I remember Billy Bland, one of my teachers in seminary, reminding us students of what Curtis Cates said regarding the Lord’s Day. Curtis said “it’s the Lord’s Day, not the Lord’s hour”. That is indeed true. With this in mind, how can we prepare our heart for worship throughout the week and even more so on Saturday? It is my purpose to give some helpful guidance for how being prepared for worship can be accomplished.
We should begin by praying about our heart being pure and our mindset on Jesus. Prayer is indeed powerful (James 5:16). Our Master Jesus prayed often. We must communicate with the Father our heart’s desire for worship and being right with Him so we can worship in the right way. Notice the Psalmist’s words, “Who may ascend into the mountain of Yahweh? And who may rise in His holy place? He who has innocent hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to worthlessness And has not sworn deceitfully” (Psalms 24:3-4 LSB). This can be applied when we come together as a church for worship. If our hearts are far from God, we ought to earnestly seek God in prayer and repent of our wicked heart. We should pray that we are ready to receive and apply the Word to our lives.
We should pray for our family and congregation. The prayer of the righteous is a value that should never be taken for granted (James 5:16). Take the names of your family and church family before God’s throne. Seek that their hearts are pure and ready to worship the Sovereign Lord on His Day. Pray for the preacher who will exposit the Word of God. Pray for each to absorb and apply the teaching that is presented from the Word. Pray for the song leader to choose and sing with all his heart and with the message of the songs in mind. Pray for those who will serve communion that it will be done pleasingly to the Lord. Pray for the lost soul in the pew to hear and obey the gospel. You can never pray enough!
We should spend time meditating on God’s Word regarding His character. The object or One receiving our worship is God after all (John 4:23-24). I don’t know how one can worship without thinking about God’s character. He is perfectly loving which is displayed in the atonement of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8). His is perfectly just in that He will pour out His wrath on sinners who don’t repent. He is likewise just when Jesus, God in the flesh, took our punishment and God’s wrath on Him and cleansed the saved by His blood (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:4-12). He is perfect in understanding. I could go on and on. We must be like the Psalmist and love to dwell on the Word of God and on Who He is!
Leaders should plan beforehand to be ready to serve in worship. Poor preparation produces poor results. If the leaders are not prepared to serve or worship, then how can the rest worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24)? We must be ready to serve. Song leaders should think about the songs that will be lead. The communion leader should think about the table talk he will give reminding us of the purpose of the communion. The prayer leader(s) should think about what they will communicate to the Father on behalf of the congregation. The preacher should think and be prepared to deliver God’s Word unadulterated in His sermon. An unprepared leadership will result in a lacking worship service and I wouldn’t think God would be pleased with such worship. So, let this be a reminder to be prepared.
We must thank God for the privilege it is to be able to worship Him despite our shortcomings! Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Ephesians 5:20 LSB). We should always be grateful not dreadful for the opportunity to worship Him. After all, is He worthy of our praise? Is He worthy of our time? Of course He is! Some may see worship as a chore or a bore but that ought not to be so! It is a blessing. It is vital in the life of the church and the Christian! If we cease giving thanks, then what does that say about of view of what God has blessed us with? May we always be thankful!
I hope this has helped you think about how you are preparing your heart for worship on the Lord’s Day. I always look forward to being with God’s people before the presence of a Holy God to give honor to Him. I wish it lasted forever. One day it will be forever. I have often viewed worship not only a time of giving back praise to God but also a little slice of Heaven to come! “If worship is our highest calling and privilege, and we are to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28) to His glory and our spiritual good, we ought to give thought to how we prepare for it” (McCracken). May this encourage you and excite you for worship on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7)!
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