the ARP Magazine. In this edition, - swood’s article on the priority of family worship. In the next edition, the priority of public worship. But, fundamental to all of these is our private worship of God. We, like Jesus, need consistent, intimate times of devotion and prayer in which we seek the face of our heavenly Father for nourishment, refreshment, and rest of our souls. It is when life gets busiest that we most need to guard our per- employees alike know the pres- sure of deadlines and demanding teachers or employers who re- quire timely submission or com- There are seasons of life that keep us so busy meeting requirements that getting enough sleep and proper nutrition is only an after- thought. How many of us have ex- perienced the deleterious effect to our health that neglect of rest and food brings into our lives? We can do harm to our health when we are so busy, or distracted by activ- ity, that we forget to take proper care of ourselves.
If neglect of sleep and proper nutrition is a common danger in busy seasons of life, how much more dangerous is neglect of our private worship of God through in His word and in prayer? Often it is what we most need that we most quickly abandon in response to the busyness of life. In such seasons, we do well to remember As crowds pursued Him, seeking
healing or free food; as scribes and pharisees accused Him, ever seeking maintained intimate communion with His Father, often withdrawing to desolate places
How busy are you as you go through routine days and weeks, or even - what you most need: intimate, private, worship of God, spending time in His word and prayer? If so, have you seen the effect of this neglect in your spiritual life, in your family and public worship of God, in your re- lationships with others, in your standing against temptation, and in the attitude of your heart toward all things?
If you have lost a sense of the priority of private worship, let me urge
not unending. One day it will come to a screeching halt! There will be no more schedules to keep, no more bills to pay, and no more deadlines to meet! But there will be an accounting before the God Who has redeemed to live according to His word. Turn to Him now in your busyness, and make a place in your daily life for private worship! If you do so, you will minds and hearts. He addresses our relationships with those who are part of our lives. He invigorates our desire for family worship, and for spiritual intimacy with those who are closest to us. He deepens our de- light in public worship as we gather which His people in sacred assem- suddenly seem to become when we have prepared for public worship all week long through our own times of personal communion with God in - vate worship refreshes our souls in a way that enriches all of our service and worship rendered to Him.
We must not be content to live as if we are too busy to spend time with
called us to live in intimate communion with Him. This is the life of wor- ship! And it begins with our private worship! We cannot allow ourselves to become so busy that we think we don’t have time for Him! Jesus, in all to withdraw to lonely places and pray. His heavenly Father, how could we not long to come to Him, directed a priority!
The Priority of Worship September/October 2023 5
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