There is a certain phenomenon that occurs when people attend a revival or rally. After investing time and money into a big event like a camp meeting or revival conference, a person experiences a renewed sense of passion–a new fervor for the Lord. Yet, a few weeks after returning back to real life, the feeling wears off.
What can we do to bring that passionate spirit back home? From summer camp, mission trip, tent revival, and church? How do we keep the passion alive after the music is over? When the potluck is done and we have to go home to microwaved leftovers, when no one stands at the pulpit saying “turn with me in your Bibles…” how do we remember to open them?
When Sabbath has been punctuated by church attendance for weeks, months, and years, how do you worship at home for the other 23 hours of Sabbath?
- Identify what drives your passion.
What makes you passionate during and after a church service, revival, or conference? Is it the atmosphere? The community of believers? The music? The speaker who fires you up? See if you can bring any of those things into your home. Try switching to Christian music at home. Invite some of your Christian friends home on Sabbath and through the week. - Ask yourself why you aren’t connecting with God at home.
Is there a disconnection between the atmosphere at church and home? Perhaps your family life is chaos, your house is out-of-order, your bills and work go undone and unpaid? You may not want to read your Bible because there’s something to watch on tv. You may be hurried or rushed on Sabbath instead of calm and prepared. - Check your motives.
Why do you want to worship at home? If you need to portray a certain persona for others, then you may be disappointed. If your motives are not right, you will not be happy with the result. If you hope God will bless your family when you do everything right, you may be disappointed. If you’re hoping your finances, health, and relationships will be miraculously repaired, you’re likely wrong. Check your motives. The best motive for worship at home is to connect with God, invite Him into your home. - Pray, pray, pray.
When you don’t know how to pray, you can ask God to help you. When you don’t know how to worship, you can ask God to help you. Pray, using the model that Jesus taught in Matthew 6. The more you pray, the more you will want to pray. The more you worship, the more you will want to worship. - Open the Bible and read it at home.
The most beautiful thing you can do for your home and family is to read your Bible at home. Read it everyday. It doesn’t have to be first thing in the morning. It doesn’t have to be neatly placed next to a cup of coffee and a clean dining room table. It doesn’t even have to be a King James. There are great readable versions that are easy to carry around with you. Bibliotheca is one that I have. Another popular one is the ESV Reader’s Bible. These Bibles are designed to get you reading the Bible like you would any other book, without the pomp and circumstance that can seem intimidating.
Many of us were unable to worship in our churches during 2020. After some time with virtual services, we were able to return to worship at church, and our homes went seamlessly back to normal.
Maybe you miss the Sabbaths when you missed church–making your home as peaceful as possible, making your heart as worshipful as possible. You can still have a worshipful heart at home all Sabbath long, and every other day too!
