Text –Amos 4:12- "Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel."
There are many things that will happen in the life of a man, but I am convinced that none of them is as important as when we come to meet with God both in corporate worship (heart to heart) and on the judgment day (face to face). If you ask me, these are the two events we must prepare for the most in our lives.
My focus in today’s devotional is to teach you how to prepare for corporate worship. Whether we like to accept it or not, Church is not an ordinary gathering. It is a meeting with God, and as such must be taken will all seriousness in both in preparation and participation.
When you are going to God’s presence, there must be adequate preparation to encounter Him. The reason why many Christians don’t get so much from Church is because they approach God’s presence without adequate preparation. There are seven basic preparations I believe we must make anytime we are to approach God’s presence for corporate worship:
1. DEAL WITH SIN
Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people”.
You must deal with the issue of sin anytime you are approaching God’s presence. In the past few days, we have established that sin is serious; it is an offense to God, and it breaks our fellowship with Him.
Don’t find yourself in God’s presence with a sin that you have not repented from.
2. COME WITH GREAT EXPECTATION
Every time you are coming before God, you must come with expectations; your expectation is an expression of your trust in God, and He will surely meet you at the point of your expectation.
Proverbs 23:18 says, “For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off”.
Come with all readiness and a hopeful heart, fully assured that you are to meet with God and experience his goodness and power afresh. You are about to have a fresh encounter with the supernatural.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I want to encounter you afresh every time I appear before your presence. Help me not to be careless in my preparation for, and participation in your presence in Jesus Name.
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