THE AUDACIOUS ADVENTURE with Danica & Autumn

Feeling Spiritually BLAH? Praise Is the Antidote to Malaise! Let's WORSHIP!

• Danica Childs • Episode 12

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 Are you feeling spiritually dry or lackluster or BLAH?  The antidote to malaise is WORSHIP and PRAISE!  Seriously!  We recently experienced refreshment and invigoration from attending two completely different Christian Women’s Conferences – both saturated with praise and worship.  It was a huge reminder that we must make time for worship each day – even if it’s just ten minutes of waving our hands in the air in the car.  (One hand on the wheel at all times, of course!)   The Holy Spirit meets us in our willingness to sacrifice moments in our crazy busy schedules to worship JESUS!   Also, we offer tips and suggestions on how to worship when it's the LAST thing you want to do -- so join the fun!

“Lead with your body the posture you want your heart to be in... Worship reorients us to our Creator.  It reminds us WHO we belong to and WHO loves us, protects us, and guides us." (Danica)

“Praise often requires that we kill our pride, fear, or sloth – anything that threatens to diminish or interfere with our worship of the Lord.”  The Spirit-Filled Life Bible, NLT Translation notes. (*This is one of our favorite study Bibles  - https://amzn.to/3FUQJnM)

VERSES:

Hebrews 13:15 - “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”

Psalm 22:3 - “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.”

Psalm 100 - "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands!"

King David dancing before the ark of the covenant in  2 Samuel 6:14-15; 21-22:
Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets....  “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!"

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Welcome!
01:26 - Pilot Light Analogy (Slightly Convoluted -- HA!)
03:46 - Worship Experience at Foursquare Women's Conference
06:34 - Danica's Reluctance Transformed into Refreshment (More Analogies!)
10:07 - How "Anointed' Worship Works
13:41 - Spiritual Formation Idea of "Leading with Your Body the Posture You Want Your Heart to Be In"
18:05 - Freedom in Worship
22:44 - Examples of the Impact of Worship (USC Campus & Mission Trip)
25:31 - Worship as Organic Deliverance & Warfare
29:19 - Worship Reorients Us to Our Creator.  It reminds us WHO we belong to and WHO loves us, protects us, and guides us.
31:44 - ASK FOR MORE!  You Have Not, Because You Ask Not.  Go

ABOUT US:
DANICA CHILDS is a Spiritual Director with a MA in Spiritual Formation/Soul Care from Talbot Seminary and a MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Her sister AUTUMN is a storyteller passionate about the spiritual gifts and creating with the Holy Spirit. We’re sisters who've spent a combined forty years in various forms of ministry, including co-planting a church in Hollywood with other families, where we served in a variety of leadership roles for around a decade. Later we began THE AUDACIOUS ADVENTURE as a Los Angeles based ministry in 2016. We daily pursue creative, artistic, messy, and joyful lives of adventure in Southern California with our family and friends!

"We're excited to adventure audaciously with YOU!"


Autumn Cornwell:

There was no sense of like anybody raising their hand or moving from this posture of holding hymnal, right? And so then I'll never forget the time when I finally like as this journey progressed, and we were on our fun adventure with the Holy Spirit and, and kind of researching charismatic and Pentecostal background and starting to go forward with the Holy Spirit on this adventure. I'll never forget the time in church, I saw a friend and she rose.

Danica Childs:

Was it a tentative one?

Autumn Cornwell:

It was one hand in the air. Yeah, I was like, Oh, I can do that too. But it took me a while. Then maybe months later, I was like, I'm ready to hold my oh my goodness. It felt like being on a roller coaster. Like on Magic Mountain. You're on a roller coaster. And you've been holding on to the bar, but now you're like, Okay, for just a little step more. I'm gonna raise my hand. Hello, and welcome to the audacious adventure. I'm Autumn Cornwell

Danica Childs:

and I'm Danica Childs.

Autumn Cornwell:

And we're two sisters, adventuring with the Holy Spirit.

Danica Childs:

And we are so thankful that you have joined us today.

Autumn Cornwell:

We just wanted to talk to you today about feeling blah, dry and when you're slogging through life. Even as a Christian even as a Christian who loves Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit. But you know sometimes you know there are those times when you're just like, you know, everything is an exertion and it feels like you're doing a lot for God or for His kingdom for your family friends, workers, co workers neighbors, but you're you're just kind of running on low - like a pilot light is low. It's there but it's low.

Danica Childs:

isn't the pilot light just one?

Autumn Cornwell:

the pilot lights the little light that's on all the time in your oven so then they say So the analogy is as a Christian right your pilot light is on but you're not on fire right?

Danica Childs:

So the knob hasn't been turned up?

Autumn Cornwell:

Yeah, the Holy Spirit hasn't blown on you yet

Danica Childs:

not to be a pedantic but the pilot light stays the same. the pilot light is there to turn on the rest of the gas depending on...

Autumn Cornwell:

Does it? it's always the same size?

Danica Childs:

So if pilot lights always lit

Autumn Cornwell:

Is it ireally?

