronomy chapter 30:

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,

16 in that I command you today to Love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,

18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

If you worship and serve other gods, you will perish.

19 I call Heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you Life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose Life, that both you and your descendants may live;

20 that you may Love the LORD your God, that you may obey His Voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your Life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Obeying His Voice denotes serving HIM!

How do we acknowledge HIM above all else?  By worshipping HIM, because worship belongs only to GOD.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 95:

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His Hand. Today, if you will hear His Voice:

When we worship HIM, by that very act, we are acknowledging that HE is Our GOD.  When we worship is when we hear GOD’S Voice.  Our kneeling is a position of reverence to HIM.  We are not shouting in praise, but we are silent in awe before HIM.  In that attitude, we are open to hear The Voice of GOD.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 4:

23 But the hour 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.

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.”

ALMIGHTY GOD is seeking for those who will worship HIM!  Is HE seeking after you?  We have to worship HIM according to HIS terms, in Spirit and in Truth.

Our soul is very active in thanksgiving and praise.  But when it comes to worship, it is our spirit in direct communication with GOD’S Spirit.  Our soul must be quiet.  Without The Holy Spirit, we really cannot worship HIM.

Truth requires sincerity.  It’s extremely important that we learn to be sincere in our worship.  As well, let our service be based on Truth and sincerity.

Worship is the highest activity of which any human being is capable!

Prostrate prayer involves lying flat on one’s face on the ground as a posture of deep humility, submission, and worship.  It symbolizes profound reverence for God and is often performed during times of intense prayer, repentance, or to show awe.  

By thanksgiving, we acknowledge GOD’S goodness.  By praise, we acknowledge GOD’S greatness.  By worship, we acknowledge GOD’S Holiness.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Genesis chapter 17:

3 Then Abram fell on his face (prostrate) in awe before God, and God said to him, 4 “I establish my covenant with you: “You will become a father of many nations.

5 You will no longer be named Abram because I am changing your name to Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 I will make you abundantly fruitful, more than you expect. I will make nations out of you, and kings will trace their lineage back to you.

7 Yes, I will establish My Eternal covenant of Love between me and you, and it will extend to your descendants throughout their generations. I will be your children’s God, just as I am your God.

And in Joshua chapter 7:

6 Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothes and threw dust over their heads to show their sorrow. They threw themselves facedown to the ground in front of the ark of YAHWEH until the evening sacrifice.

And The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in Revelation chapter 1:

17 When I saw Him, I fell down at his feet as good as dead, but He laid His Right Hand on me and I heard His reassuring Voice saying: Don’t yield to fear. I am the Beginning and I am the End,

And again, in Revelation chapter 5:

8 And when the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures saw the Lamb had taken the scroll, they fell facedown at the feet of the Lamb and worshiped Him. Each of them had a harp and golden bowls brimming full of sweet fragrant incense—which are the prayers of God’s Holy Lovers.

14 Then the four living creatures responded: “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders threw themselves facedown to the ground and worshiped.

Above all, Jesus spoke and acted in worship in Matthew chapter 26:

37 He took Peter, Jacob, and John with Him. However, an intense feeling of great sorrow plunged His Soul into agony.

38 And He said to them, “My Heart is overwhelmed and crushed with grief. It feels as though I’m dying. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”

39 Then He walked a short distance away, and overcome with grief, He threw Himself face down on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if there is any way You can deliver Me from this suffering, please take it from Me. Yet what I want is not important, for I only desire to fulfill Your plan for Me.” Then an angel from Heaven appeared to strengthen Him.

Pride will keep dignified believers from true positions of worship, especially in church services.  They are more concerned about how they look to others rather than worshipping The King of Heaven and earth.

Perhaps the ultimate act of worship is being face down on the ground and worshipping FATHER.  FATHER we are totally dependent on YOU!

Worship is the highest activity of which any human being is capable!

By thanksgiving, we acknowledge GOD’S goodness.  By praise, we acknowledge GOD’S greatness.  By worship, we acknowledge GOD’S Holiness.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Isaiah chapter 6:

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I clearly saw the Lord. He was seated on His exalted Throne, towering high above me. His long, flowing robe of splendor spread throughout the temple.

2 Standing above Him were the angels of flaming fire, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces in reverence, with two wings they covered their feet, and with two wings they flew.

3 And one called out to another, saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, Commander of Angel Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!”

4 The thunderous voice of the fiery angels caused the foundations of the thresholds to tremble as the cloud of glory filled the temple!

GOD’S Holiness fills HIS Presence and those who enter into HIS Presence will experience HIS pure Holiness and HIS Holy fire will remove any impurities, guilt, and sin, they will be blotted out.

The Beloved Disciple wrote what he heard and saw by The Holy Spirit in Revelation chapter 4:

8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings, full of eyes all around and under their wings. They worshiped without ceasing, day and night, singing,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty! The Was, the Is, and the Coming!”

9 And whenever the living creatures gave glory, honor, and thanks to the One Who is enthroned and Who lives forever and ever,

10 the twenty-four elders fell facedown before the One seated on the Throne and they worshiped the One Who lives forever and ever. And they surrendered their crowns before the Throne, singing:

11 “You are worthy, Our Lord and God, to receive glory, honor, and power, for You created all things, and for Your pleasure they were created and exist.”

Praise and thanksgiving are primarily utterances; they come out of our mouth.  We speak them or we sing them or we may even shout them. 

