There is no doubt that you can have powerful times of worship with just you and God. In fact I encourage you to do that everyday! Have that one on one connection and relationship. Without that it makes life a lot harder. Life lived intimately with Him is just easier. A very wise leader once told me, ‘Life moves at the speed of relationship.’ And it’s true! Not only your relationship with the Lord but your relationship with the people in your life. Whether that be friends, co-workers or church members you see each week, community is a big part of your walk with the Lord.

      If you were just meant to get saved, have your own relationship with the Lord and then go to heaven then the Lord might as well just take you to heaven when you got saved. But in His intricate, thoughtful and loving design He made us to need relationship.

      I’m sure most of us have heard Romans 10:25 quoted a lot in church. Something along the lines of ‘Do not forsake the assembly’ and it’s said with a pointed finger and usually not the best tone. But if you read the scripture in context it’s not said with a condemning tone at all. I love how the Amplified Bible words it,

‬‬ “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:23-25‬

      Paul is very much encouraging us to come together corporately but he’s not saying it just so people have another rule to follow. He’s saying, not only is meeting together good for YOU. And encouraging to YOU. And this will keep you from wavering. But it is also for you to encourage OTHERS! To help others grow. To help provide stability to others. Proverbs 27:17 tells us ‘As iron sharpens iron,so one person sharpens another.’ We need each other to sharpen and refine us.

      The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. The Lord is attracted to unity. He is drawn to hearts coming together with one goal to worship Him. Scripture tells us that if we lift Him up He will draw all men to Him. Many times when I lead worship I think of The Lord’s Prayer and the part that stands out to me is ‘On earth as it is in heaven’. What does heaven look like? It’s not one person, Angel or creature meeting with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit one on one. It is all of heaven worshiping as a whole in awe of how holy the Father is. Everyone with one voice declaring ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty! Who was and is and is to come!’ People from every tribe and tongue. In the presence of Holiness it doesn’t matter who you are, all that matters is who He is. Corporate worship is taking a stance of humility and saying, ‘We gather for something and someone bigger than who we are.’

      So I encourage you today to make corporate worship a priority in your walk with the Lord. “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:20‬