Danica Childs:

Yeah,

Autumn Cornwell:

well I knew it was already lit - but doesn't it go - whoosh. Doesn't it kind of like light

Danica Childs:

It lights everything else once you turn the knob

Autumn Cornwell:

But it itself is a little flame that stays a little flame? even when it gets turned on. It's just letting others

Danica Childs:

Remember in our old stoves there a pilot light that was always lit. well you guys had to light your pilot, but we had a little pilot light that was always there that heated up the top even if the burners weren't on but as soon as you turn the burners then the burners catch the gas from the pilot light. What's your spiritual analogy?

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, it is a spiritual now. It's all good. Just think of pilots. Yes. Now okay, so anyway, getting back to the topic of dryness and blindness or, or even just being kind of ho hum, lackluster, all those adjectives, all those adjectives where

Danica Childs:

nothing is really wrong in your life.

Autumn Cornwell:

No, nothing is really wrong. You're not experiencing troubles or anything really bad. No, it's just that there's a sense of like, ennui. Isn't that what the French say - ennui? Is that like boredom?

Danica Childs:

It's neither good nor bad. It feels lukewarm. Chaise lounge. I just love those words together.

Autumn Cornwell:

Okay, let's work in a ton of French words.

Danica Childs:

We are having a Tete-a-tete here.

Autumn Cornwell:

And now croissant and yeah. Okay, so basically Danica and I were feeling like, we have moments where we're kind of having a sort of exuberant, high energy. And then there's times, you know, sloggin enters the picture. So what happened was, we had signed up for a conference with a denomination we hadn't had much experience with. It was a Foursquare Women's Conference. And so it was about two and a half days, all told, and it was last week. And at in the beginning, I was like, Oh, this would be fun, something different, something inspiring to refresh us. But then as I got closer, we had so many things going on so many events, so many things with the kids in their school, and homeschool and all sorts of different activities with friends, family, you know, neighbors,

Danica Childs:

I would also say to I think this is this is a repeating pattern. Have you noticed that? Almost every time we sign up to do something, especially if it's a spiritual, something like remember when we used to run a prayer group out of my house, Autumn and I would co lead it. And it was once once a month, once a month, a Friday. And every time weeks away, we'd be so excited about it. We'd be like, yes, can't wait to do it. And then the closer it came, the more we started dreading it until the day of and then when it actually happened. We're like, Oh, that was awesome. But there was this is one of those things to where here's a conference, we've signed up for it. We were initially very excited. Then the closer we get, the more we're like, why did we do that?

Autumn Cornwell:

Yeah, we didn't have enough time in the day, let alone the week to go on. have somewhere to go to a conference. It's almost like oh, you know, there's so many things, useful things we could get done during that time. And, and it's the thing of like, even with our prayer group, we loved it. But it was just a couple days before. It's almost like that's when you started not to feel that well, or all these conflicts were happening in your life

Danica Childs:

or you thought, you know, what I really need is just to be alone alone

Autumn Cornwell:

with a glass of wine. This actually goes back to some of the things we learned in discernment with Danica, about your decisions you make in consolation don't change the decision you made in peace and joy with the Lord, when you're feeling tired, or under the weather, or you just don't want to do anything. You feel slothful, or you just feel dry, don't change that decision, right? Because especially if it's a spiritual thing, because you know, that's probably the enemy saying, I don't want you to do that. So I'm going to make you feel like you shouldn't do that. So needless to say, Danica and I were like, Okay, we're going to do this. We're going to, you know, be positive about this. We know God can meet us in this. Some of us were more positive than others. But then when we got there, eh Danica, eh Danica, it was amazing. Like, this was a tribe of women that we had never met before. And it was so much fun. It was just so inspiring, so refreshing. so invigorating, and I'm hearing my dog move under our feet.

Danica Childs:

He's digging around for a bone

Autumn Cornwell:

my Norwich terrier, our Hastings is doing something down there. So we may have to let him out. But we'll see.

Danica Childs:

To be perfectly honest, I woke up the first morning of the first full day, dreading it. And so my very first thing before I even got out of bed, this is what I do. Every morning, I tell God, how I'm feeling. So first thing in the morning, as I'm laying there, I'm like God, I really don't want to go to this. I don't want to get out of bed. It's too early. I'm tired. And I just don't want to do this. But I will do it. So that's how I was going into this conference.

Autumn Cornwell:

And a good thing. I just wanted to give a compliment to my sister here. That anytime we're supposed to do something together and then suddenly she gets tired or is not feeling it. She's very full of grace and mercy. And she doesn't totally dump that on me. You know, but but we're honest about it. Like I neither of us want to dampen the other person's excitement, excitement or desire. So I could tell she was not feeling it as much. But she was open and like, let's give this a try. So I have to hand it to you you get a Kudo for that.

