Do you pray for congregational worship? I hope the answer is "yes!".
If the answer is less than an enthusiastic "yes!", you're probably not alone. But, that doesn't reduce the importance of worship and the need to prepare through intentional prayer.
Here are a few ways to pray as you prepare for congregational worship each week:
1. Pray for your own growth.
Pray that God will lead you and guide you.
Pray that sin would be revealed so you can honor God by repenting.
Pray that God would be the center of your thinking, and that selfish ways can be discarded.
Pray for encouragement in any way that you need it.
2. For the growth of others.
It's part of the reason we gather. We are not here for ourselves, we're here in commitment - for and with others.
Pray that the message would speak to others, even those you don't know or don't like.
Pray the message would reach people where they have need.
Pray other believers would be blessed and encouraged in their seasons of life.
Pray specifically for those you know who may be struggling.
3. Pray that God would move and work.
Many times it is easy to approach congregational worship like a performance. When we pay money to go to a performance, we're free to evaluate what we witness.
Approaching congregational worship this way is unhelpful.
Instead, pray for things to happen during our precious minutes together that only God can do.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will teach someone something they never knew before.
Pray that those without Christ would repent and put their faith in Jesus for the first time.
Pray that the Spirit might convict, especially in areas of conflict between believers.
Pray that God would encourage our hearts and embolden us as we depart to live lives of worship the rest of the week.
Concluding
I hope these challenges form your prayers for Sunday worship. May God get the glory each time we gather!
In Christ,
Pastor Kevin