Pray in Anticipation

As I have sat in this class, especially the last few sessions, I have been convicted of what my prayer life looks like both privately and publicly.  Since this is a class on corporate worship I shall develop the public prayers.

I have to remind myself from time to time that when praying publicly that it is not about me.  I have found, sometimes, that as I prepare to pray I will script my prayers so much that I have to have it sound perfect.  That, in essence, is making the prayer about me and focusing on God and praising Him and leading people to praise Him through prayer.  Burroughs talks much about sanctifying God's name in prayer.  In some ways I feel that this is beginning to be lost in corporate prayer.  I often find that as a body we pray asking rather that pray worshiping.  We will go to God and ask Him to "be with us" as we worship together but should we rather be seeking to go to Him as we worship?  Of course!  It seems that to often even when we pray as a body that our prays are more focused on us and what we want than on God and what He desires for us.  As Burroughs closes out his last sermon in the book he says, "There is a time coming when all the saints must be in the presence of God always praising Him, and they shall then sanctify God’s name forever.  Let us now learn this art of sanctifying God’s name and praying that we may eternally sanctify His name in praising Him" (GW 389).  What a challenge that I think must be taken to heart if the church today has a desire to comune with God in prayer.  I know that I am looking forward to the day when I will stand before my maker and worship Him forever.  If oanly I prayed with that in mind, if only the church prayed with that in mind, we would see much spiritual growth take place.  Let's pray in anticipation for how we will worship our God and King forevermore.