A Worshipper's Devotional

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

9 Powerful Ways to Worship God in Spirit and Truth

John 4:23 tells us specifically what type of worshippers God is looking for: “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” (NIV).

Did you know there are different ways to worship God? We can worship God in Spirit and truth through praise and thanksgiving, prayer, reading the Bible, confession, obedience, tithes and offerings, music, spending time with Him, and using our skills to glorify Him.

The first part of worshipping God is understanding what worship is. In short, worship is an action that springs up from the posture of our hearts. When we want to get closer to God, we actively seek ways to do so.

Jesus is the foundation of truth. John 1:1 confirms this by saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (NIV). Since God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18) and Jesus is the living Word of God (Hebrews 4:12)– this means Jesus is truth.

If worship is the posture of our heart and God calls us to worship in Spirit and truth, then the very first thing we must do to worship is accept Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead.

Once we accept Jesus, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Luke 3:16 says, “John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (NIV).

God is looking for us to turn away from wickedness and anything that tempts our hearts away from Him. Our true intentions– even those we hide from ourselves– are not hidden from God. The Lord knows our hearts and helps align us when we allow Him into our lives.

Worshipping God was never meant to be a spectator sport. We’re meant to dwell with God. That means we should earnestly pursue Him in all areas of life.

There is a difference between performing and worshipping, and we’re called to worship God in Spirit and truth. When you worship, remember that God is a spirit– He is everywhere and knows everything.

Aspect	Worship	Performance
Purpose	To honor and glorify God	To entertain or impress others
Focus	Centered on God and His attributes	Centered on self or the audience
Heart Posture	Sincere and humble	Seeking recognition or approval
Outcome	Deepened relationship with God	Applause or accolades from people
Approach	Guided by the Holy Spirit and biblical principles	Guided by personal skill and presentation

Keeping our eyes on God and listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit helps us focus on what really matters– a relationship with Jesus.

God shows us what proper worship looks like throughout the Bible. Examples include:

The praises and glory given to God throughout the book of Psalms
The varying degrees of obedience, confession, and people using their skills to honor God in the first five books of the Bible

We can take the examples in the Bible and learn how to become true worshippers and worship God in the Spirit and truth.

Benefits of Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth

God is so good! Worshipping God in Spirit and truth is full of benefits. Some of the benefits include:

Deeper Relationship with God: Worship in Spirit and truth fosters a closer, more intimate connection with God.
Transformation: Genuine worship leads to spiritual growth and life transformation by aligning us with God's truth.
Unity: Worshipping God brings believers together, creating a sense of community and shared purpose.
Strengthened Faith: Regular worship deepens our trust and belief in God's promises and presence.
Alignment to God’s Will: Worship helps us understand and follow God's perfect and pleasing plans for our lives.
Ability to Testify: True worship empowers us to share our personal experiences of God's goodness with others.

While the benefits are wonderful, we should also be aware of the purpose of our worship.

I enjoy watching sermons throughout the week. One I watched recently expressed the purpose of the praise and worship portion of church (which typically includes a set of songs).

The pastor said something that has stuck with me: The purpose of worship is not the expectation that God will come and minister to us but that we are coming to minister to Him.

I’ve had unfortunate “worship” experiences because I went in expecting God to attend to my needs and wasn’t too focused on worshipping or hearing Him.

We are to be expectant that God rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6), but the position we’re coming from is also essential. Are we seeking God because we truly want to seek Him, or are we seeking out the gifts He provides?

Worshipping God is different from worshipping the gifts of God.

The gifts are not bad. They testify of God’s love towards us! The deeper connection with God leads us into a more intimate relationship with our Father. Since our friendship with God naturally grows when we seek Him, our trust and love also grow.

Transformation is another benefit of worshipping God in Spirit and truth. Genuine worship leads to spiritual growth and transforms our lives by aligning us closer to God. Some aspects of transformation include freedom, joy, love, and peace.

Once we align ourselves with the Holy Spirit and truth (Jesus), we can unite with God. When we worship corporately, we join together with other believers and can encourage each other while growing closer to God as a community.

Worshipping God in Spirit and truth also helps strengthen our faith and aligns us with God’s Will– which, according to Romans 12:2, is perfect and pleasing.

Our testimonies are a powerful gift from God because every time they’re shared, it confirms our healing and opens the doors for others to have the chance to see the goodness of God.

