Preparation for Prayer & Worship
Thomas Manton A Practical Exposition of the Lord's Prayer
When a man seeks to deal most earnestly with God, he should seek retirement, and be alone. Here, God's children are able to most affectionately pour out their hearts before him. Here, one finds most communion with God, and enlargement of heart. In private we are wholly at leisure to deal with God in a child-like liberty. Consecrate such a part of time as will suit with your occasions, your course of life, and according to your abilities and opportunities.
George Swinnock
Man's Principle Business
Prepare to meet thy God, O Christian! betake thyself to thy chamber on the Saturday night, confess and bewail thine unfaithfulness under the ordinances of God; shame and condemn thyself for thy sins, entreat God to prepare thy heart for, and assist it in, thy religious (duties); spend some time in consideration of the infinite majesty, holiness, jealousy, and goodness, of that God, with whom thou are to (meet); ponder the weight and importance of his holy ordinances...; meditate on the shortness of the time thou hast to enjoy Sabbaths in; and continue musing...till the fire burneth; thou canst not think the good thou mayest gain by such forethoughts, how pleasant and profitable a Lord's day would be to thee after such a preparation. The oven of thine heart thus baked in, as it were, overnight, would be easily heated the next morning; the fire so well raked up when thou wentest to bed, would be the sooner kindled when thou shouldst rise. If thou wouldst thus leave thy heart with God on the Saturday night, thou shouldest find it with him in the Lord's-day morning.
The Christian Man's Calling "How a Christian may exercise himself to godliness in prayer", adapted in Voice From The Past - Puritan Devotional Readings
http://books.google.com/books?id=AA1MAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA105&source
Meditation prepares the heart for prayer.
Meditate on your sins, and hunt them out of their lurking holes; this helps in our confession.
Meditate on your needs, for God is fully able to supply them. Consider what you need - pardoning mercy, strength for victory, power against sin - that you may entreat God to give to you.
Meditate upon his past mercies. Look at the dangers you have been delivered from, the journeys you have been protected in, the seasonable help he has sent you, the suitable support he has afforded you in distress, the counsel he has given you in doubts, and the comforts he has provided you in sorrow and darkness. These are present with you by meditation. Every breath in you life is a gift of mercy. Do not forget he former favours bestowed on you and your family.
The meditate upon your present mercies. How many do you enjoy - your house, family, body, soul, are all full of blessings! Think of them particularly (individually). Spread them our like jewels to your view. Meditate on how freely they are bestowed, on their fullness and greatness.
But O, your soul's mercies - the image of God, the blood of Christ, eternal life, and seasons of grace! Your whole life is a bundle of mercies. These stir us up to bless the Giver.
Then meditate on God to whom we pray. O how we are ashamed of our drops when we stand by this ocean! Meditate on his mercy and goodness. God delights to be sought and found (Proverbs 8:17, Lamentations 3:25). He delights to see men joyful in the house of prayer. God will not send you away sad.
When you have by meditation put the wood in order upon the altar, you may by prayer set fire to it and offer up a sacrifice of sweet smelling savour.