I once attended a mega church where Sunday morning worship always began with prayer. The pastor would step to the pulpit, instruct the ushers to close all doors to the sanctuary which was usually filled to its 2,000-seat capacity. He asked for the men of the church who wished to join him at the altar to pray for that morning’s service to come forward. Men arose throughout the sanctuary and made their way to the front where they fell on their knees.
Their humility and commitment frequently stirred me to tears and set an example I will never forget. (It is worth noting that prayer before the reading and teaching of God’s Word is biblical. Ezra demonstrates this in Nehemiah 8.) When our time of prayer was completed, the men returned to their seats as ushers reopened the doors, allowing late arrivals to enter as a 100-voice choir and orchestra broke into a majestic hymn exalting God. The solemnity and reverence exhibited was powerful, befitting our great and mighty God. It was also a potent testimony to unbelievers who may have witnessed it, for we obviously had gathered for no purpose other than to love and worship God in spirit and in truth – not because of anything we had done for Him, but because of what He had done for us through His Son, Jesus.
Having ushers close the sanctuary doors were also an act of reverential respect to God. It made a powerful statement about the congregation’s reason for gathering. It was a special time set aside just to worship God. I am not suggesting every church do this, but I do think Nehemiah 8 reminds us to be reverent toward God in our prayer life and corporate worship. We are to worship God in word and deed.
In Nehemiah 8 the crowd stood out of respect to God when they saw Ezra open God’s Word. It is right and proper for servants to stand when their master speaks to them as God was about to do through Ezra. Standing honors one’s master and shows a readiness to obey as told. Thus, it is altogether fitting for pastors to ask congregants to stand when reading the Scripture passage from which they are about to preach.
It should not be missed by us how Ezra first prayed, praising God for His might and greatness. The throng responded by raising their hands in an expression of desire for God, saying, “Amen, Amen” in obvious agreement with what Ezra had prayed.
Then the people bowed down and “worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” When was the last time you bowed to God? Sadly, the act of kneeling when we pray, even corporately, is nearly nonexistent. Kneeling expresses our subjection to God as the supreme authority in our lives. We honor Him with such an action, along with our words. Notice, too, in Nehemiah 8, how bowing down was not enough. The people stuck their noses in the dust, the very dust from which God had made them.
Do we often fail to be reverential toward God? Aren’t we supposed to be “still” and know that He is God? Are we ever “still” in our corporate worship or do we simply show up, get a little frothy and enjoy “the show?” Do we allow ourselves to be distracted? Do we do anything to distract others?
I never want to lose my reverence toward God and the acts of obedience that naturally flow from it. I dare not be irreverent, for He is a “consuming fire.” He is worthy of all praise and honor.