One Desire Fast is HMCC’s annual fast so we can start off the year hearing from God, both individually and as a church. This year’s theme is Locked In.
When was the last time you worshiped God outside of a Sunday Celebration or LIFE Group? It’s easy for worship to become something we only do at scheduled times. Tehillah is one of the 7 Hebrew words for praise, and specifically it refers to the form of worship that bubbles out of you in a spontaneous moment of praise. This word appears 57 times in the Psalms, and it reminds us that genuine worship can happen anywhere at any time.
As we fast, we must guard our hearts. Are we sincerely seeking God, or just going through a spiritual routine? Let’s not go through the motions simply because it’s what we’re used to. Isaiah 1:13-14 shows us what God’s stance on this is: He hates empty rituals and actually feels burdened by them. That challenges us to ask: Why do I worship? What is my personal reason for praising God?
To experience those sudden moments of praise, we need to already be walking closely with God. The Bible is full of examples where God sparked this kind of joyful response. David danced with all his might when the ark returned to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). He poured out raw, honest feelings in psalms like Psalm 22. Mary broke into a beautiful song after the angel announced she would carry Jesus (Luke 1). The woman at the well dropped her water jar and ran to tell everyone in her village about the Messiah she’d just met (John 4). And even in a dark prison cell at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16). In each story, encountering God’s goodness or power made praise overflow. They simply couldn’t keep it to themselves. Their stories show us that true worship is not confined to a stage, a schedule, or a musical style. It is the posture of a whole life, a daily practice of turning every encounter with God’s goodness into an opportunity to respond.
So how can we grow in worship today? Start by simply noticing God’s goodness, whether in a moment of beauty, an answered prayer, or a remembered promise, and let your gratitude turn to praise. Make your whole life a response to Him. Let’s grow in worship by making it, more and more, all about God.
Reflection and Application
- Read Isaiah 1:13-14. Is there any part of your spiritual life, including your fast, that feels routine or empty? What one change can you make to worship with more sincerity this week?
- Do one of these small challenges and invite others to join you!
- Hum a worship song while working or studying.
- Thank Him out loud on a walk for His creation.
- Write your own a short personal psalm
Prayer Requests – HKUST
- To grow in Gospel-fluency and experience breakthrough in our lives, which drive us to respond by building up LIFE Group community
- For the next generation to step up to be disciple making disciples so that UST can multiply into 3 LIFE Groups
- For 20% of our LIFE Group being pre-C’s who are experiencing the Gospel with us
Click here for full devotional link and other pre-fasting materials!