Rick Warren on Personal Prayer Before a Worship Service

This is the third post in my series on Rick Warren’s teaching during our Worship Influencers’ Retreat at Saddleback’s Rancho Capistrano. (See Rick Warren on Worship Leading for more details and explanation.) ~Dwayne

Rick Warren on Personal Preparations Before a Worship Service:

While I’m in my car, I start smiling. It releases endorphines that really does make us feel better. sometimes I feel like Rocky’s trainer.

We don’t do the holy huddle praying before the service. 1. should do praying before you get there. 2. spend all your time with people. Build relationships.

 

Develop pre-game ritual that sets you in the groove spiritually.

If you have four hours to work on the sermon or you, then work on you.

For 31 years driving to church I have a long memorized prayer. It includes:

1. Claim the name, blood, power, Word of Jesus.
2. Bind all demons
3. Claim the filling of the Spirit.
4. You’re the vine. I’m the branch.
5. Father, I offer my life to you today. This is your church. It’s not my church. I offer my resignation to you right now. If there’s someone who can take this church to the next level, I’ll gladly step aside. I’ll do something harder like move to a village on the other side of the world.