After the minister calls the congregation to worship and the congregation sings the opening hymn of praise to God, the minister should offer a prayer of invocation, calling upon God, on behalf the congregation, to condescend to be present among them and accept their worship in the name of Christ, and seek the power of the Holy Spirit to sanctify both the worship and the worshipers, and enable them to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 24).

The heart of worship is to praise God for the glory of His person and His “might acts.”

Worship is not principally about providing the worshiper an opportunity to display emotions or have a worship “experience.” It is principally about “serving” God with praise, particularly by declaring the glory of His person and His works, and seeking His help and aid:

– “Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness” (Ps 150:1,2).

-“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth” (Ps 8:1).

– “All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom” (Ps 145:10-12).

-“Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?” Ps 106:1,2

The Scriptures throughout testify to God’s person, attributes or His “Name”: infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. See Scripture texts here: scroll to Q&A 4, Westminster Shorter Catechism.

God’s works are displayed in Creation, Redemption and Providence.

When God formally declared a day of Sabbath worship and rest under the 4th Commandment, He set out His great works of Creation and Redemption.

In Exodus 20:11 it was Creation: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Also, scroll to Scripture texts regarding Creation at Q&A. 9, Westminster Shorter Catechism here.

In Deuteronomy 5:15 it was Redemption: “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.” Also, scroll to Scripture texts regarding Redemption at Q&A. 20-38, Westminster Shorter Catechism, here.

God’s works of Providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions. Scroll to Scripture texts regarding Providence at Q&A 11, Westminster Shorter Catechism, here.

The minister can encourage all to join their hearts in the prayer of invocation with the following Scripture:

– “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)

– “Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord‘s name is to be praised.”  Psalm 113:1-3

– “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:13b-16)

– “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124:8)

– Jesus promised his disciples that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)

Below are four model invocations from Leading in Worship, Dr. Terry L. Johnson, pp. 48-52 (3rd ed., 2019).

Invocation #1 

O Lord, You are the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.  You are blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see.  To you be the honor and eternal dominion (I Timothy 6:15-16).

We bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.  We praise the glory of Your grace that chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him.  We thank you that in love You predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.  We rejoice that we have been sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance.  We worship and adore You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:3-6).

Open the eyes of our hearts that we may know the hope of Your calling, the riches of the glory of our inheritance and the surpassing greatness of Your power toward us in Jesus Christ.  all of this you have brought about in Christ, when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your Right Hand in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:18-20).

Receive our worship and our praise to the glory of Your grace.  And now we pray that prayer that you taught Your disciples to pray, saying….

Invocation #2.

Our Father in heaven, we have come to worship and bow down, and kneel before You, the Lord, our Maker, for You are our God, and we are the people of your pasture, the sheep of Your hand (Ps. 95:6-7).

We come to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; He is our advocate with the Father; He is the only mediator between God and man; He always lives to make intercession for us.  Through Him we come boldly to Your throne of grace.  In His name we earnestly seek You.  O Lord, our souls thirst for You, our flesh years for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water (I Jn 2:1; I Tim 2:5; Heb 7:25; Heb 2:18; Ps 63.1).

Bow Your heavens and come down.  Inhabit the praises of Your people; remember Your promise, O Spirit of Christ, to be present in the midst of Your worshipping people when two or more have gathered together in Your name.  Condescend to us; grant us the joy of Your fellowship; speak to us through Your word; and be blessed by our praise and adoration (Ps 144:5; Ps 22:3; Mtt 28:20); even as we pray as our Savior taught us to pray, saying….

Invocation #3

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth; You made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm; Your invisible attributes, Your eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen through what You have made; the heavens declare Your glory (Ps 8:1; Jer 32:17; Rom 1:20).

We praise You for Your providence. You are the Governor and Sustainer of all things; in You all things hold together.  In You we live and move and have our being; You give to all life an breath and all things; You work all things after the counsel of Your own will; You have numbered even the hairs upon our heads; not even a sparrow falls from a tree apart from Your will.  We praise You, our God, for these Your great works of creation and  providence (Col 1:17; Acts 17:25, 28; Eph 1:11; Lk 12:7; Mtt 10:29).

Above all, we praise You for redemption; there is no other God besides You; no other Savior; no other Rock to whom the ends of the earth may turn and be saved.  We rejoice that You so loved the world that You gave Your only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the Savior of the world; and Your Spirit, to abide with us and in us and teach us all things (Is 45:21; Is 44:8; Jn 3:16; Jn 14:16, 17, 25).

May we have fellowship with You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even as we pray after the manner of Your instruction, saying, “Our Father….”

Invocation #4

Eternal, immortal, and invisible God, infinite in power, wisdom, and goodness, dwelling in the light which no man can approach, where thousands upon thousands minister to You, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before You, yet dwelling with the humble and contrite, and taking pleasure in Your people (I Tim 1:17; Ps 147:5; Mtt 19:17; I Tim 6:16; Dan 7:10; Is 57:15; Ps 149:4).

You have consecrated for us a new and living way, that with boldness we may enter into the holy place, by the blood of Jesus, and have bid us to seek You while You may be found (Heb 10:19, 20; Is 55:6).

We come to You at Your call, and worship at Your footstool. Look upon us in Your tender mercies. Do not despise us, though unworthy. You are greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all that are about You. Put Your fear into our hearts, that with reverence and awe we might serve You (Ps 96:6; 99:6; 51:1,17; 89:7; Jer 32:40; Heb 12:28).

Sanctify us, that You may be treated as holy and honored by us, when we draw near to You. Give us the Spirit of grace and supplication to help us in our weaknesses, that our prayers may be faithful, fervent, and effectual. Let Your name be the desire of our souls (I Thess 5:23; Lev 10:3; Zech 12:10; Rom 8:26; Jas 6:16; 1:6; Is 26:8).

Let us draw near to You with our hearts, and not only with our lips, and worship You, Who are a Spirit, in spirit and truth. Let Your word be spoken and heard by us as the Word of God. Give us attentive, hearing ears, and open, believing, understanding hearts, that we may no longer refuse Your calls, nor disregard Your merciful, out stretched hand, nor slight Your counsels and reproofs. Let us be more ready to hear that to give the sacrifice of fools (Mt 15:17; Jn 4:23, 24; I Thess 2:123; Acts 16:14; Mk 4:12; Phil 1:29; Prov 1:24,25; Eccl 5:1).

Put Your laws into our hears, and write them in our minds, and let us all be taught of God. Let Your word be for us living and active and powerful; a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; mighty to pull down strong-holds, casting down imaginations and reasonings, and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God; and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (Jn 6:45; Heb 4:12; 2 Cor 10:4,6).

Let us magnify You with thanksgiving, and triumph in Your praise. Let us rejoice in Your salvation, and glory in Your holy name. Open our lips, O Lord, and let our mouths show forth Your praise. And let the words of our mouths, and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in Your sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen (Ps 69:30; 106:46; 9:14l 105:3; 51:15; 19:14; Heb 13:21)

(Prayer 4 is adapted from Richard Baxter’s The Savoy Liturgy, as found in Thompson’s Liturgies of the Western Church.)

See also The Patristic Roots of Reformed Worship, H. O. Old, pp. 219-222, on the Invocation in the Reformation.