Prep work for Thanksgiving
If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner in your home this year, then you have already perhaps began the prep work. Nobody can just throw a traditional Thanksgiving feast without planning, cooking, baking and preparing hours, perhaps even days beforehand. The turkey has to be thawed. The dressing has to be baked. The apples have to be peeled for the apple pie.
If you are anything like me, I usually spend hours the night before Thanksgiving preparing as much as possible. I set the table. I bake all of the desserts. I put together all of the casseroles, ready to be baked in the morning. I tend to as many details ahead of time as possible. It is because of the time, the planning and the all of the prep work before hand that a beautiful atmosphere can be presented and enjoyed by many.
As important as it is to prepare for such important gatherings as Thanksgiving dinner, it is just as important to prepare for our time with God. One of my favorite times of the week is when we are led into worship by our worship leader at church. I love the old hymns we sing. I love the beautiful worship choruses as well. Closing my eyes, lifting my hands and surrendering myself to the sweet spirit as we worship together. But just like one prepares the turkey to be consumed, a heart of worship must also be prepped.
Great worship leaders know that they are to come into the presence of God with all they have, with their entire being. They must not only be prepared by practicing early in the week but their hearts must be prepared as well. They can’t just roll out of bed, splash some water on their face and run a comb thru their hair and just show up at church. They know that before they can lead us in worship, they have to of spent time pursuing God and His presence.
Likewise, as we come into God’s presence, we too must do a little prep work. Coming to Him with a heart of worship will require us to do a little bit of work. We will need to remove any distractions. We need to focus on Him and not our worries and stress. We need to come with a thankful attitude and remove any negative attitudes. Preparing our hearts beforehand with prayer and time spent with Him in His Word will surely set the attitude of our praise and worship.
Worship leader Matt Redman summed it up best…”What are you bringing to offer in worship – are you engaging with your hearts as producers or consumers?”
Worship is not at all about music. It is all about heart. And before we can be producers, we must do the prep work.
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23,24
The question I would like to ask is this: How much prep work have you done to prepare your heart for worship? Are you ready to be a producer or just simply a consumer?
Isn’t it time to do the prep work for Thanksgiving…and I don’t mean just the turkey and dressing!
Have a very blessed thanksgiving.
Thank you Denise! May you and yours have plenty as you gather together with thanks.
Amen Laurie; I always prepare my heart and mind to worship by listening to music before hand. I do not want to be a consumer, but be in true worship.