I am influenced by the magnificence of nature. And so I easily linger in praise & contemplation of my Creator, and I find my soul refreshed.
Or recently on a short camping excursion I was transported (it seemed) in my mind & heart as cares and emotional darkness lifted…in part because of the heavy infusion of God’s brilliant and beautiful display of nature that I experienced firsthand. The breeze, the sun, the trees, the cool water of the river as we luxuriously tubed down its meandering path, the eagles, even the fireflies...each had their effect.
How my spirit was powerfully influenced by this refreshing drink of summer!
I try to use the power of influence in my home.
(And the various ways would be an endless discussion, should we try to name them all.)
I’d like to just mention one, and it is a simple idea, really.
I’d like to just mention one, and it is a simple idea, really.
But worthwhile.
On Sunday mornings as we arise & the house prepares to get off to church, I purposefully set the surroundings to influence myself and my family for worship.
Before we ever even open the door to leave our home.
We’ve purposefully placed a couple simple but key strategies in motion to hopefully impact and encourage our capacity to worship God when we assemble later at church.
How?
1). I rise early enough to prepare my own heart and set the tone. I didn’t say I got up at 3 am and read the entire Pentateuch. I do, however, make sure I set the alarm with enough time so I am not rushing around like the proverbial headless chicken trying to get lunch in the oven, kids clean & dressed, breakfast served & still make it out the door to get to church on time (and then wonder the whole drive there why my heart is not ‘ready’ to worship but instead feels like cussing!) A little discipline here goes a long way: set the alarm and get up. As my kids have gotten older, I now make time to sit down for a few private moments to read over the sermon passage. This helps me anticipate, and it directs my thoughts in advance toward receiving God’s Word.
2). We’ve prohibited any “non-spiritual” media of any kind on Sunday mornings. That means when our kids were littler, only a Christian video could be viewed (as they waited those last few minutes after breakfast), and as our kids got older, a focus on God & worship is encouraged (in conversation or any ‘free’ time they might have) eliminating any other kinds of media. Turning the ‘world’ off gives time for the brain to clear, readying it for the Spirit’s masterful work of enabling our worship & fellowship with God.
3). From the time we want the household awake on Sunday morning, we play worshipful, God-exalting music (throughout the whole house). I want it to set the mood of our home’s morning, but also (perhaps more importantly) set the tone for the rest of the morning as we go to church. It’s a simple thing, really, and I realize one cannot manufacture worshipful hearts (or anything else). But it is influence, and I want to use it with purpose. Music accomplishes this in an amazing way.
On Sunday mornings, in small ways, we try to impact our home for worship. We start simply by the surroundings we create and the mood that we attempt to establish. None of these are ‘magic’ in any fashion, and I certainly don’t purport they are rocket science nor requirements for every family. But they’ve been helpful tools in our home as we try to inspire our hearts to worship.
What things influence your home & heart for worship (whether it be a family of 12 or just 1)?
I know exactly what you're talking about here, but since i don't seem to take as much time being awake before church in the morning all that doesn't apply. But I do try to play God honoring music Sunday mornings to get in the "groove."
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