The Preparation of Worship

Yesterday, we saw how important it is to be still and wait upon the Lord.

I want to say that there is no better preparation through which we can achieve this attitude than the preparation of worship. This is beautifully brought out in another Psalm, Psalm 95:6-8:

“Come, let us worship and bow down; [and again, the emphasis is on humility] Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Always that warning against hardening our hearts if we want to hear God’s voice.

So how do we prepare our hearts? Well, there is no better way of preparation than that which is outlined in those words I’ve just read to you, “Let us worship; let us bow down; let us kneel; let us come to God with reverence; let us open our hearts to Him; let us worship Him, acknowledge His greatness, His majesty, His sovereignty, His wisdom. The Lord is a great God.”

We need to give Him all the respect and all the reverence of which we’re capable. We need to appreciate the tremendous privilege of hearing from God that the Almighty God, the Creator and sustainer of the universe will speak to us, individually.

Today there’s little respect for authority in our contemporary culture but God still demands respect. And if we come to Him, we must come to Him with respect. Respect is expressed in worship, in humbling ourselves before Him, in kneeling before Him if need be, in acknowledging His greatness, in opening our hearts to Him. So when you want to hear from God, approach Him with worship.

In the next chapter I’ll be sharing with you how we have to let God set the time and the place if we are to hear His voice.