Danica Childs:

So when we first got to the conference, it wasn't that I had a bad attitude or anything. It was just more like, Okay, I'm here. And it really wasn't expecting much, I think. But as we got into the conference, they had some lovely speakers. And what I found myself being moved my I think, initially, the way they had it set up is that before each of the main speakers, there would be some prolonged worship and by worship, we mean the the actual singing and praising God, that that type of worship. And I would say in the beginning, I wasn't, I wasn't not worshiping, but I just didn't have a feeling of anything. But I enjoyed the presentations. I enjoyed the conversations, the talks that were happening, and I would say before the worship, I think it was the the discussions when they started speaking from the scriptures, which is where I just could feel a quickening, I guess you could say in my spirit of like, oh, like refreshment on dry ground. You know, like the the streams of living water, the, you know, the floods filling the desert. You know, many water references, water analogies - we're being flooded right now in California, Southern California. So rain is a big, big thing right now. But I would say that that was what started the just sort of like a softening a refreshing. It started with the Word of God being spoken, being talked about being exhorted from these wonderful women who were the main speakers of the conference. And then I would say, by the end of the evening of that first full day, that's when I really did then start to experience more of a oh, I'm feeling I'm feeling I'm feeling

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, for someone who's self identifies as a non feeler,

Danica Childs:

one who's like, I keep hearing these stories that people feel things when they worship, you know, I definitely had a sense of much greater sense of like, oh, I can sense I am sensing the spirit. Now, in the worship, I am feeling something you know, I could feel things in my hands. There was like a warmth and a tingle. And just a sense of peace, I think a sense of peace and of shalom, that sense of well being like all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well, all shall be well to use the words of Julian of Norwich. That was the sense I got by the end of that first full day. That came about through I think the entirety of everything it was through hearing the Word of God. But it was also then marinating in the worship time. And they did such a lovely job with the worship the woman who led it was definitely what you would say is anointed.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, the anointed term means something, you know, that means that she is called by God been gifted with spiritual, the spiritual gift of worship of music singing. And we've grown over the years to really appreciate people who actually have that Holy Spirit gifting where it's not just a performance, it's about engaging in worship of the holy God. And then in the service or community, who is joining in you feel you all feel one, there's a unity, there's a sense of we're all together, Christians of all backgrounds coming together to worship Jesus. and a good worship leader kind of unifies the whole.And it's about God, not them.

Danica Childs:

That is huge. And it really makes a difference when they are sensitive to the movement of the spirit. As opposed to having a checklist of okay, these are the songs we need to get through. And this is how much time we have. You know, and I'm sympathetic to worship leaders that are under those constraints, you know, when you have an actual church service, and you have these kinds of constraints, and everything. But this worship leader, she just did such a marvelous job. I think you've talked about it before, like hosting the presence of the Holy Spirit, inviting the Spirit in and then giving the Spirit space to move, you know, knowing how long to stay in a song. How it's more than just the singing. It's also her, what would you say - her prophetic prayers while singing as well?

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, she was sensing what's going on. So she's working with the Holy Spirit. And that's when you hear them say we were going to do another song. But we feel the Holy Spirit's doing something to let you have space right now to pray or to intercede in different times through the through the event, they would they would augment their plans to serve the Holy Spirit. And that is huge.

Danica Childs:

And it makes a huge difference not to overuse the word huge, but it makes an enormous difference.

Autumn Cornwell:

It makes a gigantic difference

Danica Childs:

It makes a magnificent difference. I mean it but it does make a difference. It is you can feel the change. You can feel the shift from when it's, we're here and we're singing. And then there is a shift that happens. Where are you all of a sudden, you feel something more has just happened?

Autumn Cornwell:

And when we talked about the glory cloud, yeah, a couple episodes. It's this idea of you feel the sense that it's like the Holy Spirit is just, he's given permission to work. And you can feel it, he has been given permission. And he What is the Holy Spirit love to give honor and glory to Jesus? I mean, it's all about that. So when we're all worshiping, and then you get that robustness of all these women, you know, most of them raising their hands, most of them like engaged in full body worship. I mean, there's nothing like it very joyful, joy filled,

Danica Childs:

but I would say to its, there is so much that is happening in this worship as well. It isn't just people being enthusiastic. Yeah, I would say it's almost just like a receptiveness.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yeah, receptive, receptive, they're receiving and responding. And there's no, like, calculatedness. I mean, I can't We can't speak for everybody, but the general whole bunch of women, were, I would say, joyfully, engaging in worship. whatever that looks like for them.

Danica Childs:

I highly recommend it. Um, but so I think the thing that was so fascinating about this is, you know, so from a spiritual formation, background, one of the things that we often talk about is the idea of leading with the body. So even if you are not feeling something, even if you are not, you know, necessarily wanting to do something, instead of sitting in that posture the entire time, what you can do is lead with your body, which means put your body through some motions that sort of make you open to the Spirit. And so, in this kind of worship, one of those postures is, you know, worshiping with your hands out with the idea that I am here to receive from you. So it's a reminder to the rest of you that I, I am in a receiving mode, even if I'm not feeling anything, I'm going to put my body into a posture, because that's a training you're training yourself to be open to the Spirit and so you put yourself in a posture of like I want, whatever you have for me, Holy Spirit. And then the other one is like if you are rejoicing, and praising God is lifting your arms in praise, putting your hand you know, your arms over your head, and really getting into that posture. Now again, you know, this isn't a thing of like, fake it till you make it that's not what we're talking about. But there is something to be said about when you move your body into certain positions. It is changes your own heart posture as well. And so as you lift your arms and praise, or as you, you know, rejoice while singing songs of how Worthy the Lamb is how worthy Jesus is. it can help that process of worship start taking place in your own heart.

