John 4:21-24
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

In His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus mentioned the only heart condition that makes our worship acceptable to God. While she was talking about whether to worship on the mountain or in Jerusalem, Jesus turned the conversation around in a new and unexpected direction, which was recorded in verses 21 to 24.

What was Jesus trying to say? It was no longer necessary to be in a specific space or place to enter into God’s presence and enjoy an intimate and complete communion with Him. Jesus gave us an alternate way so that we could worship Him; He changed the requirements of being in a physical place to a spiritual condition. And that spiritual condition was ̈in spirit and in truth ̈.

Worship is much more than just the musical part of our meetings. It’s about our heart’s actions and behaviors that generate a longing to be in tune with God’s heart in a genuine way.

LET´S GO DEEPER

1. IT ALL STARTS WITH A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Psalm 95:6-7
“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”

When a person is in love their feelings for their partner grow as they spend quality time together; the same happens in our relationship with God when we look for opportunities to have one-on-one experiences with Him. Those who are united in a loving relationship with the Lord are one spirit with Him.

Our motivation to read the Word, to be in church or to look for the spaces that allow us to grow spiritually should be to know God personally and intimately. The more we do it, we will become more and more aware of His holiness. Without this revelation, nothing would truly make sense and our Christian life would lack power and revival.

Despite the circumstances you might be living, despite your age or where your family is at, if you determine to go beyond what you know of God, and receive the revelation of His love, power, justice, grace, goodness and mercy, then you will be able to truly worship Him.

2. WORSHIP IN SPIRIT

Our spirit burns with the desire to be in contact with God, that is its original function. But because of sin our spirit is cut off from communion with the Lord and dies for Him.

Neither our soul or our body allow us to truly delight in worship and be renewed in the presence of God, only our spirit is able to relate to Him this way. For this reason, in order to set our spirit free we need to live a genuine repentance, applying the power of the blood of Jesus that redeems us, forgives, justifies and sanctifies us.

3. WORSHIP IN TRUTH

1 John 1:5-6
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
Do you remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, verses 5 to 11? They sold a property, brought an offering of what they had sold and placed it at the Apostles ́feet. But, they were not completely honest. They said they had sold the property for less and kept a part of the sum, which cost them their lives. Could there be a clearer warning that those who lie do not have access to the presence of God?

When we encounter Jesus, we see the light and every area of our life must experience a complete transformation. There is no room for darkness or any reservations.

What areas of your life do you need to surrender to God for Him to guide you? Are you fully obedient to the Word of God or partially obedient? Does your communion with God come from a genuine desire for His presence or is there religiosity in your heart?

PRAYER

• Have everyone read and meditate on Psalms 103. Give them the necessary time to process it internally and make that Word their own. Play some instrumental background music while they’re reading (Emanuel by Generacion 12 is a great idea). Once they’re done reading, lead your disciples into a time of worship to give thanks to God for all the benefits of seeking Him and motivate them to express their gratitude in their own words.
• Cry out together for God to touch you and declare that His glory visits you and He does great miracles.
• Renew your covenant with God to lead an integral, genuine and pleasant life at all times.