God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
—John 4:24 (KJV)
Genuine worship is a gift. God is spirit. God is holy. So, we cannot fully and authentically approach God in worship without the gift and blessing of his Holy Spirit. As Christians who received his Spirit when we were born of God through our faith and baptism (John 3:3-7, 4:23-24; Titus 3:3-7), we can now speak to him and worship him openly and confidently - our spirit combined with the Holy Spirit in us, worshiping God who is Spirit. The Spirit within us makes us a place where God lives through his Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The Spirit intercedes for us when we approach God in prayer (Romans 8:26-27). We are then filled with God's Spirit as we worship him (Ephesians 5:18-20). No wonder Jesus commanded:
Abba Father, by the gift of your Spirit, I come to you as your child. Thank you so much for giving me your Spirit so that I can approach you with confidence and know you hear the concerns of my heart. Please accept the worship of my heart, of my words, and of my actions in my daily life. May the things I do today bring you glory as I worship you authentically and through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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—John 4:24 (KJV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Genuine worship is a gift. God is spirit. God is holy. So, we cannot fully and authentically approach God in worship without the gift and blessing of his Holy Spirit. As Christians who received his Spirit when we were born of God through our faith and baptism (John 3:3-7, 4:23-24; Titus 3:3-7), we can now speak to him and worship him openly and confidently - our spirit combined with the Holy Spirit in us, worshiping God who is Spirit. The Spirit within us makes us a place where God lives through his Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The Spirit intercedes for us when we approach God in prayer (Romans 8:26-27). We are then filled with God's Spirit as we worship him (Ephesians 5:18-20). No wonder Jesus commanded:
That's with our spirit, combined with the Holy Spirit, and with worshiping God appropriately; then God is praised and pleased.God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.
My Prayer...
Abba Father, by the gift of your Spirit, I come to you as your child. Thank you so much for giving me your Spirit so that I can approach you with confidence and know you hear the concerns of my heart. Please accept the worship of my heart, of my words, and of my actions in my daily life. May the things I do today bring you glory as I worship you authentically and through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Continue reading...
