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Seven Things God Reveals About
"The Assembling of Ourselves Together"

1. It is NON-NEGOTIABLE. (Hebrews 10:25)
2. It is when we CELEBRATE the RESURRECTION…both Christ’s and ours! (Matthew 28:1; Romans 6:5)
3. It is when God’s people ENCOURAGE one another. (Hebrews 10:25)
4. It is when God’s people CHALLENGE one another. (Hebrews 10:24)
5. It is when we sit under the PREACHING of the WORD. (II Timothy 4:2-4)
6. It is for the purpose of CORPORATE WORSHIP. (John 4:23; Psalm 29:2)
7. It is to PREACH the CROSS to those who are WITHOUT CHRIST. (I Corinthians 1:17-21)

Using These Seven Things As A Guide
To Direct Our Praying In The Preparation For Sundays

1. Lord, I feel an excitement mounting in my heart because Sunday is the HIGH POINT in my week! And Lord, I’ve determined to be there as Your body assembles together, first and foremost, because You’ve commanded me to be there (Heb. 10:25)! But more than just OBEDIENCE or DUTY, Lord, I want You to know that I WANT to be there! I count it my HONOR and my PRIVILEGE to be there!
2. And Lord, I’m anticipating coming to CELEBRATE Your resurrection from the dead! Hallelujah, that the grave couldn’t hold You! I’m coming to celebrate that! And, I’m coming to celebrate the fact that because You rose, I, too, have experienced resurrection! You have raised me from the dead! I have something incredible to celebrate! And Lord, while I’m there, I don’t just want to “tip my hat” to You, I want to bless You from my very SOUL—”with ALL that is within me” (Ps. 103:1)!
3. And Lord, as I prepare myself to come, I purpose in my heart to ENCOURAGE my brothers and sisters while I’m there. I know I won’t be able to encourage everyone in our church family, so I ask You to order my steps, and specifically direct me to those that You could use me to encourage!
4. And Lord, not only do I want to be used to encourage my brothers and sisters while I’m there, the desire of my heart is for You to also use me to CHALLENGE them! You’ve commanded us to let LOVE be the theme of our lives, and through our love for You and others, to carry out GOOD WORKS (Heb. 10:24, Eph. 2:10, Titus 3:8). Oh Lord, use me to be that kind of POSITIVE INFLUENCE in the lives of the people I’ll come in contact with! Again, direct me to the people that You could use me to “provoke (stir up) unto love and good works” (Heb. 10:24)!
5. And Lord, I’m also anticipating interacting with You through the pages of Your precious Book, through the vehicle of PREACHING (II Tim. 4:2-4). Lord, in the areas of my life that You know I need to be REPROVED, reprove me. In the areas of my life that You know I need to be REBUKED, rebuke me. In the areas of my life where You know I need a loving and swift kick in the seat of my pants, EXHORT me. I welcome Your participation in my life, and confrontation of my life through Your Word, because the burning passion of my heart is to be like You (Rom. 8:29, I Pet.1:14-16)!
6. And Lord, I’m so excited about coming to WORSHIP You. Not in some self-styled, or culturally relevant kind of way—I’m coming to worship You “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:23). Again, “with all that is within me” (“in spirit”) and yet, all initiated by, and generated by, and directed by Your Word (“in truth”). I have been seeking to give You the worship of my heart and from my life all through the week, but Sunday is different. Sunday is special. Sunday is the day that I get to do it with my brothers and sisters that I love, and with whom You’ve placed me in the same Body! Sunday is the day we get to worship together! Though there will be hundreds and hundreds of voices as we gather together, through the UNITY of our hearts (Eph. 4:3, I Cor. 1:10), may we be ONE VOICE, with ONE DESIRE, and ONE HOLY PASSION, to give You what You’re “seeking”—WORSHIP! (Ps. 27:4; Luke 10:42; Phil. 3:3, 13).
7. And, oh Lord, as our Pastor opens Your Word, and as Your truth goes forth as he preaches, give him every word that You want him to speak! But, may it not be “in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance” (I Thess. 1:5)! Yes, Lord, use it in my life as it goes forth, but would You also please use it in the lives of the people who will be in our services who are still without Christ. I know that it is through the preaching of the cross (I Cor. 1:18,21), something the world thinks is “foolishness,” that You have chosen to unleash Your power to save! So, Lord, I pray that You would unleash that power in our services. Save the lost! May eternal worshippers be born into Your FAMILY in our services! May eternity be different because of what You do as we gather together in Your name!