Are You Ready to Worship?
“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”
Psalm 122:1 (NLT)
In addition to the weekly Sabbath in the Old Testament, God established seven festivals for His people to celebrate and worship. These were intended to be celebrations and memorials ordained as feast days of supreme JOY and sublime REJOICING! When did we turn festivals into funerals? If God desired His people to worship with great joy under the Old Covenant of the Law, how much more should we rejoice under the New Covenant of Grace when we gather for worship?
Psalms 120 to 134 are called “pilgrim psalms” or “songs of ascent.” They were sung by those who journeyed or “ascended” to the Temple for the annual festivals. Each psalm prepared the worshippers for the festival they were going to celebrate. Authentic worship requires preparation. You wouldn’t expect those leading worship not to prepare. The same is true for the worshipper. The truth is that the only audience in a worship experience is God. We are all to prepare and participate in active, joyful worship, celebrating His love, goodness, and presence.
Jesus said that the Father seeks true worshippers to worship in spirit and in truth. Sometimes, we communicate the truth in worship but, somehow, miss the spirit of worship. How can we prepare to worship in spirit? It begins with our attitude. This weekend as you go to church, sing this pilgrim psalm of ascent from Psalm 122:1 (NLT), “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” See what a difference it makes when you get there!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.