Yielded Worship

Yielded Worship

David W Palmer

We worship truly when our spirit man bows in homage to God—yielding to his will, his way, his ownership, and his calling. As we draw near to him, approaching his throne of grace with humility and boldness, he reveals intimate details to us—of his plan and purpose for our life, and of his intended actions. We receive what we see and hear into our hearts like a loved wife receiving conception. Our role is then to imitate what we see, say what we hear (when and if appropriate), and to bring to birth that which we have conceived:

(John 4:23–24 MKJV) “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. {24} God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

(1 Corinthians 6:19–20 AMP) … you are not your own [property]. {20} You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body..

Jesus’s Submission

One of the things we see in Jesus’s preparation for victory over the enemy is that he submitted himself under John the Baptist’s baptism. This shows Jesus’s heart of surrender, and his willingness to obey his Father. It also shows his worship—his yieldedness to his Father’s will. This “true” worship is another indispensable step for us (along with receiving his new birth) in preparing to overcome:

(Matthew 3:16–17 EMTV) And having been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him. {17} And behold, a voice came out of the heavens, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I have found delight.”

The Outcome

Jesus submitted himself under the ministry of the [imperfect] man God was using—and thus showed his submission to God; this is worship. As a result, he experienced an open heaven: he saw the spirit realm, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he heard God’s voice—speaking the ultimate affirmation. Are you willing to yield, submit, and worship the way he did? Think of the outcome:

(Matthew 3:16 DKJV) And when Jesus had been baptized, he went up straightaway out of the water; and, behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

The Holy Spirit came as a “dove” to Jesus. This speaks of relational intimacy—a tender relationship of holiness, love, and surrender to Father’s will. Without these, we can easily grieve the Holy Spirit or insult him:

(Ephesians 4:30 MKJV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption.

(Hebrews 10:29 NKJV) Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has … insulted the Spirit of grace?

(We, of course, should always remember that his name is “Holy” Spirit; not Power Spirit, Gifts Spirit or even Fruit Spirit.)

In our relationship and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, we need to live in constant awareness of his holiness, love, and complete sanctification. If we do, and especially if we yield to him in praise, thanksgiving, and operating in his spiritual grace of speaking in tongues, he will be happy to manifest himself to us, in us, and through us. He is amazing, resourceful, fun, and a total genius.

Today, I encourage you to think of worship primarily as intimate, loving homage, submission, and surrender. As you come to God’s throne to worship, prepare to encounter his love, his challenges, his plans, and his grace for your life. Be like the Old Testament prophet Isaiah who visited God’s throne (See: Isa. 6); he first experienced God’s cleansing, then calling; he volunteered for whatever it was that God had for him:

(Isaiah 6:7–8 NLT) He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” {8} Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Your cleansing, calling, and empowering to “go” will also come out of your surrendered worship.