Are you anticipating the church
gathering this Sunday, or is it simply one of those things you have to squeeze
into your busy schedule? Does it seem like just another errand you have to
complete? Sunday worship gatherings should be one of the weekly highlights for
the Christian. It is in the context of
church fellowship that we encourage and build up each other. It is a time we gather to meet with the One
True God alongside our brothers and sisters.
It is the time our souls are feed and renewed through the singing and
preaching of God’s Word. Even though the
preacher might be average, or the singing sub-par, we should long to meet with
God’s people to worship Him in spirit and truth. So, how do we prepare our hearts? How do we motivate ourselves to anticipate
the worship service? When it comes to
our desires, we cannot force ourselves to want to be around God’s
people, but there are several ways we can steer our hearts in the right direction,
and cultivate a rich desire to worship with God’s people.
1. Spend
time praying for others. The worship
service is not about us, but it is about King Jesus. Specifically, it is about the church
corporately worshiping King Jesus. By
taking the attention off ourselves and what we want in the worship service each
week, our attention, and therefore, our desires are focused where they should
be: on Jesus and others. We do not meet
with the church in order to “be blessed,” but we gather together because we
have been blessed in Christ.
2.
Spend
time in God’s Word. His Word feeds our
souls, satisfies our longings, prioritizes our thoughts, and reminds us of the
Person we gather each week to worship.
3.
Prepare
for the Service. Hopefully, you know the
passage of Scripture for the Sunday morning Scripture. If you do not, please contact your Pastor and
ask him the text for Sunday. He should
have an idea of where he is preaching at least a week in advance. I am currently preaching through the Gospel
of John, so the congregation knows the passage will follow the previous week’s
passage. Read over the passage several
times throughout the week. Pray through
it, and ask questions regarding its meaning and application. Also, spend time singing and listening to the
type of songs which the congregation will sing.
Familiarity with the lyrics can only enrich your experience of congregational
singing. Pray for the service throughout
the week, especially on Saturday evening.
4.
Talk
about the service with others. This is
does not mean that you talk about how good the pastor preached, or how well the
choir sang, but it includes phases like, “this past Sunday I learned this . .
.” or “the Lord’s word really convicted me by . . .” or “That song really
showed me how gracious the Lord is.” As
you reflect on the service, the sermon, and the singing, you should want to
tell others (inside and outside the church) how your life was changed or how
great God is!
This is not an exhaustive list, but
simply four ways you can prepare your heart for this Sunday. Take some time this week to reflect over this
list and try to incorporate one or two of these suggestions into your week. I am sure the Lord will be worshiped, his
church will be edified, and your heart will be encouraged.
