We have been talking about worship and how Jesus says to worship God “in the Spirit and in truth.” In fact, “they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23).

Wow. What do you seek? The weekend, a raise, losing 10 pounds? God seeks people to worship him in a certain way.

Today I invite you to think about how you prepare to worship. What do you do ahead of time to get yourself ready? I’m not saying you have to do anything; but if you find it difficult to enter into an internal posture of praise, perhaps being intentional beforehand will help.

Some people pray the night before (or the morning of) to ask God to ready their hearts and minds. Some read the day’s Bible passage ahead of time. Some bring Bibles to the service and take notes (a practice which I recommend, by the way). Some listen to worship music.

You can walk onto a baseball field cold and still have a good game. But you’re more likely to be at your best if you’ve readied yourself.

Theologian and pastor John Piper says: “worship means consciously knowing and treasuring and showing the supreme worth and beauty of God.”*

Not only is that a great reminder about what worship is, but about how great God is!

I must admit that there have been times when I’ve stumbled into worship—especially if it’s been a busy morning with the kids or if I’m just distracted for other reasons. But when I’ve been thoughtful beforehand, my praise has been purer and my learning has been deeper.

How do you prepare to worship?

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Notes:

–*John Piper, Expository Exultation (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 17.

–Bible study podcast. “What God wants: people who worship him in spirit and truth.” March 20, 2022. Click here.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.