The Lord Jesus said, “When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23–24). The Lord requires that we worship God in spirit and in truth, for only in that way can we win His approval. But what exactly does worshiping God in spirit and in truth entail?
From the moment we start believing in the Lord, although we may pray, read the Bible and sing hymns every day, and go to church, praise the Lord, and listen to sermons every week, does worshiping God in spirit and in truth involve only these external practices? We can recall that when the Samaritan woman asked the Lord Jesus where she should worship God, and the Lord Jesus replied: “The hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. … when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21, 23–24). The Lord Jesus clearly told people God’s will and requirements: It doesn’t matter where one worships God, nor should one follow any rule or ceremony, but rather one must worship God in spirit and in truth. This is also our principle of practice for worshiping God. But most of the time we only focus our effort on our external practices; we are careful to pray a little longer and say a little more; we read verses in the Bible over and over, trying to memorize them; we attend church in all weather, wind or rain, hot or cold; we organize all kinds of activities or put on various shows to praise the Lord, and we always take part with a positive attitude; and so on. From the outside, we appear to be expending much effort and paying a high price to praise the Lord, and that we suffer greatly, but how many times do we speak what’s in our hearts when we pray to God? How many times during the course of reading the Bible, singing hymns or attending church and listening to sermons do we make efforts to be close to God and contemplate the Lord’s words? How many times as we worship God do we seek the Lord’s will and understanding of the Lord’s words? We have practiced in this way for many years, yet we still don’t understand the truth, nor have much knowledge of the Lord, and when things happen to us, we still sin frequently and live within the bondage and constraints of sin. In this we are faced with a serious problem, which is that most of the time we spend praying, reading the Bible, going to church and listening to sermons, we are merely going through the motions. We are not actually worshiping God in spirit and in truth, nor are we practicing the truth to satisfy God. No matter how well we may keep to these external practices, God does not approve.
So, how can we worship God in spirit and in truth as we pray or read the Bible? Let’s read a passage of God’s words together. God’s words say, “A normal spiritual life is a life lived before God. When praying, one can quiet one’s heart before God, and through prayer, one can seek the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, know God’s words, and understand God’s will. By eating and drinking of His words, people can gain a clearer and more thorough understanding of God’s current work. They can also gain a new path of practice, and will not cling to the old; what they practice will all be to achieve growth in life. As for prayer, it is not about speaking a few nice-sounding words or breaking down in tears before God to show how indebted you are; rather, its purpose is to train oneself in the use of the spirit, allowing one to quiet one’s heart before God, to train oneself to seek out guidance from God’s words in all matters, so that one’s heart can be drawn to a fresh new light each day, and so that one will not be passive or lazy and may set foot upon the right track of putting God’s words into practice.”
God’s words show us the path of practice. When we pray, we should take heed to speak to God from the heart, to speak honestly, and to confide in God our practical difficulties and real state. And, when we read the Bible, sing hymns, go to church, or listen to sermons, our hearts must always focus on seeking the truth, seeking the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit, contemplating God’s words, so that we can understand God’s will through His words, know God, and have a path of practice and entry. Only this is to worship God in spirit and in truth. If we practice often in this way, we will experience continuous growth in life.
