Worship in Spirit and Truth: What True Worship Means

What Is True Worship?

When we go to church we say that we go to worship God. What is true worship of God? Is it attending services every week with other Christians? Is it acting a certain way or saying certain things? Sincerity alone does not make it worship. Jesus answered this question in John 4:23 when He says,

"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."

True Worship Comes From the Heart

If we are true worshipers of our Father, we will worship Him in spirit and truth. True worship comes from within us. It doesn't depend on external ceremonies, regardless of their ability to stir our emotions. The spirit can worship God in any place and at any time because it worships with the heart.

The heart is what God sees as we worship. The heart of a worshipper is an obedient heart. Obedience is evidence of love Scripture tells us. When we bow our heads and pray or sing hymns or listen intently to the Word of God, does a heart of obedience live within us? If it doesn't then we are not truly worshipping.

According to Paul true worship is "to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1). You offer everything you have to God for Him to use as He pleases. Your life is set apart for Him, and in that surrender you offer what is holy and pleasing to Him. In the Old Testament sacrifices were brought to the temple, but now because our bodies are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19), it is quite literally our lives that become the sacrifice.

However, we can go through all the motions of worship and still not be worshipping God. The reverse is also true. We can have none of the conventional forms of worship and yet be wholly in the worshipful presence of our Father.

Look at how Jesus speaks of God in the verse in John. He uses the term Father twice. Ellicott's Commentary says this about the emphasis on God as Father,

"He is not Vengeance to be appeased, nor Power to be dreaded, but Love to be received. It is when men learn to think of God as Father that merely local and material worship must cease."

How powerful it is when we view God truly as our Father. We worship Him because He loves us and we love Him. We worship Him because what else can we do when we truly understand who He is. We thank Him and praise Him for who He is, for what He has done, and for how He has saved us. He is our Creator and Redeemer. We were quite literally created to glorify God.

Worship God in Spirit and Truth

And we worship Him in truth. Worshipping God in truth is not a test of our sincerity. We can be quite sincere in our worship and still not be truthful. A hypocrite can raise hands, sing loudly, and pray with fervor and still not be truly worshiping his Father.

Do we hear His word and actually desire to obey it? Do we thank Him for what He has done but not really feel gratitude in our hearts? Have we prayed for blessings that deep down we feel will never really come?

Worshipping in truth means recognizing Jesus is "the truth and no man comes to the Father except through Him" (John 14:6). When we worship in truth, we worship the truth. When we worship in truth, we acknowledge Jesus for who He really is and submit ourselves to His Word.

What Does God Desire in Worship?

Then Jesus says something so loving in John 4:23. It is these very worshippers, the ones who worship in "spirit and truth" that the Father, our Holy God, is seeking. He is looking for people who, from their innermost hearts, want to do His will because those are the people who truly love Him. This is a relationship, a Father with His children. I want God to seek me, don't you?

But this seeking should actually go both ways. In Psalm 63:1-4 David says that he earnestly seeks God because His love is better than life and he will praise Him. David repeats this idea in Psalm 42:1-5 when he speaks of his soul panting for God like a deer panting for water. His hope leads him to praise God. In Psalm 108:1-5 David tells us that he has a steadfast heart for God and this will lead him to sing to Him. David desires God and we see in his life the kind of heart the Father is seeking.

How Do We Worship God?

What we learn in this verse is that the worship God wants is not just words but also actions. We want to do things for Him, but always with hearts offered up to Him as a sacrifice of praise. We can praise Him in song, by bowing before Him, raising hands, dancing, and even shouting.

Exactly how we choose to worship Him is up to us, but sincerity alone does not make it worship. Honest faithfulness in how we live our lives for Him is what He desires most of all. But practically how do we worship?

In church our worship is usually structured. We know how we will worship Him but at home we may struggle with worship. There are several examples of worship in Revelation that we can use, but remember they must be from the heart, not just a formula we are using.

Examples of Worship

We can say with the four living creatures before God's throne,

"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” - Revelation 4:8

Or we give praise with the twenty-four elders casting down their crowns before Him,

"You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things,

and by Your will they exist and were created.” - Revelation 4:11

Or pray with the angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders,

"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might,

be to our God forever and ever. Amen." - Revelation 7:12

Or sing with those who have victory over the beast, his image, and his mark. They sang,

"Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.” - Revelation 15:3-4

The examples of worship in Revelation remind us that there is no single outward expression of worship. Throughout Christian history, faithful believers have worshipped God in many different ways, and we can learn from their examples. St. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) praised God for His creation. St. Augustine (354–430) defined our very existence around the worship of God. St. Anthony the Great (c. 251–356) dedicated his life to worshipping God through prayer.

Do you feel a connection to any of these examples? How do you enjoy worshipping God the most: in prayer, for the beautiful world He has given us, or lifting everything and all that you are up to Him in praise?

Perhaps your role model is a faithful grandparent who you watched praise God with thankfulness. Maybe you remember a good friend who showed love to everyone and sacrificed their needs for others in worship. You may know a kind Bible teacher who taught you God's word and the importance of worship through it. Although we can worship in private, Scriptural worship is also always seen in community.

Worship in Community

Even though we can worship God anywhere, Scripture makes it clear that we are a community of believers. Our worship, by gathering together with other Christians, is not to be neglected (Hebrews 10:24-25). In Heaven we will worship God as one, so it is only fitting that we begin that communal worship here on the earth.

Worship Is About God, Not Us

We must remember that worship is not about us, but about God. We don't worship God so we can go home feeling uplifted (although that may certainly be the result of worship). We don't worship God for what we can get out of it. We worship God because it is a natural response to who He is and what He has done and will do.

Where is our heart? Do we have a heart for God and for others? Do we strive to be obedient, seek Him, and long for Him like David? Worship is our natural desire if we are offering ourselves up as a living sacrifice. It is no longer our will but His that matters. Our lamb, Jesus, is worthy of our praise. He is worthy of it all.

Enjoy "Worthy of it All" by CeCe Winans.