Prepare Yourself

By: Jenifer Metzger

Being ready, being prepared, it's what we do. As women we know the importance of always being ready for anything. Baby's diaper leaked through, we are ready with a new outfit. Kid forgets to tell us it's our turn to bring the snack for the ball team, we got it. Teenager has a guest over for dinner, no problem, we are ready. No matter what happens, we are prepared.

We know the value of being ready for whatever is to come. Yet, we show up to church unprepared. We even show up to our own quiet time unprepared.

Years ago my husband and I visited my daughter's church at that time. When the worship team stepped onto the stage, they were already hyped up (for lack of a better word). They walked out with hands raised, they were worshiping before the first chord was played. When I later talked to my daughter about it, she said, "Mom, it's because they come to church prepared. Then, together before walking on the platform, they prepare their hearts before God." They come prepared.

Before I began to use a Quiet Time Basket to house all of my tools for my quiet time, I would just sit down with my Bible and my phone -because our phones are never far from our hands. Then something in the Bible would minister to me but I had no way to write it down or highlight, so, I would have to get up in search of a highlighter. I wasn't prepared. Then my phone would beep with an incoming text and I would look at it. My heart wasn't prepared.

The Lord said to Moses, “Give these instructions

to the people of Israel: The offerings you present

as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they

are my food. See to it that they are brought at the

appointed times and offered according to my instructions.

Numbers 28:1-2

After the rituals for sacrifices, God wanted the Israelites to take time to prepare their hearts for worship. He wanted them to think about why they were offering these gifts and to make sure they were offering them with the right attitude. He wanted them to be prepared.

Sunday morning church service, corporate worship, Bible study groups, prayer meetings, those should all be an outpouring of what you are doing alone in private. What you do when it's just you and God, that is what is preparing your heart, mind, and soul for gathering with your church or Bible study girls.

Quieting the distractions around us and surrendering all we are to God before we begin our quiet time, that is what prepares us for the intimate time with Him.

Before church service, prepare your heart. Before you sit down with God, prepare your heart. Be prepared.

Discussion:
1. Do you intentionally prepare yourself before going to church?
2. Since you get the Word at church, do you often skip reading the Bible on Sundays?
3. How can you prepare your heart and mind before church and your quiet time?