Why Worship So Long?

What’s accomplished by worshipping for 10, 20, 30, or even 48 hours straight?

Burn 24/7 was born from a desire for community, the presence of God, and to spread Jesus’s Good News as far as possible.

It’s not just musicians who dive in. Many Burn Directors all over the world are not musicians. They want God to move in their city. They want to see homes, not just churches or stadiums (although that is awesome!), burning for Jesus.

Burning for Jesus? It’s a figure of speech. But tell me, have you ever felt a burning sensation at the core of your being? A moment when your heart felt as if it would burst unless you shouted or sang or danced or just did something to give him glory?

These aren’t one-off moments. Every time we give Jesus our attention, our hearts begin tuning to him. Time becomes our friend. As we spend time in his presence, Jesus breathes on the coals of passion in our hearts.

The goal isn’t to get emotional, but be in a place where all we know is the weight of an infinite God coming close. Emotion happens anyway. In those moments we can give him our full attention.

This is where the Burn comes in. We want to create spaces where people can encounter God. We want to create a place where the Lord wants to rest with us. We know he inhabits our praise. We know he wants hearts that want him. And we know he is attracted to sacrifice. So we sacrifice our agendas, our time, our ability to do something for God by just being with Him.

“One Thing I Desire”

Joshua wouldn’t leave the tent of meeting until the cloud (or fire) of God’s presence lifted. God (as three men) met Abraham under the Oaks of Mamre and Abraham pulled out all the luxuries of his wealth to make them feel at home. The men on the road to Emmaus insisted that Jesus dine with them, only knowing that their hearts burned within them when he spoke. David’s strongest desire in life was to be with God.

We want Martha’s heart, the one who welcomed Jesus into her house in Bethany. We want Mary’s heart to enjoy the “good portion” at Jesus’s feet. We want to come without an agenda. Martha’s heart for hospitality was an amazing thing, but it wasn’t her best choice in that moment. Jesus was in the room. He made it clear that Martha’s best choice was to join her sister, Mary, at his feet.

At Burn Worship Nights (every other Thursday) or at longer Burns (usually hosted seasonally), the best option is to be before the master. You don’t have to “serve” him, you don’t have to explain anything, you don’t have to do anything. You get to be with him and pour out your heart before him.

Those times are an open book. You can walk in and walk out as you please. You can read, journal, doodle, paint, sing, pray, or sit in silence. You can do all of those in order, if you wish. The point is to interact with and enjoy the presence of God.

It takes effort to stay focused on praising the Lord for hours at a time. Even for the worship leaders. But pressing through, beating boredom, dropping distractions, and ignoring anxiety sweetens the serenity of His presence.

Reaching that sweetness nurtures intimacy between you and Father God. That intimacy is what we were created for.

Worship Is Contagious

Psalm 67:5–7 — Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Malachi 1:11 — For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. (Also Psalm 113:3)

Isaiah 6:3 — And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

We want to build a community where worshipping, giving glory to God, is a priority. Giving God glory for 48 hours straight leaves a mark on the city. From the scriptures above, it’s clear that God intends to spread His glory through worship.

“In every place incense will be offered to my name.” “Let the peoples praise you, O God … Let all the ends of the earth fear him.” Worship spreads. Preaching the Gospel is paramount, but without worship, without musicians marching ahead with trumpets and stringed instruments, without shouts of praise to lead the way, the Good News will only find walls.

An Ancient Pursuit

So the goal is God’s complete dominion across Heaven and Earth. The primary strategy is worship. Worship on Sunday morning is good. Worship all day, everyday is best. That was David’s desire.

David wanted a place on Earth where worship echoed the throne room in Heaven. On his second attempt to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, David made sure it was done right. When it reached the tent he raised specifically for the Ark, the nation celebrated. David employed singers, musicians and priests to sing, play and pray before the Ark, all day. The musicians, priest and singers ministered before the Ark of God’s presence for 33 years straight.

Although 24/7 worship and prayer has existed in pockets throughout history, this ancient pursuit has recently picked up popularity. All around the world, Christians are investing themselves in 24/7 worship.

Hamilton’s Flame Joins the World

We want Hamilton to burn for Jesus with a community that spreads all over the world. Worshipping across denominations brings our communities together, making Hamilton’s flame bright and strong.

We want to see honest community between Christians in Hamilton. We want to create spaces where anyone can walk in and meet Jesus, where leaders can enjoy the presence of God without the responsibility of facilitating or monitoring the meeting. We want to prepare missionaries and send them as lights into the darkest places in our city, in our country, and all over the world.

Despite broad ambitions, we know that the most important thing is loving God. So we worship in a living room every other Thursday night and in bigger spaces, for 24–48 hours (or longer). We worship because we want to, because God is worthy. With our hearts set on him, his purposes will be accomplished.

How does all of this sound? Leave a response below with questions or comments. Click the little heart if you would recommend this article to a friend.

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