A great Sunday starts Saturday night. We often make it hard for ourselves on Sunday—physically speaking—because we don’t plan ahead. In order to come rested and ready to pay close attention to the sermon on Sunday, there are several routines to establish for Saturdays. Let me suggest a few practical steps to prepare well for Sunday.
First, make it a habit to be home on Saturday night. Sundays can be super busy, so rest up on Saturday evening, finish Sunday preparations early in the evening, and try to get a good night’s sleep so you can be sharp and energetic to worship God and to listen to what He has to say to you.
Second, be careful not to do, watch, or read anything that will cause lingering distractions in your mind the next day. You want to fill your mind with those thoughts that are working in tandem with God’s character, public worship, and body-life activities. So avoid movies and other forms of entertainment that might keep you dreaming all night and daydreaming on Sunday.
Third, get things ready on Saturday night to alleviate the typical Sunday morning rush. This means you will make your—and your children’s—clothing selections on Saturday, set the breakfast table (and/or lunch table if you are planning to have guests over after church), write your offering check, prepare the diaper bag, and load up the car with anything else you may need to take with you. Move as many Sunday morning activities to Saturday evening, if possible. This way, you will alleviate some of the typical Sunday morning frustrations.
Then on Sunday morning, consider these choices. First, do not think of Sunday as a sleep-in day. Rise on Sunday at a similar time to any other day of the week. This way your body-clock will not assume that it should be in vacation mode.
Second, eat a good breakfast that will adequately hold you over until lunch. You don’t want to be sitting in church—stomach sounding-off—thinking about what you are going to eat for lunch.
Third, work hard at helping your spouse and other family members to get ready. You can assist them to be well prepared for church by asking what they need to get done.
Fourth, seek to establish and maintain a godly atmosphere on the way to church. You might choose to listen to praise music in the car. You could sing along, focusing your thoughts on God’s attributes and the gospel. You could pray around the family, taking turns to express worship or asking the Lord for help to maximize the day’s opportunities.
Fifth, arrive at church ten minutes early instead of five minutes late. You’ll need to be deliberate about this. Just think about getting the whole family settled in plenty of time—it is a glorious thought! You might even be able to use some of that extra time in meditation and prayer, or ministering to someone close by before the service begins.
These practical preparations will greatly enhance Sunday’s sermon-listening experience. Next week, I’ll offer pointers on how to fully participate in the sermon itself. Catch you next time . . .
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