Autumn Cornwell:

Exactly. It's almost like the metaphor of a lightning rod. It almost feels like in a sense, sometimes you're reaching out to God, you're you know, you're seeking God, you're showing, you know, how much you love him. And yes, emotions come with that. And we're going to talk about that in another episode about the emotions of God and our emotions and how we connect to God through our emotions. And that's wonderful. it's not something to be snide about, you know, they're so emotional, no, hello, when we were growing up in the Lutheran church and other kinds of churches that did not have that at all, because mostly it was hymns, and we love hymns. It's spiritual poetry. But um, there was no sense of like anybody raising their hand or moving from this posture of holding hymnal, right. And so then, I'll never forget the time when I finally like, as this journey progressed, and we were on our fun adventure with the Holy Spirit and, and kind of researching and charismatic and Pentecostal background and starting to go forward with the Holy Spirit on this adventure. I'll never forget the time in church, I saw a friend and she rose,

Danica Childs:

was it a tentative arm?

Autumn Cornwell:

It was one hand in the air. And I was like, Oh, I can do that, too. But it took me a while, then maybe months later, I was like, I'm ready to hold my hand in the air. Oh, my goodness, it felt like being on a roller coaster, right? Like on you know, Magic Mountain, you're on a roller coaster. And you've been holding on to the bar. But now you're like, Okay, for just a little step more, I'm gonna raise my hands. And there was something about that in the scriptures that says, you know, raise your hands and clap your hands and make a joyful noise. And, like, come on. And so there is something powerful about that. It's a little akin to when people you kneel, to pray or get on their knees and pray like this, right? You know, that does something to the body,

Danica Childs:

well, you're leading with the body, the posture you want your heart to be in. So if you want your, if you want to be in a posture of praise before the Lord well put your body in the posture first. And then your heart often follows. And then same thing with kneeling prayer, when you have a contrite heart, when you are wanting forgiveness for something well then kneel. And this could go both ways. Sometimes it's because you're you feel you'd like you're on holy ground with God. And so you want to show your humility before the Lord and so, but again, you're leading with your body, you're, you're falling over, you're getting on your knees to show your reverence for the Lord, you're leading with the body, the posture you want in your heart. So this is like, all over Christianity. Throughout the Christian tradition.

Autumn Cornwell:

and the Bible, they're always prostrating themselves

Danica Childs:

of leading with the body, the posture you want your heart to be in.

Autumn Cornwell:

it's encouraged all through Scripture. So the Lord is always, you know, just celebrate, you know, feast days and come before me, and then other times, like, repent, and you're, you're, you're kneeling before the Lord and you're, you know, there are emotions, and postering is all through the Bible.

Danica Childs:

I would just say here, then, you know, like, if you if you're listening to this, and you're like, you know, I love worshiping God, and yet I do feel a constraint, you know, and maybe you don't feel comfortable doing it in a group of people. But you want to start practicing this then I would suggest, you know, practice in home, practice in your room where nobody can see you and just practice singing your praises to the Lord or calling out your your Thanksgiving and moving your body while you do it. And by that it can be lifting your arms it can be dancing before the Lord if you've never danced before the Lord while also singing or praising him. Give it a whirl. And yes, no pun intended.

Autumn Cornwell:

Don't save it for the raves. Because we used to go to raves and techno clubs and all that and I would do you know, have so much fun, boom, boom, boom, but And yet, church was different. it's like, why?

Danica Childs:

Shouldn't church be more fun?

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, Because worshiping the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, let's go!

Danica Childs:

you know, should be

Autumn Cornwell:

if you're going to have exuberance at some point in your life. It shouldn't be a ballgame Only, it shouldn't be at concerts only. It should be in church. It really should because he is magnificent. And you know, and you don't have to be an extrovert or totally outgoing personality. You can do just the little arm raise...

Danica Childs:

on a side note this is my hobby horse right? Easter is coming, people Easter is coming. April 9 is Easter. This is the most important day of the Christian calendar. Easter. The day Jesus Christ resurrected. If he had not resurrected we would not be we would still be in our sins right? So this is the day we celebrate it is the most holy, most important day. Right? Because if Jesus did not rise again, then all of this is meaningless. This in the Christian church should be the most celebrated day of all the year. This is the day When every hymn should be sung that is joyous and makes you want to dance. This is the day we should be having dances in the church. This is the day. You know where it's like. This is when you let out your exuberance for the Lord. It should be on Easter.

Autumn Cornwell:

Exactly. Get out that bluegrass and gospel

Danica Childs:

If you are in charge of leading a service on Easter, think about how you can bring your people into praise and celebration with their whole bodies. This is the time to do it.

Autumn Cornwell:

Exactly. Oh my gosh, yes.

Danica Childs:

I always get to Easter services. And I'm like, Yes. When is it gonna happen? When is it? Oh, oh, it's over. It feels like there's never enough songs. I feel like there's never there's never enough dancing. It's never enough. Like, yeah, you know, party.

Autumn Cornwell:

I know. It should be almost all celebration, and then there should be a big banquet afterwards. You know, we've done things like that, like we do this in our homes. And we've done Easter worship. And we have a blast.

Danica Childs:

We love Easter parties.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yeah, but we wish it would be in the actual church.

Danica Childs:

we want everybody to experience that. And then can you imagine if you brought your unbelieving friends to a service like that where people were wild for the Lord on Easter Sunday because they understood the magnitude of what is going on?

