1 Minute Daily Devotions
December 7, 2008
Practicing For The Big Game
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15
Football coaches have a saying about preparing for the big game. As you practice, so you play. It works the same way in our spiritual lives. Regular time alone with God is how we practice staying close to God each day. And certainly if we're going to have meaningful, weekly worship with other believers, it's always more meaningful when we've spent time alone with God.
Have you ever been to a worship service that just seemed to fall flat? Maybe you thought your pastor let you down and gave a sermon that was just plain boring! Or maybe the music didn't connect or wasn't the style you were in the mood for that day. Some days things just don't connect and you think, "Well, there's an hour of my life I'll never get back."
I guess that sometimes ministers do fall short, but maybe it's a just little too easy to blame the worship leaders for a flat experience. When a weekly service disappoints, it might be because you haven't been in practice all week. As you practice, so you play the game. You'll be amazed how much anticipation there is for weekly worship if you have regular time alone with God.
Comments on this Devotion
From jag on Dec 7th:
I love this devotional. All too many times people are so quick to criticize the pstor rather than to look inside themselves and realize that the problem is them. Thank you for this devotinal and may it remind people not to be so quick to criticize.
From Jerry on Dec 7th:
Thank you for this devotion, but still sometimes I feel as if the message was on target but my delivery was a flop. There are a lot of things that will put a damper on a message that any Pastor preach at any given time - and that is for the people sitting in the pews to just sit and never smile or acknowledge that they are enjoying the message. If you want to give your Pastor a shot in the arm, just shout Amen once or twice and it will be like shouting "sic em to a bulldog." He will feel more excited to preach in future services. God bless everyone and have a blessed day.
From Jan on Dec 7th:
I totally agree that we should be prepared. Daily devotionals with God are a must. In order to develop 'earthly' friendships, they need to be nurtured and so does our relationship with Christ. It should be a daily experience, not just Sunday and then expect to receive a knock out message, that we forget the minute we walk out the door. Having said that, there is the odd time that I have not been fed 'full', and although I always get something from the message, I will pass it off on that occasion that someone else in the congregation may have been fed to the fullest. It may have just been what they were needing to hear. We have to share the messages.
From Grant on Dec 7th:
We should try to walk with Jesus all week. On Sunday we come to celebrate Him and to worship Him. The pastor is there to lead us in that worship, not to "perform" a sermon. Jerry, I even been told by my Methodist preacher that a heartfelt AMEN feels like a "high five" to him. Most folks don't realize how much their pastor puts into preparing for their Sunday message. It ain't easy to do that every week!
From Jerry on Dec 7th:
Grant, Don't get me wrong, it is a honor and a priveledge to pastor a Church that God has placed you in. It is however a mess when a minister takes a Church just because he wants the position. I love every minute that I spend studying for a sermon. Some of the best studying I have ever done was done while sitting in a deer stand. I even had on of my friends who came up on me studying and got my attention and said I might get more deer if I put the book down and look around me. He said he watched four nice deer walk by me and I didn't even notice them. But is a shot in the arm when a Minister knows that his people are really listening to him, so let him know when you agree with him or when you are being blessed. God will be pleased with it and who knows someone else may join in and a real revival may break out in the Church, the Lord knows we need it in America today. God Bless you.