Preparing for Sunday Worship

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.