Worship Preparation Guide for Sunday, May 27

This week’s worship preparation guide looks back to last Sunday’s message brought by Alex Donnelly, “Show Me your Glory”.   I have listened to it twice and have been convicted each time in different ways.  I would encourage you to listen to it again before we gather for worship this Sunday.

Everything you read here comes directly from Alex’s sermon or is my reflection on it.  I am considering these questions, and seeking from God answers that will reveal my heart and draw me closer to Him:

Am I satisfied with the level of my knowledge of God?  Do I want more of God? Am I spiritually hungry?  Do I want to see God’s glory?

One of the great dangers of the Christian life is to lose spiritual hunger, to think we have arrived.   David recognized this and prayed: 

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:  

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,  

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; 

be gracious to me and answer me!  You have said,

“Seek my face.” My heart says to you, 

“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”  (Psalm 27: 4, 7-8)

So I Pray: “Show me your glory, Lord.  Show me your greatness, glory, power.  I live in a day characterized by superficiality.  My life is too often characterized by superficiality.  I desperately need to go further with You, Lord, and grow deeper in my knowledge and experience of You.  Show me your glory.”

When we ask this simple prayer what can we expect to happen? 

When God reveals Himself, those who see His glory worship Him.  In Exodus 33:9 when God revealed himself, Moses worshipped.  He was awed on God’s presence. 

Worship begins when we see God’s glory.  So much of our worship is nothing more than singing.  Singing is not always worship.  When do we move from singing to worship?  When there is a sense of awe in our hearts.  God is not interested in just singing – He wants worship.

When true worship happens, my life will be transformed.  I will not be the same. 

We go away from true worship changed, transformed.  

Yet too many Sundays we go to church and we sing the hymns and we listen to the word and we go back home and one thing has not happened – we have not seen God in church.  There has not been a powerful encounter with God that Sunday in church, because our lives have not been impacted by God’s presence. 

Pastor Alex said: “Before we ever come to church on a Sunday morning we need to bow our knees at home and say to the Lord, Show me your glory.  I don't want just to sing at church, I want to worship in your presence.  But God I cant really worship until you reveal yourself to me.  Show me your glory and I will worship.” 

Make Moses’ prayer your prayer as you ask God to prepare your heart for worship:  “Lord, please show me your glory this Sunday as I gather for worship with my church family.”