Autumn Cornwell:

Hallelujah! Yes. Instead like this was another hobbyhorse where, you know, we weren't planning to talk about this but why not insert it it's like we have a little bit of a pet peeve when when it becomes more of a seeker service. Yes, versus celebrating our Risen Lord this is a time for the Christians who all year have been waiting -slogging through lent. We want to get to Easter we want to be boisterous and excited and worshipful and honor God and it's not a time to then try to then pivot to say now if you don't know Jesus, it's like they will will they will look and be so interested in your our collective excitement about Jesus joy filled response to Jesus, because this speaks for itself. I think that day should be a day holy unto the LORD.

Danica Childs:

And I think what happens is if you do bring people like that it creates a hunger in them for what you have

Autumn Cornwell:

You don't need to over explain at that point. they will want to come back if then they come back and there was more like this right? You know what I mean? That it keeps going to a certain extent. but they will know we are Christians by our love. Right? And the joy of the Lord is our strength. Yes, our worship.

Danica Childs:

Our worship as Christians we are a worshiping community. Yes, Christians are worshipping community. And part of that worship is it is learning the Word of God. It is hearing sermons that is a worship to like using our minds, we can worship God with our minds as well. And our emotions, we worship God with our emotions, we worship God with our entire being. But a big part of that is the exuberance that comes from praising God with our mouth, with our bodies with our with song. That should be a big part of church.

Autumn Cornwell:

it's a huge witness. I mean, there's so many stories of missionaries who they just us, I mean, I have a story of being I think it was on the USC campus years ago. And there was some of us were like prayer, walking, just to bless the campus. We weren't even planning to do anything more than prayer walk and pray over this university for blessing the students there. At that time. This was years ago. And some people had brought their guitars and then just kind of impromptu started to pray some, I mean, singing some praise music, you know, the kind that you do at camp, which is always stirring, you know, because it's acapella. And it's like the guitars and like, Jesus people movement, and we were just hanging out and people started to come over towards us. And one guy, a student there, who was from India originally said, What are you singing? I'm feeling things inside, as you sing. Who are you singing to? What is this about? And he ended up, you know, getting, you know, people prayed with them, told them who you know, Jesus was. And he came to Jesus. I mean, literally, we weren't even there to do anything like that, necessarily. But he was drawn by hearing the music of truth, but it's the Holy Spirit active in this right. And he it stirred him up. So again, we weren't preaching a gospel message to him. He wanted to know he came in he wanted to know and that has happened a lot around the world. I hear this all the time. When people worship Jesus, there are you know, and then speaking of music as warfare on a side topic. There's, you know, many stories of people in different countries, you know, playing worshipful music, like Spirit fill worship, and the witchdoctors can't even come into the gathering because they're reacting to what is happening, it becomes a spiritual warfare, like they can't do anything there. Because they're, you know, there's too much activity in the Holy Spirit and angels and all that so.

Danica Childs:

So I think the thing we sometimes forget maybe in the idea of worship, especially corporate worship is so, so powerful. I mean, that is definitely what we walked away from, from this conference. It's just the power of unified believers worshipping the holy one worshipping Jesus Christ worshipping the God the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit, you know that there's it is so powerful, and I think we sometimes forget the supernatural nature of what is going on.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, It's Supernatural.

Danica Childs:

And that that is why it becomes so powerful. And that is why it can move people who don't even know what's going on, like something does happen. And we definitely felt that. It's because these people were sensitive to the movement of the Spirit.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes. And they were giving time and space for that.

Danica Childs:

And were praying for it and allowing us to, we said, marinate in the Spirit's presence during this time of worship. And then when you're doing that, the worship in you becomes really spontaneous. Because you just can't stop yourself.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yeah, the fear of man kind of dissipates, you know,if you have something binding you, it delivers you from that, you know, lots of extended worship does that it's organic deliverance. So that's why it's really important. If you're feeling really oppressed, if you're under spiritual warfare, or attack, play a lot of praise music, or hymns or whatever kinds of music, string rock, you know, you know, Christian rock, or whatever it is that you like, or any or even just, you know, play people speaking the Word, you know, word of God, you know, on Audible or whatever. And you sing, you know, the scriptures, you sing songs, and that is a superpower that is a super powerful spiritual warfare. And what you are doing is you're marinating, and what it does is demons hate that. you're just kind of giving yourself some space. You're not I mean, it creates space, but it creates buffer around you. Now, I'm not saying that you don't have to do anything else, but just worship and you can live your life and do whatever you want, and not obey God. And it's fine. No, that's not what we're saying.

Danica Childs:

Well, I would say like one of the one of the side effects along with what Autumn is saying is like when you get into this, when you start worshipping, and you're worshiping in spirit and in truth, what ends up happening is there is a desire in you for holiness. I know we've talked about this before, but there is a sense in which when you are in the presence of God, you and you see this throughout Scripture is, you know, that sense of like, I am, I am a man of unclean lips, wasn't that Isaiah, when he, you know, was before the Lord. It's like, there's a sense of which you feel your own uncleanness and you want it gone, you want to be made pure, you want to be made holy. And so the sense of worship, getting into that place of worship can help strengthen you in your obedience to do those things that might be difficult, you know, they can give you it's like a supercharge of the Holy Spirit in your life to give you the the empowerment, to be able to live according to the commands Jesus has given us. Because we can't, we can't obey the law without the Holy Spirit.

