Sometimes I allow myself to fantasize.

I fantasize that the glory of God, Kavod Adonai, would descend like a thick cloud in our worship services and render us incapacitated in His weighty presence.

I fantasize that there would be an ecstatic and joyous reunion between the Bridegroom and His Bride every weekend, and that angelic choirs would harmonize with us as we enthrone God upon our praises.

I fantasize that church would be completely and totally God-centered all the time; that after the 25 mins of allotted worship we would NOT then temporarily set Him aside for the next 20 mins of very ‘important announcements’ before gracing Him with our attention again.

I fantasize that every single person in church would desperately desire to have a genuine encounter with the Holy Spirit and be transformed as powerful witnesses of the Messiah.

I fantasize that every person would come to church not to be entertained and indulged, but to learn how to offer themselves as living sacrifices to a God who loves us dearly, and yet is not One to be trifled with.

But then all too soon, reality returns- and fantasy flees.

And the reality is this. I think we have become over familiar with the sanctity of the House of God and treat it like some sort of conference hall.

Affronted at my observation? Allow me to plead my case.

The focal point in God’s temple should be God Himself, most times visually aided by some form of symbolic or prophetic art. But what is the focal point in today’s church? It’s Us! There we loom on larger- than- life screens, with every knee drop and contorted facial expression captured in living color.

The inner sanctum should be saturated in worshipful serenity and an intimate anticipation for the presence of God; instead our eyes and minds are assaulted by the continuous flashing of information and announcements on the screen.

And then there’s the loud conversations, bursts of laughter and sometimes tantalizing aroma of coffee in the sanctuary- all more reminiscent of a group of revelers ready for the entertainment to begin, than a body of worshippers readying themselves to celebrate their King with holy reverence.

I guess it’s obvious that my fantasies and reality are traveling on parallel tracks.

But could there ever be a convergence down the line? Let’s see what God’s word says.

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭

Solomon’s exhortation to guard our steps when we go to the house of God is a sober directive on the attitude of our approach; it must always be done with reverence and prudence.

Consider how we would walk into the presence of a powerful Potentate- with great humility and deferential honor I‘m sure. We definitely wouldn’t stroll in with dirty feet and shabby clothes while chewing gum and laughing loudly.

And would we ever dream of spewing out words before the King speaks, or without his permission? That would be pretty dangerous foolishness.

Rather, after heartfelt exaltation and praise to His Kingship, it behooves us to draw near to hear (and obey), and to really listen to what He is saying.

Busying ourselves with rituals and many duties is counterproductive and indicative of a parched spirit; sometimes it can be the outward manifestation of a religious spirit- which ends up as the sacrifice of fools.

King Solomon also warns us against making careless vows, promises or declarations before God in the heat of the moment. He takes every word we speak seriously, and if we don’t fulfill our vows then consequences will inevitably follow. Much better to not be hasty in uttering whatever is on our foolish hearts before God.

But if we really must speak, then let our words be few. The psalmist says that “before a word is on my tongue, You, Lord, know it completely.” (Ps 139:4) God doesn’t need long speeches and convoluted prayers to be informed about our situation or our needs.

If we learn to behold God as He is in heaven- the God of glory, majesty, power and authority, we will automatically be stunned into an awe-filled silence by the sheer magnificence of His Being. Silence then becomes the only potent form of adoration towards His greatness and complete perfection.

Seriously folks, contrary to modern pop Christianity, God doesn’t desperately need us. It’s really the other way around.

So could it be possible that our many unnecessary words and our unfulfilled promises are holding us back from walking in the anointing of the prophesied Greater Works?

Let’s be aware that our multitudinous words are not a gauge of our anointing level, the effective answers to our petitions are.

The great prophet Elijah was a man just like us, but his brief, fervent prayer brought down fire, as well as rain from heaven. The prophets of Baal shrieked and yelled long and repetitive entreaties to their god, but to no avail.

Brevity equals power. So let our words be few and let our hearts be full- of gratitude and worship and honor and love for our God and King.