Words from the Lord are in red italics.
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. - John 4:24
We were made to worship the one true God, but what does He mean to worship Him in spirit and truth?
It’s not just praising Him with songs. In fact, worshipping Him is often not about singing songs at all.
To understand worship, consider “praise”, “worship”, “spirit”, and “truth” based on common definitions and His words relating to worship.
And although we worship God, He reveals how our worship of Him benefits us.
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Worship Me with your obedience, then worship Me with your praise.
There is a distinction between praise and worship. Praise is expressing adoration, whereas worship is acting from the prompting of the spirit in obedience to Him. Therefore, praising Him can be considered an act of worship because it is written that He commands our praise (as He does all of His creation).
One way we can express adoration, or praise, for Him is to sing to Him, not repetitiously but in truth. “Truth” here means that we genuinely adore Him. We could also praise Him in other ways, such as dancing and sounds with instruments.
Worship Me in spirit and in truth, or it’s not worship at all. Speak the words of worship from the spirit; this is pleasing to the Father. Worship me with your whole heart; that is what I require.
But in order to worship Him, we must first be filled with the Holy Spirit, then listen to Him from within through the Holy Spirit, and finally, obey what He says.
Come to Me with all of your heart, with all of your mind, and with all of your soul, or do not come to Me at all. Worship Me in spirit and in truth, or it's not worship at all. Be in My presence or be in nothing.
If anything, such as our song, is to be considered worship, it must originate in spirit with an undivided heart for Him.
Worship Me in all things, for I am all things.
Now, the Father speaks more than words of song to our hearts, so our worship of Him encompasses more.
In fact, He commands all of our thoughts and actions to be of worship to Him, in obedience to Him.
You worship Me with your hands when you work on My tasks and your feet when you walk on My path and your words when you speak My words, with your head when it's raised to heaven, with your thoughts and meditations of Me, and of course with your song.
SING A NEW SONG
Sing a new song unto the Lord; make it your habitat. He who sings unto the Lord desires eternal life. Praise and worship in My name; let it consume you as it does the angels. Be set apart.
If we desire to be glorified in heaven, singing unto the Lord needs to be a major part of our day. Essentially, we need to be consumed with praise and worship. But it’s not just any song that He desires; He desires a new song.
What does it mean to sing a new song? When we listen to the spirit within our hearts, the Lord gives us words to speak back to Him. He is always creating, which is truth, and in His creation, we receive new songs.
What about songs that are sung in assembly (e.g., church services) and produced by other people as Christian music?
Did these songs originate in spirit and were the songwriters producing them in obedience to the Father? If not, they’re just more songs that fall outside of His definition of worship.
If you are to be obedient and consumed by praise and worship, your focus should be on listening to Him, regularly singing new songs from Him, rather than being consumed by other people’s music.
Worship Me in your heart; that is enough.
Can’t sing or play an instrument? No problem; the Father hears your song from your heart, regardless of how it sounds to human ears.
When it’s words from Him and sung with your whole heart unto Him, it’s a song worthy of worship.
CORPORATE WORSHIP
Worship has no walls.
You may have perceived that in all the words about worship I have received from Him, very little is about people getting together to sing songs.
He wants worship from your heart.
But still, He has designated physical places for those who hear His words to speak, unite, and war the enemy through worshipping Him.
Make me a tabernacle of worship, stand as a house of prayer. Unite in worship and war with the darkness.
Soon, the Tabernacle of David will be restored, and worship will be at the center of God's cities.
Not just in one city but across the globe.
Worship Me with all that you are; that is what I require of My people. Undivided, stand as one heart in worship, one soul.
He's not asking us to congregate for the sake of congregating.
He wants us to stand as one heart, one soul, and one mind in Him.
Wherever you are, when you worship Him with everything from your heart ... we stand undivided.
COMMANDS OF WORSHIP
Come, now is the time to worship. All who have ears to hear: now is the time to worship the one and true God. Magnify His name above all the earth, and do not be satisfied. Seek, and ye shall find. Search, and I will draw near. Come to Me and rest, and I will grant fortitude. I am the way and the wings of the eagle on which you fly. I am the voice in the wilderness calling out; hear My call. Do not wander about like the slaves of these people, but be as mine unto Me and free in soul and spirit to worship, to live and bring life, joy, and happiness to all who share in Me.
All honor and glory to the Father; worship Him in spirit and in truth.
I am the word within, working on the inside to cast out all your fears. I am the living waters that breathe life. Worship Me in spirit and fear not, for I am with thee. I am working in you and through you.
Enter the kingdom with songs of praise, with thanksgiving in your heart. Worship at His footstool; enter in.
Enter into My gates with praise and song in your hearts. Enter and be filled with My presence. Glory to all who enter; great are My ways and greatly to be praised.
Worship Me and enter into the light, for I am with thee, and where I am, there is light.
Listen to Me and do My will. Send forth the chariots in My name and conquer the enemy. Peace everlasting is your fate, a world filled with My people who worship Me and have laid down their lives for Me.
WISDOM OF WORSHIP
You are a creature of the day, made to worship. Do not get caught up in this world.
We minister in spirit and in truth as we worship the same way.
I am the center of the center, as is worship.
What purpose do you walk the earth when all of creation for eternity worships Me? It is your will to choose life; what else is there? It is Me or death in all things.
The Sabbath is in your heart, therefore, keep the Sabbath and all will be well with you. When do you work? When do you toil? Is there a day set aside for this? Therefore, do not be as the slaves and worship on a set day, but be Mine and live in freedom of worship every day.
EFFECTS OF WORSHIP
There is power
Walk in power, act in power. Glory recedes without worship.
What is work? It is force in motion. There is power in praise.
It is in worship that the heavens will open and pour forth My glory. It is in worship that you will see and hear and be magnified.
It pleases Me when you worship, do not stop; it is the source of your strength. I am He and greatly to be praised.
There is knowledge
Just as you worship Me with your eyes closed, worship Me with your heart open. I will reveal all to you.
There is fellowship
In worship, you enter into the gates. In quietness and confidence, in truth in your seeking, you commune with Me.
There is provision
I am the Lord thy God, and I am all that [people] need. Come to Me in prayer and worship and I will satisfy all hunger, I will provide all things. I am the great I am, come into My presence with thanksgiving.
I am the Lord your God, creator of all things. Worship Me in all things, and I will grant you all things.
There is change
Worship changes hearts. Want to change a city? Implant worship in the heart of the city.
Next up: Part 7: Discipleship