I have four goals in my relationship with God that I desperately want to achieve. I am not there yet with any of them, but I can see that they are strengthening my relationship with God.

First, I want God to be the first thought of each day. I want Him to be so real that He becomes my first conscious thought.

Second, I want to begin each day with my own private, individual, and personal worship of God. Included in my worship are Scripture, prayer, and meditation. Over the years, it has become clear to me that I need this time with God to start the day. Beginning the day with God helps me feel prepared for whatever I may face during the day. This private worship is especially important to me because I don’t have the normal opportunity to worship corporately as other people do.

Third, I want to hear God speak and I want to be aware that God is right here with me. Can you imagine how our behavior would change if we truly accepted that God is right here in the room as I write this? Can you imagine the power in our lives as we acknowledge His presence?

Fourth, I want my corporate worship to be meaningful as I meet with the church to praise and glorify God.

That’s what I want you to think with me about. How do I prepare to worship meaningfully as I gather with the people of God? Recently, I have written two posts that may help you prepare for corporate worship. The first has to do with getting physically ready for Sunday so that you can be spiritually prepared. You can read it here. http://waylonbailey.com/2011/11/getting-ready-for-sunday/.

The second post involves getting spiritually ready by preparing both physically and spiritually. http://waylonbailey.com/2011/11/preparing-yourself-spiritually-for-worship/.

How do you prepare either Saturday or Sunday for corporate worship? Here are three simple and practical ways to do so.

First, begin your day with personal and private worship. Spend time in the Scripture (maybe reading a passage for your Bible Study group).

Second, spend time in prayer asking God to help you give Him proper worship. Pray for yourself and your proper attitude. This will have a tremendous impact on your worship experience.

Third, pray for the people you are going to meet. Many people attend worship with hurts that we can’t even imagine. Ask God to show you those people who are afraid to attend church or who don’t know where to sit or how to act. When you arrive, look for those people.

Fourth, pray for the leaders of your church. Ask God’s blessings on the pastor and your Bible study teacher. Be specific. Pray for their genuine needs. One word of warning–our specific time of prayer can degenerate into a whining session with God. Let your prayer time be genuine before God.

Fifth, arrive early. Spend time with God’s people. Look for those folks that you prayed for. Spread God’s love to God’s people.

Your early Sunday morning routine is vital to worship that pleases God. What do you do that helps you prepare for worship? Please leave a comment below. We would all like to get your helpful ideas.

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