One reason many weekend worship services are ineffective is that we spend too little time preparing ourselves for worship. Take some time to answer these questions today, and use them to help you get ready to gather with your congregation this weekend:
- Am I certain I’m a Christian? If you’re not sure, talk with someone at your church. Worship changes when we truly meet God.
- Have I prayed for my worship leaders and my pastor this week? If not, start now.
- What have I learned from God’s Word that I didn’t know last Sunday? If the answer is nothing, you might want to spend more time with God in preparation to hear from Him in worship.
- Whom have I invited to attend church with me this weekend? You have two more days to answer this question . . . .
- Do I usually "put on a show" at church? Only you can answer that question – but all of us must answer it if we want to worship God fully.
- Do I have unconfessed sin in my life that will hinder my church’s worship? If so, confess it and ask God’s forgiveness.
- Am I harboring bitterness and unforgiveness toward someone? If so, your own walk with God is being hampered. Ask God to free you from bitterness so you can worship Him fully.
- Do I expect everything to be the same this weekend, or do I expect God to do something surprising and mighty? If you expect the routine, that’s likely to be what you will get.
- For the past week, have I modeled faith before my family? You should want to gather with your church as a man or woman whose family knows you are genuine.
- What was last week’s sermon about? If you don’t remember that sermon, plan on taking notes this weekend, and then review them throughout the week.
May God prepare our hearts for great worship events this weekend!
Your point #10 is of importance. When I lectured homiletics I told my students to preach in a way folks still remember the message Tuesday 11:30am. If they not remember, I failed at a preacher. Perhaps there were lots of information and texts all over the Bible, but no focus