When Women Worship , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Amie Dockery , Mary Alessi

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53 pages

English

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Women were created for intimacy with God. But so many things get in the way! Past abuse. Regret. Shame. Feelings of unworthiness. How can worship hold any real meaning? Using the model of Mary of Bethany, who anointed Jesus' feet with costly perfume, readers discover how the act of worship itself is transformation. Worship can be a place of truth and transparency! Through stories of gifted women who have overcome tremendous pain and obstacles to become worship leaders today, they show the deepness and wideness of God's love for women everywhere. They also explore the lives of biblical women who worshiped despite oppressive circumstances, and found strength and confidence to continue to focus on God. Readers will find courage to overcome the past and the desire to worship God extravagantly and wholeheartedly.

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	05 février 2007
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441224859
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0374€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

2007 Amie Dockery and Mari Alessi
Published by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.revellbooks.com
Revell edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-2485-9
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Other versions used are:
NKJV —Scripture taken from the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NLT —Scripture quotations marked ( NLT ) are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
NRSV —Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
DEDICATION
For Aunt Sally: May your mantle rest on every woman who reads this book.
“Women in general are leaders in worship— they seem to have less inhibition .” S ALLY P ARKER A YERS
Amie Dockery

To my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to whom my life is devoted. I thank the Lord for the awesome privilege to use my life as an instrument of worship unto Him.
Mary Alessi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
When it comes to revelation, words are powerful; but in terms of describing gratitude, they are feeble indeed! Thank you to my father for believing in God’s unique anointing on women. Thank you to my husband for believing in God’s unique anointing on this woman. And thank you to my mother, for living the revelation of true empowerment.
—Amie Dockery

Thank you to my awesome husband, Steve, who is a constant support and the love of my life.
To my fabulous four—my children Christopher, Stephanie, Lauren and Gabrielle: You are my inspiration.
To Amie Dockery, my friend and co-laborer in Christ: You inspire me to reach down into the deep well of revelation to hear what God is saying.
—Mary Alessi
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: “Willing”
Will you fill Him up when you feel empty?
His Request: To give Him the temporary Our Reward: To receive the eternal
Chapter 2: “Accepted”
Will you accept what God has done to build relationship with you, and will you allow yourself to be accepted in spite of your shame?
His Request: To accept Him Our Reward: To be accepted
Chapter 3: “Vulnerable”
Will you seek Him out to reveal your “secret places,” or will you wait to be confronted with the truth about yourself?
His Request: To reveal ourselves Our Reward: To receive revelation
Chapter 4: “Broken”
Are you willing to be crushed to carry the aroma of His presence in your life?
His Request: A sacrificial death Our Reward: An aromatic life
Chapter 5: “Overshadowed”
Are you prepared for the instant response required to become overshadowed?
His Request: No hesitation Our Reward: To be overshadowed
Afterword: “Divine Declaration”
FOREWORD
What is worship? How do we worship? Why do we worship? Who do we worship? People have asked me these questions, and at times, I have asked them myself. After 20 years as a praise and worship leader, I thought I knew the answers; but as a result of reading When Women Worship, I now know that I still have much to learn. Each one of the testimonies and experiences in this book has come from a place of humility and vulnerability that is not always easy to share. Some of the women in this book have endured loss that left them devastated. Their stories have encouraged me to dig deeper into the whole subject of praise and worship and go back to where it all began.
The Bible tells us about a girl named Esther, who was able to move to a place of prominence and influence, despite her background, because she was willing to please the king. She dressed herself in the colors he liked and wore the perfume he preferred. Everything she did was about him! Because she took the time to honor the king, she had full access into his inner court and was able to save an entire nation.
In the book of Psalms, we are commanded to put on the garment of praise. We are to wrap ourselves in praise and lavish our King with worship. When we do what pleases the Lord, our God—our King—He grants us full access into His courts.
I’ve never felt so moved by a project as I have by the content of this book. The manifest presence of God is in its pages with the message that He is able to deliver us and set us free from past mistakes and hurts so that we can see ourselves as God sees us. We are His daughters, His baby girls, and He loves us so much, despite our failures.
If you are afraid to approach the King because of where you’ve come from, if you feel that your past mistakes make you unworthy to approach Him, praise Him anyway and see how He meets you in that place.
What is worship, and how do we worship? Why do we worship, and who is it that we worship? The testimonies in this book will take you deeper and give you greater insight to answer these questions. As you read the remarkable testimonies here, my prayer is that you will see for yourself the transforming power that is released when women worship.
Martha Munizzi Songwriter and Worship Leader
INTRODUCTION
Purchasing a gift can be an unnerving experience, especially if I’m not sure what I’m looking for. Watching someone open a gift that was purchased under such circumstances is even more stressful than the shopping! I find myself thinking, What if I’m way off base and I’ve missed it altogether?
Maybe I overthink it a bit (I do tend to overthink most everything, at least a little). But when I buy someone a gift, I want that person to feel understood and appreciated. I wouldn’t want to give someone a gift that wasn’t a reflection of his or her personal taste, desires and personality. So when I’m sure I have picked up on the person’s hints, and I’m on the right track to what they would like, then it’s exciting to go shopping! And it’s rewarding to watch the gift being opened. I’m sure you will agree that the joy of giving is even greater when you know that you are fulfilling someone else’s desire!
I happen to know what God desires as a gift. He wants you —the real, authentic version. He wants all of you, the whole package. How do I know? Psalm 51:6 tells us, “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”
How many of us would spend all of our time and money on the gift wrap, while giving little or no thought to the gift itself? And yet when we think of worship, we spend most of our time examining the outward presentation or demonstration, while completely forgetting to reflect on the treasure within. The “gift wrap” has taken priority over the gift!
I fear that our focus on talent in relation to worship has undermined the divine exchange that worship is designed to orchestrate for every believer. In fact, I would venture to guess that many believers don’t see themselves as worshipers because their assumption is based solely upon the outward challenge of expressing themselves. Although worship is an expression of what is on the inside, worship is not the ability to “perform” vocally. My friend and coauthor, Mary Alessi, is in complete agreement that there has been a problem with perspective regarding worship. Although there is much attention given to the outward demonstration, there is little acknowledgment of the internal preparation and response. Worship, however, is so much more than a song or dance; it is the atmosphere we prepare and the connection we share. It has everything to do with our desperate need for God and His boundless love for us.
If we can worship in spirit and truth as Jesus instructed us to do, then we will have communion with God. And if we can commune with Him, we will be endowed with power, equipped with authority, and enabled by His grace to restore a fallen world.
The Spirit of God is hovering today, seeking true worshipers who can conceive the prophetic future of the Kingdom. I believe that women are uniquely designed by God to host the work of the Holy Spirit. This process is not “one size fits all”; it is a unique, divine exchange that takes place when one embraces the decision to give Him everything.
My prayer is that women all over the world will begin to recognize their place in the kingdom of God, as well as recognize the devil’s diabolical plan to keep them from fruitfulness. Women have been the most oppressed people group throughout history, and yet God has chosen to esteem women by using them to produce His will on Earth. I pray that you will join other women throughout history on this intimate journey toward deeper relationship with our Maker. He is waiting—and the world is waiting. As you read these pages, may you withhold nothing in your pursuit of the Lover of your soul!
Amie Dockery
CHAPTER 1
“Willing”
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
P SALM 63:1
Mary Ann had lived in the desert her entire life. Born and raised in an arid land where the nearly constant hum of air conditioners was just part of the lifestyle, and the family refrigerator was always well stocked with cold drinks, s