Autumn Cornwell:

I mean, this is huge. This is really huge, especially if you've grown up in churches that kind of focus on like, work not works in that sense, but doing things.

Danica Childs:

Yeah. doing the right thing

Autumn Cornwell:

Being obedient and doing and, you know, you read your Bible, and there's a lot of actions you're supposed to take, which isn't bad. I mean, we want to respond to God in obedience. But the difference is, when you're doing it out of obligation, you're doing it because you should, instead of I'm doing it, because I'm fueled by the Holy Spirit, and I have joy, and I want to please my father God and serve Jesus Christ.

Danica Childs:

well, what you're saying is it becomes a response of love. like, God, I love God so much that I want to obey His commands, because I know his commands are out of love for me. so I'm gonna respond in love. But we, we often try and do that in our own self sufficiency. And that's when it gets like a slog, you cannot do it in your own power. You need the Holy Spirit, you need a partner with the Holy Spirit to become like Jesus.

Autumn Cornwell:

Exactly. And it's why, you know, I remember being to go into meetings, like at certain churches, and they would go, Oh, we're gonna pray and praise for 30 minutes. And I was like, really? coming from our background. Don't we have to make some decisions? I mean, that was like, years ago. And then I started to understand, oh, no, you need to, we need to praise God, we need to give him the sacrifice of our praise, as it says in the Bible, and our time and give him honor, and that helps calibrate our heaven and heart posture. And then it's easier to make decisions as a team in unity and all that and there's never a waste of praise, you know what I'm saying?

Danica Childs:

the way I like to think about it is that worship reorients us, it reorients us to the truth, that God is the Creator, and we are the created, that our dependence is upon God. And so it's a reminder of who we belong to. It's a reminder of who loves us, who cares for us, Who, who, who protects us who guides us, it's a reminder that we are not the gods of our own life, because we are made to worship and well, we will worship something and so when we worship God, it's a reminder that this is our true identity. People who are supposed to worship the one true God.

Autumn Cornwell:

And if you're feeling dry, if you're feeling and maybe you went through seasons, like we've gone through seasons where I was like on fire and I was you know, dancing up a storm in my room and you know, worship and then I it kind of dissipated. And then I was like, oh, I need to do that, again, there what Danica said was really great, like just dancing and singing, and just being exuberant, it kind of supercharges you, you know, and there was something and it's like, it doesn't make total sense, but it does, you know, does, but it doesn't. And so, if you haven't, and you feel like just blah, like in your car in your room, you know, what you're getting in the morning, or if you get up in the afternoon or whatever you get up, you know, playing music or singing out loud, and just holding your hands up and saying, Holy Spirit, Come, Holy Spirit Come, I need you. I need your supernatural love, joy and peace. Empower Me with your joy. Empower Me with who you are again today, because I know you're in me, but I just need an extra filling and please, you know, kind of light me on fire with my first love. Like, you know, the first love, you know, on fire me are people like us who've been in a journey with the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ and Father God for most of your lives or a lot of your life. You know, this one's kind of for you. If you're new when you're on fire. Great - keep going! Welcome to the club.

Danica Childs:

But there will come times when it starts when you you have those valleys when it's just like, Okay, I'm putting one foot in front of the other and putting one foot in front of the other. And you don't even realize how much you're just kind of holding on. Where you're just, oh, I am just existing. And I think going back to your pilot light analogy, okay. we all have the pilot light of the Holy Spirit in us. But you know, we have to partner with the Spirit. God is not coercive. So he's not going to force himself on us. He is not going to force us to do anything. But he will, if we desire it, work with us work in our desires, enflame us to fall in love for himself. But it comes out of a partnering with the Spirit in that. So it's almost like we have to agree with the Spirit to say I want to turn the heat up. I want more. And, you know, because it says like You have not because you ask not. And so if you are desirous of this, then ask the Holy Spirit. Always ask the Spirit, go to Jesus, go to Jesus, go to Jesus. That is, if you walk away with nothing else, We want you to know in all things, turn to Jesus, In all things, turn to Jesus, in all things Ask the Spirit for help, in all things, if you are dry, ask the Spirit for living waters. If you are frustrated, ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. If you are angry, ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to help you identify what is going on with you that causes you so much anger. In all things.

Autumn Cornwell:

even patience to do things you don't want to do. You know, grace to do what the tasks you're just getting bogged down by. And actually coming full circle. I think we were praying for refreshment when I happened upon this conference that we didn't know about. But it was a rabbit trail from a different thing. I was researching online and somehow stumbled across it. And I knew it was an answer from God of a prayer I had the day before or the day before that I can't remember what day I remember going God, Danica and I have been working hard and we just need refreshment. You know, being in ministry, you know, you get kind of like, you know, you need your refreshing moments. And I said, I don't know where it's coming from, but just Lord send someone or something to refresh us. That's new. And then that came out of the blue and boy did it refresh us. that was an answer to prayer. And I noticed that like when I don't feel like reading the Bible, and I love to read the Bible, and then I'll be like, I'm just too tired to even pick it up and open it. I'm just like, weakened.