Worship is not primarily an utterance.  Worship describes an attitude of the body.  Worship is not really an utterance, it is an attitude, not just the physical body, but an attitude of the whole inner being.

There are certain specific attitudes which, in the Bible, are characteristic of worship.  First of all, bowing down the head.

Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Exodus chapter 4:

30 And Aaron spoke all the Words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people.

31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Often, worship it’s not just the head, but the upper part of the body.  Many times, it is the stretching out of the hands, palms upwards.  When we stretch out our hands to GOD, we are saying “Thank You.”

Kneeling is a very distinctive attitude of worship.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Chronicles chapter 6:

12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands

13 (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward Heaven);

14 and he said: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in Heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.

15 You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your Mouth and fulfilled it with Your Hand, as it is this day.

The man who was given Wisdom from Above, provided us an example of what it means to worship Our Heavenly Father.  Don’t be deprived of the blessing that comes when you are kneeling before Our Heavenly Father!

Let us continually praise THE LORD!

When times are good, let us praise THE LORD.  In times of testing, let us also praise THE LORD.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 13:

15 Therefore through Jesus let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.

16 We will show mercy to the poor and not miss an opportunity to do acts of kindness for others, for these are the true sacrifices that delight God’s Heart.

We are to continually praise THE LORD in all things.  As we do, there will be no complaints coming from our lips.  As we praise HIM in all things, our hope and faith will increase.

This song was given by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 48:

1 There are so many reasons to describe God as wonderful! So many reasons to praise HIM with unlimited praise!

The fact that HE brought you to this earth and sustained you should be enough to praise HIM.  Our praise should be in proportion to HIS greatness, meaning it is measureless.

A song of thanksgiving was inspired by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 100:

4 You can pass through HIS open gates with the password of praise. Come right into HIS Presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to HIM and affectionately bless HIS beautiful Name!

5 For YAHWEH is always good and ready to receive you. HE’S so Loving that it will amaze you—so kind that it will astound you! And HE is famous for HIS faithfulness toward all. Everyone knows our God can be trusted, for HE keeps HIS promises to every generation!

Thanksgiving is the first step or stage in our approach to GOD.  Next is praise!  After we’ve been through thanksgiving, we pass on to praise.

Both thanksgiving and praise have a very important psychological effect.  If we are coming to GOD with great petitions, with things that seem very hard and difficult, the more we thank GOD for all HE’S already done, the easier it is to believe HIM for what we want HIM to do next.  If we don’t come with thanksgiving, we don’t have any psychological build-up to our faith.

Speak the following:

For the LORD is good.

HIS mercy is everlasting.

And HIS Truth endures to all generations.

Thank YOU LORD, Amen!

As we praise HIM, we are expressing Truth in all aspects of our life.  We are shining the Light and dispersing any and all darkness.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Isaiah chapter 60 about the City of GOD:

18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation (The Blood of Jesus), And your gates Praise.

We can come to a place in the Presence of GOD where violence and destruction are just faint echoes from a distance, but they have no reality in the Presence of GOD.  The wall that surrounds the Presence of GOD is salvation.  There is only one way to GOD, and it is through The Blood of Christ… period!

All the gates have one title, which is praise.  No praise, no access.  It is the only way into the immediate Presence of GOD.

King David wrote by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 22:

3 But You are Holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

In other Words, You Who sit upon the praises of Israel.  When we praise GOD, we are building a Throne for HIM to come and take HIS place among us.  HE inhabits the Throne of our praises.

If you want to begin your morning with praise to HIM, speak forth Psalm 148 in its entirety.

Are you being led by The Cloud or by the crowd?

FATHER’S Glory Cloud led the children of Israel through the wilderness.  When He stopped, they stopped.  When He moved, they moved.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 78:

14 By day the moving Glory-Cloud led them forward. And all through the night the Fire-Cloud stood as a sentry of light.

The Cloud confirms, but the crowd confuses.

The people were complaining about the giants in the Promised Land even after they had experienced the miracle of being set free from the Egyptians.

Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Deuteronomy chapter 1:

31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD Your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’

32 Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God,

33 Who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the Fire by night and in the Cloud by day.

How can you assess your faith without being tested?  It requires faith to take the path that The Holy Spirit directs you to take.  Be assured that the crowd will try to redirect your path.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 7:

13 Enter through the narrow gate because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road!

14 The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to Eternal life—so few even find it!”

Why is it difficult to take the narrow path?  The crowd will try to influence you to their crowded road.  Consider Moses.

Moses also recorded by The Holy Spirit in Deuteronomy chapter 5:

23 “So it was, when you heard the Voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with Fire, that you came near to Me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.

24 And you said: ‘Surely the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His Voice from the midst of the Fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.

25 Now therefore, why should we die? For this great Fire will consume us; if we hear the Voice of the LORD Our God anymore, then we shall die.

26 For who is there of all flesh who has heard the Voice of the Living God speaking from the midst of the Fire, as we have, and lived?

27 You go near and hear all that the LORD Our God may say, and tell us all that the LORD Our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’

If you are willing to surrender to the Holy Fire, you will be able to stand in the Presence of GOD.  Is it better to hear HIM directly or get a secondhand interpretation of what HE is saying?

King David recorded by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 103:

7 HE made known His ways to Moses, HIS acts to the children of Israel.

We must not be afraid to follow the leading of The Holy Spirit and surrender all to Him.  It is the crowd that tries to bring pressure, but it is the Cloud that brings HIS Presence.