Christianity and Prayer
Christians believe and practice like the aim of our lives is to pray to the Lord. As a result, we learn to perceive that everything comes from the Lord, and we become even more grateful and praise the Lord increasingly.
Worship assists us in recognizing who God is and is how our hearts get more accepting of what is good. It transports us to the realm of all heavenly things. It’s something that we’re called upon to do every day, and it’s embodied in the Lord’s Prayer, among other things.
According to the Christian perspective of humanity, people were brought to life to understand God and live in a proper union with the Lord of peace and love. The worship and admiration of God, as well as our connection with the Lord, provide an accurate view and give meaning to our life.
We can refer to the Lord as our “Father” due to His grace in Christ; we are brought into a bond with our fellow sisters and brothers through Christ. For a greater society, we connect and follow the Lord’s will. We start to realize that anything we have is His gift to us. We immerse ourselves in the Lord’s affection, compassion, and shelter daily.
To show our undying love and affection, we go to church so that we’re around fellow Christians and praise God in all his glory. But the question arises as to when do Christians go to church?
The Lord’s Day
In Christianity, the Lord’s Day is usually Sunday, the main day of public prayer. Several Christians mark it as the weekly commemoration of the resurrection of Christ, which is supposed to be observed on the first day of the week according to the Gospels.
As per certain sources, Christians in the first century held communal prayer on Sunday and by 361 AD, it was regarded as a weekly ritual. The Lord’s Day was related to Church Council-mandated Sabbatarian traditions practiced before the Middle Ages. First-day Sabbatarianism is a tradition in which Christian Churches such as the Baptist Churches, Methodist Churches, and Reformed Churches see Sunday as the Christian Sabbath.
Going to church in the morning and evening on Sundays, not participating in any labor, not participating in any sports events, not spending time on the internet, and not watching TV on Sundays are all examples of first-day Sabbatarian Sunday.
Why Sunday?
Some people believe that the only acceptable day to attend church is Saturday, the Sabbath. However, many Christians attend church on Sundays rather than Saturdays. The Saturday crowd mentions the Ten Commandments as one of them says to keep the Sabbath in mind and make it holy, and the Old Testament confirms this.
Certain Saturday worshippers are adamant that the sole day of prayer is indeed the Sabbath. Despite this, many Christians go to Church on Sundays and claim that is fine. Christians started attending church on Sunday after Christ’s resurrection. The Sabbath was regarded as a ceremonial rule by Christ himself. The Law was fulfilled, and we were exonerated from its obligations when Christ died on the cross.
The day of the Jewish feast, regarded as the Feast of Firstfruits, is also held on Sunday. It prophesied Jesus’ resurrection. There are enough strong arguments to support both sides. Let’s see how to divide the Scriptures on this subject correctly. While most Christian groups perform Sunday services, several denominations prefer Saturday as the day to go to church. They properly show that the Bible declares Saturday is a great idea. In reality, the Bible tells us to make up our own minds and be thoroughly convinced.
Then, why do we attend church on Sunday rather than Saturday? Do we consider this a violation of the Ten Commandments? Is attending Sunday Church a breach of God’s commandment?
Not in the least. Firstly, it must be remembered that, as a ceremonial commandment, the Sabbath was intended just for Israel and no one else. As mentioned before, one of the main reasons behind Christians attending Church on Sunday is that Christ’s resurrection happened on a Sunday. The Feast of Firstfruits fell on the same day as the resurrection. It serves as proof from God that we will join Christ in Heaven and spend our lives next to him, just as he said they would.
The Lord’s Day is commemorated as the Day of Resurrection, i.e., Sunday. As a result, Christians observe the day of Jesus’ coming rather than the Sabbath, which falls on a Sunday rather than a Saturday.
The Apostles
The Apostles did consider Sunday as the day to attend church since they did it themselves. With regards to attending synagogues on Saturdays, there is considerable debate. But what is the issue with praising and resting on Saturday as well? Can’t modern-day Christians worship the Lord on both days?
On Saturday, the Apostles did go to the synagogues. However, these Apostles (the majority of whom were Jewish) weren’t attending a church service when they were present at the synagogues. They were present there due to their missionary journeys to communicate the actuality of Jesus’ resurrection to the other Jews, as many of them were skeptical about it.
This was regarded as the optimal place to communicate the gospel message with devout Jews observing the Sabbath by going to the synagogue. Deemed as the ideal setting, it demonstrated how Christ met the Mosaic’s Law, the promise, and numerous Old Testament prophecies. Many people asked the Apostles to continue this on the following Sabbath, and almost the whole city gathered to hear what the Apostles had to say. This cemented the fact that they only went there to spread the word of God and not to worship.
Our Final Thoughts
Whether it’s Saturday or Sunday, when do Christians go to church shouldn’t matter, since both days hold the same meaning, i.e., to pray and rest. As Christians, we should keep the main goal in mind, which is to offer our prayers to God and maintain a healthy relationship with Him.
