Day 50

Leviticus 7:28‐9:6; Mark 3:31‐4:25; Psalm 37:12‐29; Proverbs 10:5

Turning Our Hearts Back to God in Sincere Worship

God gives His people specific rituals and instructions to follow in their worship of Him. In Leviticus 7:30, He tells us that with our own hands the offerings are to be made. That goes beyond placing our tithe in the offering plate on Sunday morning. It means entering into the prayers led by others during worship services. It’s easy to let our attention wander while saying the creed and the Lord’s Prayer or to hear only the drone of a priest’s voice during the Holy Eucharist. Not only can our corporate worship become dry ritual but our private worship time as well can appear meaningless. How can our worship be revitalized?

The road to sincere worship begins with thanksgiving—an attitude of gratitude. One of my prayer partners begins each day with a personal litany of thanksgiving before getting out of bed. That’s making a personal offering to God “with our own hands.” We need to be in the habit of saying thank you prayers.

When corporate worship becomes dry and meaningless, we lose touch with God. Take time to read the prayers used in the worship services, seeking to discover their original meaning and purpose. Prayerfully let the words sink into your heart. Use the prayers from corporate worship services in your own personal devotional time, changing the wording to make them individually yours. Then, when you hear them in a public service, they become your prayers.

How can you offer your thanks to God today?

Rev. Dr. Betty Harrison