Sometimes, most times, as I sit in church listening to a special song or a sermon, or even sometimes when I am taking part in a congregational song, I become so struck with the message that I fear that I will burst into tears. Over the years, I have learned that it is much less distracting to everyone else if I allow the tears to stream down my face, wiping them away once I am finished or allowing them to dry completely on their own. (This is one advantage to rarely wearing make-up!) Anyway, lately, I’ve been unsure whether I can even hold back audible sobs. Sometimes I am really tempted to get up, leave the sanctuary, and find a place to be alone and pray. I often feel that I need time to reflect on the message in order to assimilate it into my life. I think that my body is telling me that I need more times of praying, worshipping, and listening to God. I’m confused by one thing though: I am almost always in public when I feel so emotional; why do I rarely feel overwhelmed this way daily when I am alone with God? Am I trying to get my Bible reading out of the way in the mornings so that I can get on with the rest of my day? I try very hard to pay attention to everything that I read. If I feel like I have glossed over something, I try to go back and reread. At night, when I pray, sometimes I am tired and fall asleep before I really feel like I’ve covered everything essential, and before moving on to really “talking” to God and worshipping Him. Throughout the day as I talk to God, I am usually in the middle of something else as well, so I rarely drop everything I am doing to get away. I think my schedule needs revamped to make quality time for the most important Person in my life. I wonder then if I will be less emotional in public? Any ideas? How do you all make time for really communing with God? When you do feel overwhelmed in public, how do you handle it? Do you write down the passage or the message and address it later when you are alone?
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I completely understand what you’re saying! Sometimes, I feel that church is the only time we actually step outside of our busy lives to focus completely on God and on worshiping Him.
I often take notes during services, but (and I’m sure it’s the same for you) usually I have the most sincere times of reflection during worship times with music. It’s hard to take notes during that part of the service.
The only thing I can recommend is to take deliberate time during the day to spend time with God. It can’t be a distraction from anything else. It has to be the focus. It’s so easily said, but it really is the truth. I cannot tell you that it will lessen the emotion you have in public. Honestly, it will only deepen the times of worship you have.
Meredith,
Thanks so much for your insight and words of encouragement! It’s nice to know that I’m not the only person in the world who feels overwhelmed during times of worship. I’m going to try jotting a few things down next time I’m feeling that way. Later, when I am alone, I will try to remember to read what I have written, so I can truly focus on what I was feeling at the time.
I used to wonder if I was the only one with tears streaming down my face during worship but the more I talked to fellow believers the more I found out, I wasn’t the only one. Even in the car when worship music is on, The tears will often start to flow because I am so touched by the message in the music and that someone else has felt like that enough to put it in a song. I don’t think it’s a flesh thing, I think it is just the overwhelming presence of the Lord when His believers are gathered together calling out to Him and praising His holy name.
There is power when more then one are gathered together in His name!!! Amen!!
I don’t feel that it is a flesh thing either. I just feel trapped by the flesh, by my own body. Like somehow I need to escape from myself and all of the people around me to be alone with God and totally focused on Him. Thanks for your encouragement, Sherri!