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Key Bible Verse: "If you are thirsty, come to me!. … For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out" (John 7:37). Bonus Reading: Psalm 84:1-4, 10-12

We had fine musicians and a quality sound system in our church. Lots of new songs were coming through, too. But these had begun to throw us off the scent of what it really means to worship. Where once people would enter in, no matter what, we'd now wait to see what the band was like first, how good the sound was, or whether we were into the songs chosen.

Mike, the pastor, decided on drastic action. Next Sunday when we turned up at church, there was no sound system to be seen, no band to lead us. I was offended. The worship was my job!

"When you come through the doors of the church on Sunday," Mike said, "what are you bringing as your offering to God?" At first there were long periods of silence, and not too much singing going on. But we soon learned how to bring heart offerings to God without the external trappings we'd grown used to. By stripping everything away, we slowly rediscovered the heart of worship.

After a while, the worship band and the sound system reappeared, but now it was different. The songs of our hearts had caught up with the songs of our lips.

—Matt Redman in The Unquenchable Worshipper

My Response: I'm learning to bring a heart offering to God by …

Thought to Apply: The perfect church service would be one we are almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.
—C. S. Lewis (British scholar, writer, 20th century)

Adapted from: The Unquenchable Worshipper (Regal, 2001).

Prayer for the Week

O God, I need You desperately. As I grope my way toward you, please reveal Yourself to me.

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