“Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.” Ecclesiastes 5:1
Rather than going to church thinking God will be pleased with us because of worship and service, we ought to humble ourselves before God, acknowledge our unworthiness, and seek to hear and heed His Word so that we might see and repent of our sins and look to Him for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world. The Bible calls human efforts to please God evil, but God accepts the worship of those who hear His Word and repent.
O God, ‘be merciful to me a sinner!’ Give me the wisdom to humble myself before You and heed Your Word rather than exalting myself and seeking to be acceptable in Your sight by my worship and service. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]