That sense of nearness to the Lord, of being surrounded by His Presence, is the most fulfilling and freeing experiences that our hearts can have. We were made to worship. Indeed, it is in a posture of worship that our hearts were created to do everything: sing, dance, work, and rest. We are intended to continually bring Him praise. And rightly so, for there is none that is as mighty, or faithful, or beautiful, or sovereign, or strong as the Great I AM (Ex 3:14). And yet, my heart is quick to forget. In my fickle nature, I am forgetful of His character and my ultimate purpose. Being completely honest, I catch myself in moments where the thought of worship and praise seems more like duty than joy.  

Sluggishly, I drag my heart back into His Presence, knowing that it is what I should do. My bratty heart posture – no really, bratty is accurate – is always met with the sweetest of responses: the abundance of life and hope that are found in His Presence, stemming from the overflow of His holy and kind heart. In that moment, the rough and callous areas of my heart are made soft by the oil of His Perfect Love (Ps 86:5). What was broken is healed, what was out of alignment is corrected. Then sings my soul.

In recent weeks, I have sensed the Holy Spirit challenging my heart on the ways in which I can better maintain that posture of praise and worship. Nearness to His heart, and not performance, is the motivating and causal factor. The dialogue that I have had with the Lord has revealed a few key patterns and structures that I hope are as helpful to you as they have been for me.

The notion of consistency has been a common theme that the Lord has highlighted to me since the beginning of my walk with Him. That theme has become a central focus, though, as I have felt the Lord call me to be intentionally consistent with the music I listen to. Rather than tuning in to a business podcast or an alternative album, I have been actively choosing to listen to worship music or sermons. The result is a striking shift in my mood, productivity, and most importantly, prayer life. This simple switch has helped my heart remain in a posture of worship. I have also sensed the Lord calling me to pay more attention to my health. By eating more nutritious foods and being consistent in going to the gym, I have markedly more energy. This in turn means that I am less likely to sleep through my quiet time in the mornings. Additionally, I have felt the Lord gently urging me to be intentional with encouraging my friends. Taking less than fifteen minutes, I put several recurring reminders throughout the week in my calendar. When the reminder comes up on my phone, I am reminded to pray for my friends and ask the Lord what He has to say to them in that moment. If I sense the Lord saying something, I’ll write out a note or a text message, and send it off to my friend. This small and practical step has allowed me not only to press into building friendships, but consistently praise the Lord for the people and community that He has blessed me with.

Even with these patterns and suggestions, life is still a journey. Some days are better than others, and there are moments when I completely miss it. In the midst of my weakness, though, His strength is perfected, and His is quick to run toward us when we take a step toward Him (2 Cor 12:9) (James 4:8). Walking with Him through the good and the bad, the simple and the challenging, ultimately brings us closer to Him. It is that constant deepening of intimacy with the Lord that is most important, Dear Saints (Jude 20-21). Continue walking with Him and He will surely cause your heart to sing.