O God, prepare my heart to worship you this morning at church.
Help me to see the truth of who you are and approach you in light of this reality. You have no needs, but only a fullness that you lovingly share with me. You don’t require me to survive, but I desperately need you for everything. You aren’t lonely, but have an over flowing love that you pour out on us.
You call me to come and worship you with other Christians. You call me to love you with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. You are the Living God. You deserve my worship and it is right for me to give it to you. You are glorious and I ought to give you all the glory. You are a jealous God, and it is wrong, foolish, and evil to give my heart to another. Only you can satisfy my soul and you know this; this is how you made me. The only logical and right response is to worship you and delight in you.
Lord, may I enter church this morning eager to draw near to you. May you be the center of my heart, affections, and thinking. May you be the prize and the treasure of my soul. May this pursuit of knowing and loving you overcome all lust or thirst of preference and secondary concerns or worries. May all anxieties melt away in the knowledge of your greatness and presence.
God, let my prayers this morning at church be out of a humble posture and genuine faith. Let me pray with the pastor and congregation out of a sense of need and delight, remembering your holiness and sovereignty. May your Spirit fill me and help to pray in line with your will, not my own.
Father, let my singing to you be from my heart. Let these words be the expressions of a soul that knows you are there. Let the emotive realities of the songs be demonstrated with fresh affections of love and awe for you. Let me not simply go through the motions. Let these songs be sweet to my inner being as I sing them in love for you.
God, prepare my heart for the preaching of your Word. Let me approach the time of the sermon with the sober reality that I am about to hear from you. Let my heart be teachable. Let me submit to your Word. Let my mind see the world the way the Bible tells me it is really is. Let me see myself as I really am and you as you really are. Lett hese glimpses of your person and glory kindle fresh fervor and love for you.
Let your Spirit lead me in your truth. May I not be unduly distracted by the preacher’s mannerisms or personality, but let me believe and know that you speak through the preaching of your Word. Let me be nourished, spiritually fed, and equipped for ministry and a life lived for you.
Lord, open my ears to hear the Lord’s Supper testify of your grace. Let me hear this testimony: may the bread point me to the body of Christ; may the cup fix my gaze on the blood of Christ; may I see how you, Lord Jesus, took all of my sin and gave me your perfect righteousness. Let me behold the wondrous love of God for sinners.
God, may I leave the service more like Jesus. May my attitude and heart be pleasing to you, even if the service does not go the way I wished or there weren’t any visitors or I don’t connect with the type of persons I hoped for. Help me to have biblical priorities and a God-centeredness when I enter and leave the worship space.
The church is your body and you are the head of it Lord Jesus. Send me out changed and transformed and full of love for you and those around me. Use me to proclaim your gospel and do good works.
