I once paid a visit to one of the most mega of America’s megachurches.
I walked in with an open mind. I walked out puzzled.
Not because of what happened during the service, but because of everything that didn’t happen.
After visiting many churches since then, I’ve realized the pattern repeats itself. A lot of the practices that used to define Christian worship have quietly slipped away.
5 BIG Things Missing from Modern Worship
1. Prayer
The church I visited years ago included almost no prayer. The only one came after the sermon:
“With every head bowed and every eye closed, pray these words with me…”
There were no prayers of confession, intercession, thanksgiving, or a pastoral prayer carrying the congregation’s burdens to the Lord. I keep seeing the same trend today. Prayer has become quick and minimal. Prayers longer than 30–60 seconds are rare.
RELATED: Guidelines for Worship Leaders
2. Scripture Reading
Public Scripture reading used to be a staple. Many churches read from the Old Testament and the New. Then it was trimmed down to one reading. Then it disappeared entirely.
Now, many services only reference isolated verses during the sermon.
Paul’s instruction to Timothy still stands: Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture (1 Timothy 4:13).
If a service includes no prayer and no reading of the Word, can we honestly call it Christian worship?