Danica Childs:

Mr. Burns, Mr. Burns, arms

Autumn Cornwell:

I can't even open, you know, and so and then God will give me he'll, he'll just like say, and he usually says just open it up and start reading. And then usually, like, I'll just start reading and then I start to get into it. And then I the Holy Spirit is usually doing some funny things like he'll do, you know, putting a verse or he'll get my sense of humor, or he'll, he'll draw me into story because I love story. And then I'll before I know it, I don't want to put it down and I'm not making lunch or whatever, because I got into it. But it's almost like you have to, you're gonna partner, but be honest and tell him I need refreshing I'm having a hard time doing this or,

Danica Childs:

you have just also articulated and given us an example of what it looks like to lead with the body. Even in the reading of Scripture, which is my heart, my feeling my mind is resistant to doing this. But I know I should do it in a sense because as Christians, we should be in the Word of God, that is a positive should. And so it's being honest with God, I don't want to do this. Always be honest with God, if there's something you don't want to do in the Christian life, just be honest First. don't try and hide and deny it and try and justify it. Just be honest with God first and say I don't want to do this. But then lead with your body. Lead with your body, pick up the Bible, physically. Open the Bible, find one verse, you know, go through the Psalms. If you don't know what to do, go through the Psalms, pick one psalm, just read it lead with the body and be open to the Spirit - say Spirit. I don't want to do this, but I'm open to you and I'm going to do it. Speak to me.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, exactly.

Danica Childs:

That can be five minutes,

Autumn Cornwell:

yeah, five minutes. And then if you if you sense I should worship but I don't want to worship, just pick a song that you know, and just sing it out loud doesn't matter if you can't carry a tune, I can't. The Lord loves it. He thinks I'm amazing when I sing some other people may not, And then and then just start singing, you know, a couple of verses. And before you know it, sometimes you're like, Oh, what's that other song I really liked. And then you're doing that. And in the idea of releasing sound, reading, even reading Psalms out loud, there's something about release words, they're powerful. And then you're hearing them while you say them. And it's powerful. So these are very simple, very simple steps to take to refresh.

Danica Childs:

worshipping with other believers, the unity of believers is powerful. And it is the it is something that the enemy of our souls is constantly working against, he does not want unity of believers, because he knows that where there is unity, there is power, and there will be change, personal change, and social change will come about when believers are unified. And so that's why I think there's always so much stirring up of believers when they're together and everything. So when you can get together and worship, the Spirit will unify you in that. And then that makes you powerful as a group as well. So in your church groups in your life groups, or whatever it is, you are part of make worship a habit.

Autumn Cornwell:

because it says where two or three are in agreement. you have what You've asked if it's in alignment with, you know, what Jesus's heart is about. And so, and again, that's where the enemy will try to get at us and make us be nitpicky about churches, and oh, they do it this way. Or, I don't know about that group, or whatever. It's like, you know, what, if they love Jesus, and if they love the Bible, and they believe it's inerrant, and believe that Jesus died and rose again from the dead For our sins. and all that, then give it a chance, you know, try and then just get together and worship with them. were you gonna say something?

Danica Childs:

I was going to say, we are guilty of that. we can be very like scrutinizing of our church experiences. And that is not necessarily a good thing.

Autumn Cornwell:

But we can bring it to God and see the thing you can say, I love this church, but this they do differently than I'm comfortable with. Or I'm used to this, But then I feel like God then will meet your needs in other ways, like he met our need, for the things we needed in this conference. And then we have other friends who love to worship like we do, that we get together with on occasion, and all play the kinds of Christian music that we love, you know, and so you make it happen if you're if your church is awesome, but it's just not that it doesn't seem to be cohesive for you, in those kinds of experiences, then create them yourself.

Danica Childs:

the thing that I loved about this conference that we went to is that one, it is not a denomination, Foursquare is not our denomination, I don't think I've ever been to anything Foursquare, although it seems to be coming up more in our circles right now. So that was new for us worshiping with a bunch of Foursquare women. Two like all sorts of demographics, I would say, you know, ethnic demographics were all over age was all over. And economically it was very diverse. And in educational backgrounds

Autumn Cornwell:

and they came from all over the United States

Danica Childs:

So, so this was a taste of what heaven is going to be like, where you have such diversity of people, but unity in belief and worship. Beautiful, beautiful. And so this is it's something I have to say to myself frequently. And so I encourage anybody else out there who is similar, in that you don't need people who look a certain way, act a certain way, have a certain amount of money have a certain type of job, or a certain type of creative, any of those, you know, this is no brainer, right? And yet, we still fall into those traps of like, I need a church that looks like XY and Z. And this was just a reminder of like, we don't really what we need is a heart that is open to who whomever God puts us with, to be able to see Jesus in them. And together, we reflect Jesus to the world.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, and I think it was CS Lewis who talks about going to church. He hass great things to say - you're not gonna always enjoy it, but it's the obedience to God like meeting the fellowship of believers you're supposed to meet regularly. That is a command. we're supposed to meet with believers.

Danica Childs:

And God uses all those weird believers that you think are weird and obnoxious and annoying to help in your sanctification.

Autumn Cornwell:

Oh, yes, iron sharpens iron.

Danica Childs:

So, we hope that this encourages you to just worship your little heart out just worship through your little heart out and you know, like I Autumn is far more demonstrative than I am. And so you know, for me being demonstrative would be...

