Step by Step

I'm getting ready for tomorrow’s worship. There have been hours of study to prepare the message. A bulletin has been put together with all the relevant announcements, hymns, and order of worship. It was checked and double checked for mistakes. Then it needed to be printed, folded, and placed at the church for worship tomorrow. Were we ready for worship? Physically... yes. Spiritually... the preparation needs to continue. Does that mean that I need to be lifting the worship in prayer? Yes, but not just me. Between now and then, we all need to be lifting things in prayer. What sort of things? Praying that God would prepare the people who gather so that they hunger for God’s word and are fed. Praying that God would guide the worship and message, whether through the word, singing, or any other way God should choose. Praying that each member grows spiritually and puts what they learn into practice. Each step is an important part of preparing. In our own lives, from day to day, we have our own steps. When do you spend time with God in His word, reading a devotion, praying, serving God? It should not be do you, when do you, for these are fundamental to a deep and growing relationship with God. There can and should be a deliberateness to our spiritual walk... not so structured that there is no room for God, but not so carefree that we might miss a meaningful time with Him. It is God that we need to seek and serve, but we need to be available. I think of Daniel that knelt down multiple times each day, facing Jerusalem and prayed. Jesus went out early in the morning to pray. When we are not deliberate about setting time aside to spend with God (making Him the priority), time will run out and we will miss that intimate walk with God. If you had a friend that every time you wanted to get together indicated that they had something more important to do, you would begin to realize where you stand in that relationship. When we fail to set that time apart for God, we usually are telegraphing to Him that He is not our number one priority. What we do with our time with God doesn’t have to necessarily be structured, but whether or not we spend that time with God is not debatable. How much time are you giving Him? Father, as we come to You in prayer, as we open up Your precious word, as we gather in worship, lead us. Amen