One Night With the King --- Becoming An Inner Court Worshipper

               One Night With the King ---The Choice to to Move Into the Inner-Court of Worship


There's a significant difference of being an outer -court praiser and an inner- court worshipper.  Over the many years of serving in ministry, I've seen both.  However, it was not until I began to seek the truth about the heart of a true worshipper,  did I realize  John 4:23 "It's coming a time when the true worshippers shall worship me in spirit and in truth".

The Heart of a Worshipper

A true worshipper is one who does not care about his or her image,  man made rules or regulations, or the opinion of others concerning them.  There comes a time where a true worshipper will break all the rules to come before the presence of the King and pour his or her soul out to the only one who can do anything about their situation.

In so many cases,  we as believers settle for the bodily exercise of praising, which is merely, dancing, shouting, sweating etc…Please don't misunderstand, all of this is wonderful in it's proper perspective.  I for one have had my fair share of a sure enough "Holy Ghost" dance and shout and I love it.   However, I realized early, as a young single Christian, that I needed more than a shout to keep me delivered from some of the bad habits I developed before becoming a Christian.  One of which was my addiction to men.  Nevertheless,  after many failures in this area in my Christian walk, I finally went to God with tears rolling down my face and I cried out "Lord, deliver me from myself…I don't want to keep failing in this area".  It was then, I clearly heard God say to me,  "it's not until you move from the outer court and come into my inner court will you find your strength to resist".

You see, I had resorted to just the dancing and shouting as my form of worship towards God.  I praised God for what He had done for me.  I was an "Outer-Court Worshipper".  But I never really worshipped God for who He was to me…becoming an "Inner-Court Worshipper" or what we we may be more familiar with..."A True Worshipper".   So I began to study to learn who God was and not what He could do for me.   I realized in the Bible that He had given me power through the Holy Spirit to live a victorious life.  I realized that God was a forgiver, a deliverer, a keeper,  a strong tower where the righteous run into and are saved.  God was a peace maker, a joy giver and so much more.  All of which I needed, but never spent the quality time in His presence to receive.

I was spiritually dying. However, my constant failures, kept me feeling that I was never worthy enough to come before the King and remain in His presence long enough to be endowed with His power to keep me.  Because when  I walked out those church doors I needed power to live the life I shouted about. But I didn't know what I was missing.  I faithfully attended church, bible study, anything my pastor asked me to do, I was there.   But when I was alone, after the church doors were shut...I needed more than the shout, the cutting the steps, the release of the pressure.  I needed the heart of a worshipper that would love God while under pressure and not cave into the cry of my flesh…I needed to become an "Inner-Court Worshipper".

This reminds me of the Story of Esther...

The Book of Esther in the Bible is a fascinating book.  In it, describes a young damsel who was adopted by a relative (Mordecai) after suffering a devastating loss of her parents.  She was eventually "pawned" off to the most powerful person in the region,  The King of Susa.  Esther Chapter 1 describes the process of which she was selected to become the King's wife.  Back then, it was not proper to present oneself before the king if you were not beckoned to do so. If anyone approached the king without his approval, it would likely lead to death, even if you were his wife.  

One day, Esther was made aware by Mordecai that someone within her new husband's kingdom had plotted her people's demise.  Un-beknown to the King he was tricked into signing a decree to have all of Esther's family and her entire nation of people, killed. What an awful dilenma Esther had to face.  She was left with a choice…Do I go before the king without first being beckoned and risk my life or wait and hope that my and my people's life would be spared?  Esther realized that either choice was a life or death situation. So she made a wise decision to adorn herself and enter into the "outer-court" of the King's Palace in hopes that He would beckon her to come closer.  

Her calculated decision and timing proved to be correct.  For when the King saw Esther, the one whom He loved the most. The one of whom He was waiting anxiously to see.  The One of whom he selected to be his new wife.  When He saw her in his "outer-court", he stretched out his hand to her and said, "My beautiful wife…come closer tell me what it is I can do for you".  
 
You see, while Esther feared for her life…she was not aware that she was already considered the apple of her husband's eye.  He was waiting anxiously for her to come out of the outer-court and into his inner court so he could be closer to her. Her frailties, imperfections and even her bad habits were not important to the king.  He still desired her…just the way she was.  This one act of faith, delivered her and her people and destroyed the one who tried to kill them.  

This is a beautiful story and a wonderful example of the heart of a true worshipper.  Because it's not until your situation becomes desperate enough will you devise a reason to go before the King of Kings and move out of the outer-court and thrust yourself into the inner- court.  The outer-court may give you relief, but the inner-court will give your deliverance.  

Esther's final thought before she went before the king was "live or die…I'm going to see the King".  She became tired of seeing him standing in the window across the courtyard.  She became tired of the fear of coming before his presence to lay out her most intimate issues before him. She realized her situation was desperate enough to risk all she had in order to move into the Inner-Court to capture the King's attention.  Essentially, to capture his ear to listen to the cry of her heart.

Today, I ask you…how desperate is your situation?  Is your situation desperate enough to remove yourself from the outer-court.  The place where your friends are telling you "it's no use", "you can't stop doing what you are doing" "everybody has bad habits…we just have to learn to live with them" "your weak and can't resist". "hurting is a part of life…you just have to learn to deal with it" It's too hard to pray…it doesn't work anyway"  Whatever voices or lies you are hearing today…Are you tired of remaining in the outer-court, trying to measure up to God?

If this describes you, then it's time to break out like Esther.  Refuse to resort to just simple tears, shouting and dancing.  Move into the "inner-court" and truly worship God.  Allow yourself time in God's presence this weekend to let Him minister to you.  Allow Him time to listen to your cry.   Let Him caress you.  Then...let him heal you, deliver you and assure you that you are His child and you have a right to be in His presence.   Furthermore, you have a right to remain in the "Inner-Court of Worship".   Remember John 4:23,  has the time come for you to no longer settle for the single praise…but become a true worshipper?; One who will serve God no matter what.  Through the good times, the bad times and certainly when you are under pressure and faced with a life or death decision. To get into the inner-court may require a true cry out of repentance…but It will prove to be the best choice you've ever made in your life. 

Thank you for following me at Matters of the Heart...
kellyjenningsmoth7.blogspot.com

Kelly J- Matters of the Heart 
Empowering Word Friday 

   

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