Autumn Cornwell:

Well buckle up she's going crazy.

Danica Childs:

But I did have a couple tears

Autumn Cornwell:

and you had shaking

Danica Childs:

I had some shaking and feeling in my hands, you know. So it isn't to say that you have, it has to look a certain way in order to be true worship. That's not what we're saying. We're saying, Worship comes from a posture of your heart. And it comes from a desire, a desire to release the joy, release the praise, release the love that you have for your Creator God, that is the posture of your heart. And that can look any number of ways. It may be, it may look like you sitting still in your seat, that is totally fine. So we're not saying you have it has to look a certain way. Not at all. It is a posture of the heart, but we do want to say, release it, express it in a way that works for you. And it is your gift to your heavenly Father. From yourself.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yes, that actually reminds me of that verse that says, where's that verse? Hold on? It's right here. Psalm 22.3 yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. So the idea of like, God is enthroned on our praises. It's a really lovely, awesome visual. And then again, in Hebrews 13:15-16, through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that openly profess his name, and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. And I love Psalm 100. Because it's very specific about that. And there's two there's different versions that say, Make a joyful Shout to the Lord all ye lands, and make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands. So noise shout, you know,

Danica Childs:

Being loud and boisterous.

Autumn Cornwell:

Yeah, you can do it, if you're like me go for it, you know, and if you want to be more, you know, low key, that's also perfectly acceptable. And then a couple other fun. Examples are, of course, David, I just love David King David when he was ushering in the ark in the Old Testament. And we see this in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 15. And the Ark is returning to the Israelites after a long period of time. And so after a rather rocky start to get the Ark back, this is their second chance to do it. And I love it. So it says, wearing a linen ephod David was dancing before the Lord with all his might. And then there's a part where his wife, Michael was watching from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart, which I think that's I'm gonna say something about that. And then he says, So then he returns and she says, in disgust how distinguished the king look today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might. And David retorted to Michael I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family, he appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord. So I celebrate before the Lord, yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes. So it's this idea of you can be a fool for Christ by how you worship and don't let that bother you. If it doesn't bother God, you know, even if it bothers other people. Yeah, and I love this last line was another version in Chronicles of the same story, Michael saw King David skipping around and laughing with joy. She had contempt for him, but I love that line. He was skipping about and laughing with joy. So we were talking about laughing in the Spirit the other the other day. So. And then again, just to wrap up, we also have some scriptures throughout Acts just to remind you that in Acts, especially Acts 2 and 4, they talked about meeting together worshiping together at the temple every day, and they shared their meals with great joy and generosity, all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their fellowship, those who are being saved. And so again, it says they met and they would ask Jesus for courage and the ability to spread the word, and it says, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And then they preach the Word of God with boldness, and all the believers were united, in heart and mind. so just to kind of go back to what we were saying earlier about how it unites us praise and unity of fellowship and prays together unites us makes us bold, makes us want to go out, spread the Lord's word and bless people right? And that's our next the next episode we're going to talk a little bit about how this conference emboldened us, again, afresh and how much fun we had after the conference. And yeah, anything else Danica?

Danica Childs:

and just a reminder that you your very way of being the way God created us as humans was to be worshipping creatures. So worshipping is something that ties us into who God actually created us to be we are made to worship and so you know, when your start feeling dry, it could be that that very thing you were made for You need to start doing.

Autumn Cornwell:

Oh, yes. It's like when I don't write and I'm not writing because I'm a writer. I start to get edgy. and irritable. and angry. I remember Madeline L'Engle, the writer who wrote A Wrinkle in Time would say that when she started to get really absent minded and kind of sloppy and or housekeeping and she would burn the soup, her family would go, you need to get back to writing Mom, you're driving us crazy. you know what I mean? The same thing, like when you're feeling dry, or you're just not yourself, and you're, you know, it's like time to get back to the worship and to the praise, and have fun with it, ya know, whatever that looks like for you.

Danica Childs:

And this doesn't mean there could be seasons in your life, though. So I want to be very careful here that there can be seasons in your life where God chooses to hide himself for a season, for whatever reason. And so you may not be getting feelings of anything when you do worship, but you should still worship. So we don't worship just when we feel like it. Because again, we're leading with our body. And it is something we are called to do, and it's something we're created to do. So do it even when you don't feel the feelings of like, oh, I want to worship.

Autumn Cornwell:

I think that's excellent. Yeah. Because we don't want to squelch emotions, but we don't want them to be dictating everything. Like, oh, you're not feeling this, then don't do that. Right. So I think that's a very good point. Donica.

Danica Childs:

because otherwise, we would never progress in the Christian life. If we were always like, Oh, I didn't feel like it today. I'm so tired. Oh but this, oh but that. Oh, no, why am I not more like Christ? I don't know.

Autumn Cornwell:

Now my children are starving for two weeks, whatevs... I decided not to go to work. Whatevs. I didn't feel it. What if We all did that for a week. Well, we're gonna close by singing our praises. You've been very patient and loyal to stay this long.

Danica Childs:

But we do Thank you for joining us. For this episode, where we talk about worship and why we should do it. It's an antidote to spiritual weariness and malaise.

Autumn Cornwell:

yes, and refreshes, rejuvenates, recalibrates, reorients, redirects.