Preparing to Meet God

by Monica Phillips (6/1/03)

It is in these times that I reflect on how God has blessed us.  He’s been so good to us, and continues to remind us of the people He’s surrounded us with, the gifts He’s provided us with, and special moments He’s graced us with.  He is a great God and loves us more than we’re able to understand.

With that in mind, how do you prepare to meet that Great God?  I’m not talking about the time of your death here, I’m talking about Sunday corporate worship.  Do you read scripture, pray, meditate on His word, or sing?  Do you get up Sunday morning and drag yourself to go worship a God you haven’t spoken to in 7 days?

Worship is to be a daily lifestyle!  The difference between daily worship (time on your own to stop activity and worship God’s character) and weekly corporate worship (time to gather with others to worship God’s character) is all about purpose -- the reason we do each.  

Daily worship is the opportunity for God to hear from you, you alone, and for you to hear from Him.  It’s a daily habit of pausing the whirlwind and putting yourself in check with God’s purpose for you.

Corporate worship is the reason the church exists.  Our purpose is to worship God, our mission is to make disciples.  We gather as a family to gain support and momentum in our worship - the ability to sense the Holy Spirit at work is much more prevalent during corporate worship.  It’s the gathering of voices and hearts in adoration of the Almighty God that can often drop you to your knees.

What kind of preparation do you put into your worship times?  Personal, daily worship can be designed any way you want -- it’s as personal and unique as you are.  I choose to begin with a Bible verse, then take time to meditate (no, not yoga!) on what it tells me about God.  I then move into a time of singing and listening to recorded hymns, praise songs, and contemporary solos.  I focus on the meaning of each song, what it tells me about God, and then release my thoughts to be on Him alone.

You can do the same, or something different, depending on your style.  But one thing remains true:  Choosing to create a habit of daily worship will bring you into a closer understanding of who God is.

In preparation for corporate worship, I do quite a different set of thoughts.  I begin with prayer that God would renew my mind and prepare my heart for meeting Him.  I then offer thanks to God for being able to worship Him so freely.  In that prayer time, I begin to focus on worship and on the gathering in general.  I remind myself of several scriptures that speak about worship, and then take time to quiet my mind and allow God to give me a “feeling” for that day’s service.  Sometimes He gets me excited, other times I feel sorrow, delight, awe, fear, courage, or strength.  It is through those feelings that the Lord speaks to me during the corporate worship times.

You can do the same thing, or design it differently.  The issue is this:  How much are willing to put into it?  We all spend time and thought preparing for things like work, family events, special events (weddings, etc.), evening activities, sports events, and gatherings with friends.  How much more time should we put into preparing to meet The Creator, The King, The Almighty God, the One We Love?