It is a sad but relatable story. A friend stopped at my house the other day, plopped himself down in a chair, and sighed. “I got nothing,” he said. I gave him a puzzled look. He said more: “I got nothing from Sunday. Nothing from Sunday school, nothing from morning worship, and nothing still from evening worship. I’m as dry and discouraged today on Monday as I was on Saturday. I did not hear the voice of my Lord Jesus speaking to me from the Word preached, read, sung, prayed, or seen on Sunday. Something is not right!”

And my friend is right; something is not right about this. Sunday is the market day of the soul, where we are invited by our Savior to come buy without money or cost and to eat of the gospel manna He supplies from above (Isa. 55:1). It is the day where our dead, lifeless bones come to life as we are joined together by the almighty power of the Spirit of God working through His Word (Ezek. 33). It is the day where many more than two gather to meet in His name. It is the day Jesus claimed as His own—the first day of the week, Sunday—when He rose from the grave victorious. Should we not expect great things in gathering on Sundays to worship the Lord?

Yes, we should. But then, how do we get more? How might we better avail ourselves of the grace the Lord offers us in His worship on Sundays? Here are four considerations for how Christians can make the most of Sunday worship.

1. Come Hungry

Just like our medical doctors tell us, hunger is a sign of health. It is right to come to worship on Sundays with a longing, a spiritual hunger and thirst for the milk and meat of the Word. We do so confidently, not only because Jesus tells us to do so—John 7:37, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink”—but also because we know that the hungry soul that comes to Him will be satisfied even with the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table (Matt. 15:27).

But what if we are not hungry? What if our soul does not thirst for the living God? Though not good, we need not despair, for our feeling of alarm is but the grace of His Spirit within us causing us to want what He wants. However, the greater danger in our spiritual health is when we feel no hunger or thirst at all, so we come indifferent, cold, and apathetic. When we find ourselves here, let us pray that our souls not lose their longing for the Lord. Come hungry to Him in worship.

2. Come Filled

Though it may seem contrary to the first point, this second tip clues us in to a reason why we may be having a hunger problem. Just like the junk food we eat before our main meals, filling up our soul with unhealthy snacks will dull and dampen our appetite for worship on Sundays. If we have been living all week long off the sugary highs of the lusts of the eyes and the flesh, will not we struggle to feast at the Lord’s Table? If we have joined the world and stuffed ourselves with the boastful pride of life, how will we be able to join in with our whole heart and sing the praises of our risen Lord and King?

No, we must learn the blessing of having the Word of Christ richly dwell within us all week long, of having trained our hearts to love the singing of the praises of our Lord through psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. As a result, when Sunday does come, our conditioned souls will rejoice at the greater banquet set before us. Yes, Christian, come filled to worship.

3. Come Humble

Though we must come hungry and filled to worship, we must also accept the humbling fact that the ways of our Lord are higher than ours and His thoughts are past finding out. We do not know in what way the Lord intends to meet with us in His worship. Though we may be wishing for a stellar sermon, a powerful prayer, or a holy hush among God’s people, we may have the opposite experience on Sunday. But this does not mean the Lord is somehow hindered in His means of ministry to you. No, nothing is impossible with God.

We must learn to look for the loving hand of our Lord even in the least likely of places—through the noisy child, the tumultuous trip to church, or the discovery of your least favorite preacher in the pulpit. What is God doing there? He is doing something new, something in His grace so wonderful that we can’t figure it out. But He is working, maybe even in the area of our greater sanctification. So, come humble.

4. Leave Thankful

We conclude our article with one last parting tip. If our God can do all things and no purpose of His may be thwarted, then we may leave the worship of Him with an attitude of gratitude despite all else (Job 42:2). This is not to turn a blind eye to any number of abuses or errors committed by our fellow man in a service of worship. Rather, it is to turn our eyes fully upon the Author and Finisher of our Faith, Jesus Christ. Trust Him wholly in the work He set out to do in us and His church, and thank Him for doing it. Let us leave worship thankful.