Where has the week gone? The checked boxes of my to-do lists suggest I used the week productively, but I can hardly remember what I’ve done. Every Saturday surprises me and I cannot believe Sunday is back again. I admit that I’m tired. Happy and healthy, but tired. I understand the temptation to sleep in, to stay home, to watch from a screen instead…but whenever possible, let’s prioritize faithfully gathering.
And so, let’s pray.
Great is your faithfulness, O God our Father!
We confess that we are fickle creatures. We are easily kept from worship by fatigue, anger, distraction, and our own laziness. How thankful we are to recall that we are not ultimately sustained by our own faithfulness but yours.
Thank you that, no matter how our weeks have gone, Sunday keeps coming. Thank you for this recurring invitation to gather together and sing your praises. Just as a beautiful melody is composed note by note, each Sunday builds on those previous, culminating in a lifetime of praise. Help us to join in each week with an ear toward this bigger picture, knowing that every opportunity to worship is an opportunity to practice faithfulness.
Stir our hearts tonight, that we might lay out our clothes, set our alarms, program our coffee makers—whatever we need to do to make our path to worship smoother in the morning. Protect us from last-minute excuses that would keep us from gathering together. Remind us that, while we can live-stream a sermon, we cannot satisfyingly stream the encouragement that comes from corporate worship (Matt. 18:20; Heb. 10:25).
At the same time, Lord, comfort the faithful who long to gather with your people but whose health or circumstances prevent them from doing so. Strengthen and uphold them in your steadfast love. May we faithfully remember them in our prayers and learn from their endurance.
Lord, as we gather tomorrow, we ask that you renew us by your faithfulness. Whether we come with eagerness and energy, weariness and worry, move us to open our lips in praise (Ps. 51:15). May this small step of obedience help us fix our minds on your firm faithfulness rather than our fluctuating feelings.
Great is your faithfulness, Lord, unto us.
Amen
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You also might be interested in my book on musical worship and the fruit of the Spirit. It releases in early November and would make a nice Christmas gift for a worship leader or musician in your life. Check it out using this link.
Ryanne Molinari 