I'm sure you have been a part of a worship service or worship gathering, hopefully many, when the presence of the Lord just seemed stronger than others. I know that I have. It seems during those times you almost get swept away with the goodness of God and are in complete awe of His grace. What is the difference in times like that and the other times when God’s presence isn’t felt so overwhelmingly or, sadly sometimes, not at all? As I looked at Blackaby’s devotional today I was reminded that the difference is the preparation of our hearts and minds for worship. It doesn’t mean, ‘Hey it’s Sunday morning, let’s get on our best clothes and get to church.’ It means praying and preparing for a corporate time of worship where God is honored with our songs, our prayers and the sermon but most of all, with the attitude of our hearts.
Solomon planned and prepared for years constructing a temple for the Lord that was beyond belief in its splendor, but as Blackaby notes “he understood that constructing a spectacular building was no guarantee that God would choose to inhabit that place. So Solomon prepared himself and the people in the hope that God would look upon them with favor. He actually goes further and reminds us that “The New Testament teaches that our lives are temples because Christ abides in us (1 Cor. 3:16). We cannot assume by this that our lives are pleasing to Him. Like Solomon, we must thoroughly prepare ourselves so that God will choose to reveal His presence in our lives. When He does, there will be no doubt that it is God!” What would church be like on Sunday if this was the attitude of our hearts? Further, what would this world be like if this was how we lived our lives every day instead of wrongfully confining “worship” to one hour on Sunday morning? The result, no doubt, would be wonderful God-honoring revival. Are we prepared for worship now? If not, let’s get prepared and then stand in awe at what God does in us and in His world.
Mark Gilliam
Stewardship Minister
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