How to Worship God in Spirit and Truth

We can worship God throughout the day in different ways, including:

Ways to Worship	Description	Scripture Reference
Praise and Thanksgiving	Expressing gratitude and admiration for God's blessings and actions.	Genesis 14:20, John 3:16, Luke 1:68
Prayer	Having a conversation with God, sharing your heart and listening to His guidance.	Matthew 6:9-13
Reading the Bible	Engaging with God's Word to understand His character and truth.	Matthew 17:20, Matthew 18:13, John 3:16, Mark 3:28, Psalm 116:1, Isaiah 27:11
Confession	Admitting sins and struggles to God, seeking forgiveness and healing.	James 5:16, Psalms 10, 13, 38
Obedience	Following God's commands and teachings with a sincere heart.	Matthew 23:11, 1 Samuel 15:22
Tithes and Offering	Giving a portion of your income as an act of worship and trust in God's provision.	Genesis 14:20, Numbers 18:21, Deuteronomy 14:22, Deuteronomy 26:12
Music	Using songs and melodies to honor and connect with God.	2 Kings 3:15
Time and Service	Dedicating your time and efforts to serve God and others.	Matthew 23:11
Skills and Talents	Utilizing your God-given abilities to glorify and serve Him.	Romans 12:6-8

Part of worshipping in Spirit and truth is relying on the Holy Spirit’s guidance and being honest with God. Don’t hide behind words that sound good, but are empty, like “everything is ok.” Stick to the Bible when you don’t know what to say.

Worship God with Praise and Thanksgiving

Praise is expressing gratitude for the things God has done. We can praise Him by pondering and speaking of all the goodness He has shown us.

Scriptures to help you praise God include Genesis 14:20, John 3:16, and Luke 1:68.

God is not concerned if we are dressed perfectly or can recite words that we don’t understand. God’s concern is the condition of our hearts because everything we do flows from it (Proverbs 4:23).

Seek God and praise Him. The only way for our hearts to change and to worship in the Spirit and truth is with God being the focus. So, lean on Him and open your heart up to His truth.

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Ponder This

What does it mean to worship in Spirit and truth?

Worship God with Prayer

John 4:23-24 uses ‘spirit’ and ‘Spirit,’ depending on the version. God is a being we cannot see with our physical eyes (spirit), but we can recognize His Holy Spirit through what He is doing– just as we can feel the wind brush against our cheek.

Prayer is a conversation with God. It doesn’t have to be scripted or perfect. However, like any good conversation, it’s essential to listen– and not just speak.

I recommend reading Matthew 6:9-13 to anyone who wants help growing closer to God through prayer.

Worship God by Reading the Bible

"He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.””

Matthew 17:20, NIV

The Bible encompasses the character of God on every page. Even though we cannot see Him like we do our family, neighbors, or anyone else we communicate with, we get to know more about His character through the Bible, His love through Jesus, and more through His creation.

We learn more about the truth God shares when we read the Bible. We gain insight into His character and have a chance to deepen our relationship with Him when we seek the truth.

If you look throughout the Bible, God consistently shares the meaning of truth through different writers and, finally, with Jesus.

While you worship God by reading scripture, here are some great places to start reading the Bible:

You can move mountains with faith (Matthew 17:20)
Jesus will leave the 99 to search for the lost (Matthew 18:13)
God loves you and sent Jesus so you may live (John 3:16)
God can forgive sin (Mark 3:28)
God hears you (Psalm 116:1)
God is just and merciful (Isaiah 27:11)

Worship God Through Confession

God doesn’t need us to be strong when we go to Him. First, He already knows our struggles.

Second, when we approach Him in the way that our problems are too small (or big) for Him, what we’re saying is we don’t fully trust Him with all of our concerns.

We don’t have to lie to God. He already knows that we are not ok, and that is alright. He wants to hear from us and to be close to us. He doesn’t need pleasantries; He wants the nitty-gritty truth.

The book of Job shows how to worship God through pain and suffering. Many Psalms, like Psalms 10, 13, and 38, help us praise God while showing us how to deal with hardships.

The other side of confession is confessing our sins. Trying to hide sins from God blocks the blessings God has in store for us (light and darkness do not mix). When working on confessing sins, remember James 5:16.

Worship God Through Obedience

"The greatest among you must be a servant."

Matthew 23:11, NLT

In Matthew 23:5, Jesus criticizes the religious leaders because “everything they do is for show” (NLT). While the temple leaders spoke eloquent speeches and taught the Law of Moses, their hearts were corrupt.

