Set Your Minds: Making Lord's Day Preparations

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Preparing for Worship

For so many years, I felt like Sunday mornings were filled with rushing and lack of control. This was never my intention. I desire to be prepared both physically and spiritually to go into worship with a mind set to offer praise to the Father in humility of spirit.

Read all of the Set Your Mind Worship Series for Women.

Set Your Minds: Preparing for Worship, Devotional Thoughts at Great Peace Academy

As mom’s we often put the needs of our family ahead of our own needs. I found that for me, that extended especially to the mornings of the Lord’s Day; because I knew that it was the right thing to do, take care of my child. But all the rushing around always left me feeling overwhelmed and without much thought for the purpose of my day, to worship God.

I have never been much for mornings, I’m kind of a night gal. Just ask my mom. So when little man came along, and he also did not sleep well at night or get up well in the mornings, my life became about making him happy. Isn’t that every mom’s goal with a new little one in the house?

For years, before parenthood, the alarm would go off, and I would so much want to linger in the bed. Beloved on the other hand, would hop right up and set to his morning. For so long, I felt that it was o.k. to just let him do that. He could get ready, and then I would jump up and get myself ready. The problem with that on Sundays was always, we never got breakfast.

But with Little Man in the house now, breakfast was a must. I mean, I could NOT let my baby starve. So the mornings took on a get the boy up, send him to the bathroom for a quick shower with dad, throw some cereal in a bowl maybe add a banana and if I was lucky get the coffee going, then rush off to find some clothes, as daddy is yelling “the child is clean, come get him”, get the boy dressed, throw some clothes on myself, run and pour some drinks in to-go cups, oh, yeah, I gotta brush my teeth, and perhaps throw my hair in a ponytail and off we would go.

I went to the assembly and I participated in singing, I bowed in prayer, I partook in the supper of the Lord, I sat dutifully in the study of the word, all the while my mind was not focused, my heart was not present. Shamefully, I was letting the struggles of the world interfere with my praise to the Father.

I would think about my growing hunger, wonder what I could make for lunch that was quick, then decide, 0h well, we might as well go out. Then thoughts of ‘where to?’ Followed by, ‘who might want to go with us.’ All the while around me were the sounds and sights of a beautiful worship assembly that I was missing.

Dear readers, friends, sisters, mom’s, this is sin.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.” 1Peter 3:15-16*.

You see, God desires for me to sanctify Him in my heart. But during those times, my heart was not set on sanctification. Rather, my heart was set on worldly things. This is not pleasing to my God. I knew I was not doing what is good and perfect, so I chose to repent. I chose to make a conscience change. So I began to make preparations for worship.

Download Scripture Cards for the entire Set Your Mind Series.

Throughout the scriptures, we read of the Holy feasts of the Jews. They were to prepare for the Holy feast before the day of it’s arrival. For Passover, they were to select a lamb 14 days before it was slaughtered. They were to prepare the feast the night before the Passover. They were to PREPARE. So I began to prepare.

I want to share with you some of the things that I do to prepare. Each part of this series shares a tip that I do to prepare ahead so that my mind is prepared as I enter into the worship assembly. Doing these things allow me to have a mind set on the Spirit and a desire to worship in truth, sanctifying the Lord God in my heart.

Making Lord’s Day Preparations: Tip #1

Prepare a Clean Home

Make sure that by Saturday evening the household is cleaned and uncluttered as much as possible.

One of my biggest issues was that I struggled in those morning rush-abouts to find what I needed. This is one of the most important roles that God has designed for women, to be a “keeper of the home” Titus 2. By keeping a home that is organized, uncluttered and in order, I am able to find the needed things for getting ready. Towels, clothing, toiletries, dishes, food supplies, BIBLES, etc.

This is not to say that I have a perfectly clean and spotless home. Throughout the week my home gets cluttered and sometimes downright dirty like the average home. That being said, by mid-afternoon on Saturday, I begin to put things away, straighten as I go, wash the dinner dishes and make sure that the clean laundry is put away, (I have a bad habit of leaving folded clothes in baskets after Monday’s laundry day and Thursday’s laundry catch up.) By having the basic everyday useful items where they belong, I have lessened the stress for getting out of the house on time and in order.

Don’t get me wrong, my goal isn’t simply to have a clean home. It is to have everything in order so that I don’t feel rushed, confused and disorderly, but rather that my mind is clear so that I can set it upon things above.