NIV 365-Day Devotional Plan (2017)Sample

Into His House with Joy

*Why is it important to go to church?

*How would your life be different if you couldn’t go to church?

Sometimes it’s a struggle to get ourselves up and going for church. But God wants us to go into his house with joy. This doesn’t mean that we will always be excited when the alarm clock goes off. But it does mean that we need to work to prepare our hearts and minds for what God has in store for us.

God wants us to gather together with other believers. He wants us to study the Bible, to hear the Word, to sing praises together and to bless others. All of this should happen in church. If you find yourself dragging, ask God to replace your lack of enthusiasm with his joy.

Many believers in this world are being persecuted for gathering together. Some people are even being killed. That’s how important it is to gather. For those of us who have easy access to a church, it can be easy to take it for granted. But we shouldn’t.

If you find yourself bored with church, ask God what you could do to make it more exciting. If you find church a difficult place to be due to problems with fellow believers, pray that God will heal those relationships and restore your joy.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you that we can gather together in your name. Please help us to have nothing but joy in our hearts as we step into your house. Amen.

Taken from Once a Day At the Table