Praying for Sunday's worship before you go
We often arrive at worship as we arrive at a show: tired, late, a bit distracted. This quest invites you to change the angle: to pray beforehand, during the week, so that this moment becomes a real encounter with God and with your brothers and sisters.
What it looks like in your day
You can pray for Sunday's worship on any day of the week, for example Wednesday or Friday. Five minutes are enough. Here are four focuses:
- For those who serve. The pastor or speaker, the worship team, the welcomers, those who look after the children, the sound system, the chairs. Ask that they be rested and prepared.
- For those who will come. The regulars, the tired, the newcomers, those who hesitate to come. Think of someone who may miss this Sunday: sick, discouraged, distant.
- For the Word. That what is said would be right, clear and useful to each person, and that hearts would be open.
- For yourself. That you would arrive in peace, without ruminating over your week, ready to receive and to give.
If you are short on time, pray while packing your bag or choosing your outfit: “Lord, prepare my heart for Sunday.” If you are shy in your community, also pray for the person who stands alone at the entrance: you might be the one who says hello to them.
What the Bible says
King David expressed his joy at the thought of going to God's house:
“A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
This joy is not spontaneous: it is prepared. The psalmist speaks of a longing, of an expectation, which make the arrival a happy moment. Another psalm says: “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!” (Psalms 84:1).
The author of the letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the importance of gathering, and the link between assembly and encouragement:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Notice: the goal is not attendance in itself, but to exhort one another. Worship is a place where we give each other courage, and not only a place where we receive.
Paul often asks believers to pray for those who proclaim the Word, so that God would open a door for it (Colossians 4:3). Praying for worship means entering that same endeavor.
Pitfalls to avoid
Consuming worship. If you arrive wondering “What is this going to give me?”, you risk being disappointed. Prayer puts you in another posture: “What can I bring? Whom can I talk to?”
Judging the performance. It is easy to criticize the music, the preaching or the atmosphere. Praying beforehand is already taking the side of blessing those who serve, even if they are imperfect.
Limiting yourself to your own church. You can also pray for the other congregations in your city, for those who don't have the freedom to gather.
Making prayer one more duty. If the week has been exhausting, a very short prayer is enough. It isn't length that prepares a worship service, it is the disposition of the heart.
This week, choose a day and take five minutes to pray for Sunday. Lay three names before God, and ask him to open your heart.