Here’s an interesting John Piper quote to start your day: “Missions exist because worship doesn’t.”
My initial response to that: Huh?
Let’s unpack that. What I think Piper is saying is that when I fully engage God in worship, the result will be a changed life, one which will be used to impact the lives of others with the Good News.
Moses touched on one of the benefits of worship. He recorded the following. “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you” (Exodus 23:25).
Notice two things.
- It’s good to pray for God’s blessing on our food and water.
- We are to worship God before he removes the sickness, not only after.
Recovery Step: Don’t wait until you achieve sobriety before you worship God. It is when you worship God that the healing begins.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
