Revival Starts with Expectation: How We Approach Worship Changes Everything

Do we come to church to hear our favorite worship leader? To sing our favorite song? To hear the preacher tackle our favorite hot-button issue—especially when it’s about someone else’s sin?

Or do we come to seek God? To worship Him? To be transformed?

It’s easy to walk into a church service with expectations that center around what we want—the right atmosphere, the right setlist, the right sermon topic. But what if we came with a different kind of expectation?

📖 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

Too often, we wait to see how the worship team performs before we decide how engaged we’ll be. We evaluate whether the sermon speaks to our situation before we determine whether we’ll apply it. But worship isn’t about what we get—it’s about who He is.

A Shift in Perspective

Think about how often we judge a church service by how it made us feel:

• Did I like the music today?

• Was the sermon entertaining?

• Did it address what I wanted to hear?

• Was the atmosphere what I needed?

But what if we asked different questions?

• Did I come ready to give God my best worship—regardless of the music?

• Did I open my heart to receive the Word—whether it was what I expected or not?

• Did I contribute to the atmosphere by engaging and participating, rather than just consuming?

• Did I meet with God today?

There’s a powerful shift that happens when we stop waiting for the perfect moment to engage and instead enter every worship experience with a heart that’s already prepared.

Instead of waiting for the worship leader to stir our emotions, we come already worshiping.
Instead of waiting for the preacher to move us, we come ready to receive.
Instead of waiting for God to prove Himself to us, we come knowing He is already present and speaking.

What If We Came Expecting?

Expectation changes everything.

When you open your Bible, do you expect God to speak?
When you pray, do you expect that He hears you?
When you walk into church, do you expect to leave different than you came?

Because if you come hungry for Him, you will always leave filled.

Worship is a choice. Engagement is a choice. Expectation is a choice.

We don’t worship because everything feels right. We worship because He is worthy.
We don’t engage because it’s comfortable. We engage because He is present.
We don’t come expecting because we demand something from God. We come expecting because He has already given us everything in Christ.

Maybe today, the worship set isn’t what you would have chosen. Maybe the pastor isn’t preaching on the topic you were hoping for. Maybe the service structure is different than you prefer.

But God is still speaking. He is still moving. He is still worthy.

Expectation Leads to Awakening

When we as a body of believers—across churches, denominations, and locations—begin to approach worship with genuine expectation, we will see revival like never before.

Revival isn’t just a series of powerful services. It’s what happens when God’s people are hungry for Him—when we stop treating church as routine and start entering His presence with open hearts, ready to encounter Him.

When we stop waiting for the perfect moment and start worshiping from a place of faith, we will see an awakening in our lives, in our churches, and in our communities.

📖 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)

God is moving. Are you expecting Him to?

Lord, I don’t want to just go through the motions today. I don’t want to sit back and wait for the right song or the perfect message before I open my heart to You. I choose to come with expectation—ready to worship, ready to listen, and ready to respond. Speak to me today, and let me leave changed. Amen.