Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
A Call To Worship
On Mondays we focus in on the invitation to approach God in worship.
The tradition in which I was trained as a pastor often begins each Call to Worship by quoting the same verse of Scripture:
“Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.”
—Psalm 124:8 (NRSV)
It’s the perfect verse to re-orient ourselves at the beginning of a time of worship, because it places that time of worship in context—we are standing before the God of all creation, who alone is our help. And often, as we enter of time of worship, we are in great need of that help. Distractions assail us, worries consume us, and our hearts can feel unfocused as we enter God’s presence. By declaring he is our help, we are placing all of that before him and asking him to realign our hearts and lives to the reason for our gathering, in fact the reason for our very life.
As we begin a new week, take time today to ask for God’s help to keep your eyes on him. We do not yet know what this week will hold, but there will no doubt be distractions and concerns that come our way and cause us to lose focus. Don’t fret—the sovereign Lord of the universe is your help, and he delights in bringing us reminders of his great love.
CALL TO WORSHIP: Help Us Love You Lord (lyrics here)