The religious leaders were in a dangerous position because they chose the luxuries and comfort of being at the top rather than following Jesus’ words. Rather than simply playing the part and looking like we’re worshipping God, we must follow Him with our whole being. If He says serve, then serve. If God said go, then go.

Ask God what it means to be obedient to Him, and a great verse to study while seeking God’s guidance to a more obedient life is 1 Samuel 15:22.

Worship God with Tithes and Offerings

"Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year."

Deuteronomy 14:22, NIV

Tithes and offerings are integral parts of worship and allow us to show our devotion to God. Tithes are the first 10% of our income, while offerings are donations over and above the tithe.

Tithing and offerings are physical acts of worship that demonstrate admiration and trust in God and obedience to His Word. They enable us to share in the church’s work and its mission to spread the message of salvation and grace.

If you’re looking to learn more about tithes, check out Genesis 14:20, Numbers 18:21, and Deuteronomy 26:12.

Giving is a tangible way to express our love and devotion to God, which differs from the world's view of money as a source of power or status. Through our tithes and offerings, we can demonstrate our trust in God and our faith that He will provide for our needs and opportunities to give back to Him.

God calls us to give sacrificially and cheerfully, not begrudgingly or out of obligation. When we offer God our tithes and offerings, we are not giving to Him as a requirement but out of our love for Him and our desire to honor Him.

Tithes remind us to serve God first and put Him at the center of our lives. This act of obedience gives glory to God as it allows us to give freely, as He has given freely to us.

Worship God with Music

"'But now bring me a harpist.' While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha."

2 Kings 3:15, NIV

Music is an amazing tool to worship God. We get a taste of the power of music when the prophet Elisha had asked for a harpist in 2 Kings 3:15.

Before accepting Jesus into my life, I was challenged by a pastor to listen to Christian music for a week without listening to any other types of music. He said we should take notice of the effects and changes in our lives.

I thought it was a silly experiment and didn’t expect much to change. However, my life was completely altered– I was more joyful, more peaceful, and genuinely more cheerful.

While these are benefits I experienced when changing what I listened to, music gives us another opportunity to grow a deeper connection with God. When words are difficult– music speaks, and God understands the language.

Worship God with Your Time and Service

Pride, hurt, anger, anxiety, stress, doubt, and fear all try to keep us from experiencing the true freedom that God has given to us. When we live under the hurts, it typically keeps us from serving God with our whole hearts.

Example: Serving someone who has hurt or caused an offense, while not being bitter is impossible without Jesus.

Jesus set us free by breaking the bonds of offense and bitterness– He willingly shows us how to serve and forgive. We can serve others and give our time to God by being intentional with what we spend time doing. Ask God to reveal what you can do to help serve in His house.

And remember: Jesus already won. He doesn’t need us to hold grudges or take revenge.

Worship God with Your Skills and Talents

God has gifted each of us with the ability to do certain things. Some of them come easy, and others take work. If your gifts take work, don’t be discouraged and think they’re not from God.

After all, God is the God of process. Skills and talent always take work– even for those who have a natural ability. The position of our hearts matters most when using our skills and talents.

Ask yourself:

Am I giving God my best effort?
Am I doing this for God or myself?

Use the gifts God has given you for God– don’t waste your gifts on worldly desires.

God sent the Holy Spirit as a gift and guide. When we repent of our sins and get baptized, we “will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). So, when we worship in the Spirit we’re on our way to getting closer to God.

John 4:24’s most simple yet most challenging element- worship in truth. While it appears easy because we know what truth is and what it looks like (God’s Word), it is not as easy as it seems.

At least for myself, I have found that I tend to lie to myself often. While I know the Bible is the truth, am I really worshipping in truth when I’m not going to God with all my concerns?

Need an example? “God, you are so good! Even though everything is a mess, I’m hurting and in pain– it’s not that big of a deal. Everything is good.” He isn’t looking for us to pretend and cover our hurts under the rug.

Give everything to God (Job does a great job at worshipping God through struggles and pain).

It’s essential to seek God because He is worthy of praise (Revelation 4:11) and has paid a debt we couldn’t afford. We can worship Him through praise and thanksgiving, prayer, reading the Bible, confession, obedience, tithes and offerings, music, time, and skills.

Are there any ways that stood out to you? Maybe some that weren’t mentioned? I’d love to hear about them!

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