As you join your congregation for worship this weekend, I encourage you to pray these prayers before you gather. If you do so, your heart will be more prepared to encounter God.
1. “Lord, please forgive me for ____________.” Be specific. Be honest. Be broken. Ask God to cleanse your heart before you encounter Him in worship.
2. “Lord, I forgive ____________ for ___________.” If you want God to forgive you (#1 above), you’ll need to forgive others (Matt 6:14-15). Again, be specific. Be honest. Be broken. Let God fill your heart with grace toward someone who’s hurt you.
3. “Lord, make me humble and teachable.” If you think you already know everything you need to know spiritually, you won’t worship God well this weekend. Ask God to fill you with humility.
4. “Lord, I commit myself to listen well—even if that means I leave my phone in the car.” If your phone typically becomes a distraction to you in worship, take whatever steps are necessary to listen well.
5. “Lord, give my pastor a message for me.” When you pray this way, you’ll approach worship with greater expectancy and faith. Plus, you’ll listen to your pastor in a different way. If you are a pastor, make sure you evaluate your life through the filter of your sermon before you preach it.
6. “Lord, I give you a blank check.” I’ve written about this prayer before, but it’s a prayer we need to pray regularly. Be committed to take whatever steps God requires you to take in response to meeting Him in worship.
7. “Lord, may my worship of You be a witness to others around me.” I’m not suggesting you make a show of yourself in worship; rather, I pray you so encounter God that others see the joy of God in your face and hear the power of His praise in your voice.
Take some time today and tomorrow to pray these prayers – and look forward to worship this weekend!
This article originally appeared here.
