Having the Mind of Christ

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” (Phil. 2:5 NLT)

Oswald Chambers alludes to the above verse when explaining the connection between worship and intercession:

“Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other. Intercession means raising ourselves up to the point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are praying.” (My Utmost For His Highest)

If you know God intimately, you can’t help but worship Him. When you are in His presence, every part of you will acknowledge His glory, His love. Worship allows you to be consumed by God’s magnitude.

During intercessory prayer, I usually lift others up to God, asking Him to bless those for whom I‘m praying. Oswald Chambers has a different approach. He suggests that we raise ourselves up to a higher level, into God’s presence. Then, we gain a godly perspective about the person or situation.

Several years ago, I was walking outside with my nephew, who was a toddler at the time. A huge dog came running up, and my nephew was scared.  As I lifted him up into my arms, he calmed down. The dog was still there, but it didn’t seem as scary to him from that vantage point.

Worship elevates us into God’s arms. It allows us to see the situation from Christ’s perspective. Fear and anxiety are displaced by confident faith.