Tag Archives: Worship

The Idols We Choose For Ourselves

In ancient days, men and women showed their devotion to their gods by holding sacrifices in their honor. Those gods were often symbolized by idols, either in the form of the god or in a shape the god would find pleasing. With the coming of Jesus Christ, mankind was taught that idol worship is wrong, and that there is only one true God. As Latter-day Saints, we don’t erect statues of gold or bronze to honor our gods – we recognize that our God wants a different kind of sacrifice, that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. But … Continue reading →

Pray Without Ceasing

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In the scriptures, we read over and over that we have been commanded to “pray without ceasing.” For instance: 3 Nephi 20:1 And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts. 1 Thes. 5: 17 Pray without ceasing. Mosiah 26: 39 being commanded of God to bpray without ceasing, and to give cthanks in all things. The idea of a continuous monologue with the Lord seems both intriguing and overwhelming. On the one hand, to always be in contact with God means that we would be forever strengthening and improving our relationship with him. On … Continue reading →

Taking the Temple for Granted

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You’ve probably heard the statement, ‘you never know what you have until you lose it.’ Well, count me among the lost and repentant. After living just over nine years in Atlanta, within a thirty minute drive from the temple (a good hour with traffic), I moved in November to Pennsylvania. The nearest temple is now a three hour drive away, assuming no traffic. Of course, on my first Sunday in our new branch, the subject of the sacrament meeting was temple worship. As I listened to the brother and sister who spoke extol the blessings and joys of temple work, … Continue reading →

Struggling to Focus

If you are anything like me you may struggle time to time with keeping focus during worship to God. I am not sure what it is, but sometimes my mind really gets to wandering and the next thing I know I am not thinking about what I am singing or reading or listening to, but rather what I am going to eat for lunch, the afternoon baseball game (yes, I am a baseball fan), or how long of a nap I might get that afternoon. I absolutely hate that I allow my mind wander and it is one of the … Continue reading →

Raising Hands

I’ve been asked before why there are some people who raise their hands in church. Growing up seeing this often I’d never really thought anything of it. It wasn’t until one day when the Lord touched my heart in such a way that I lifted my hands in praise submitting all of myself to Him. After the first time of doing so, I no longer felt uncomfortable. There are two main purposes I see when people raise their hands in praise and worship to God: Surrender: This is often subconsciously shown by the person’s palms facing outward—though I should make … Continue reading →

Focusing During the Worship Service

Children (including teenagers) struggle to pay attention and focus during the worship service where Christians have gathered together to worship God and learn more about Him. It can even be difficult for some adults (I will admit I have struggled with this) to focus on the sermon, song service, prayers, the Lord’s Supper, or giving to the work of the church. How can this problem of focus be overcome? I think the key to learning to focus during the worship assembly is developing some good habits (the younger this begins, the better). Here are a few habits I think can … Continue reading →

The Value of Devotions

What better way to show love and respect toward our Lord and Savior than to have devotional time with Him? Devoting time to God has more purpose than just worshiping and gaining new insight on Him; it is good for your overall well-being too. There are many ways to devote time to God: Find online devotionals. There are many available daily online in addition to reading them in books. The benefit you get from this is gaining new perspectives on life and ways of seeing situations. Sometimes devotionals can help get us out of a box or give us a … Continue reading →

Routine

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While each and every day of one’s life is unique and different, there are things in life that are inevitably the same. Some things become a daily routine, some a weekly routine, others a monthly routine, and even others a yearly routine. Each day we shower, read the newspaper, and maybe even drink a cup of coffee. Each week we tune in to watch our favorite television shows. Each month we pay our bills. Each year we celebrate another year of life and maybe another year of marriage. Christians should have established routines aside from the normal routines of the … Continue reading →