Preparation Prayer for Worship

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.

She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."

But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

So many of us are forced in the role of Martha on Sundays. We rush to get to church. We've worked hard to prepare to minister in the choir, praise team, and worship arts teams; and how with some sense of the overwhelming task , we come to the front ready to serve and to help others worship, having not truly stopped to worship God ourselves.

Our minds are simply engaged in the lights, the notes, the details, and the performance. But truly we need to be Mary in the story above. Our job is to be prepared; get the clothes out the night before, go to be early, start worshiping before you leave the house, etc....It is important to sit at the Lord's word and pray before we honor Him with our worship. Only then do we truly understand the nature of the worship (declaring God's worth in our lives).

I found this prayer in Worship Leader Magazine. Kenn Guliksen prays this prayer before he writes a new song. I think it is very applicable for us to pray this in preparation for worship.

Our Father, as I slow down and come once again in this brief moment of prayer and worship, please calm and focus my mind and heart, so that my heart can agree with my words. Lord, I am grateful You've made me alive in Christ, and that You've filled me with the constant presence of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You calling your followers to Yourself, to know you and to hear the music of Your heart. Thank you for the privilege of serving You from the overflow of Your life in me-for just giving me Your Word, Your Music, Your Sacrifice.

Almighty God, I acknowledge, how often I find myself stressed, detached, and eve empty. I know I am to first seek Your rule, Your reign, and Your righteousness. I know I am to give you the first fruits of my life. Father, thank you for allowing the crisis of stress to come and remind me to not just visit You, but to abide with You. Allow for this worship time to be more about abiding and less about my desires.

Holy Spirit, thank you that You are a Spirit of Peace. Please remind me in the emptiness and stress to stop and yield to You. Just as Mary did on that day she paused at Your feet. Help me to bring my soul to the cross and give us my desires, biases, and will.

I pray then, in Jesus' name, that You forgive me for my foolish self effort. I pray for grace and reminders to seek You, to worship You in spirit and truth. Please birth in me a new strength, a new teaching, and a new drive to declare Your worth in my life to everyone I come in contact with. Please continue to bring to completion Your work in my life and reveal Yourself to me! Amen.

Praying for you and for all that God is doing in your love and life. Don