Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Encounter With God
In this first movement, we simply seek to see God for who He is: the One worthy of worship.
“Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.”
—Psalm 54:4 (NIV)
In the first movement of worship we focus on the grandeur and glory of God Almighty. Most often this is reflected in hymns that focus on his role as Creator and King—we worship the One who has made us and rules over his creation.
But in this opening moment of worship we can also speak to how God has revealed himself in his actions through history. He is also the God who helps his people, who intervenes on their behalf and provides for their needs. These truths, too, are part of declaring his worthiness.
Today’s song is a well-known classic hymn. The recording offered is an instrumental one, and the lyrics are below the video. You’re invited today to engage in a bit of “prayerful hymn reading”—as you listen to the instrumental, read the lyrics of the hymn slowly and prayerfully. What words and phrases catch your attention? If any of the lyrics stand out for you, sit with that word or phrase in extended prayer, letting it stir you to worship the God who helps.
SONG OF ENCOUNTER: O God Our Help in Ages Past (lyrics below)
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:
Under the shadow of your throne
Your saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is your arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood
Or Earth received her frame,
From everlasting you are God,
To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in your sight
Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guard while troubles last
And our eternal home.