I have been pondering what it means to worship God in spirit and in truth.That phrase/scripture is referred to quite often. But, what does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? John 4:23-24, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
If this is the kind of worshipper the Father seeks, then I certainly want to be one who worships in this way. What way? In spirit AND in truth. But how? How does one worship in spirit and in truth?
In Spirit:
To worship in spirit is a matter of the heart. It means worshipping and engaging God with our entire heart. “I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1). I think it is completely possible to be in a worship service saying the right words but have our heart not engaged, therefore not worshipping in spirit. I want to worship with a zealous heart that is pouring out in adoration and love for my God and my Saviour. Worshipping in spirit springs forth from a GLAD heart. “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 122:1). Make my heart glad,oh God, to come into your presence and to worship You. May it bring me complete joy to love and adore you through worship!
In Truth:
John 17:17 “sanctify them by truth; your word is truth.” My interpretation, therefore is that I am to worship by and through the Word of God. His word is truth. I need to study the word, eat the word, meditate on the word, get the word deep in my spirit. In this way, as I worship, the word will pour forth from my heart. His word is truth!
So, this is my understanding and revelation of what God is desiring from me in worship: that I pour out all of my adoration and love to God AND that His word is hidden in my heart in a way that pours forth from my lips in worship. That is Spirit and that is Truth.
Feel free to comment with your understanding of what God means by this admonition to worship in spirit and in truth. 🙂
~tiffany~