Dear Worship

I've been discussing with a friend lately why some Christians claim to hear things from the Holy Spirit that don't align with scripture. Are different people hearing different things? Also, why do some believers read His Word, but they don't hear anything from the Spirit? If it's the same Spirit speaking to all of us, how come some churches are all about the spirit with very little scripture, and other churches are all about scripture, and very little spirit?

My initial answer is sin. Sin makes us imperfect humans, so also imperfect Christians. BUT I felt there had to be more to it.

The deeper answer showed up for me in John 4:21-24. This is in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus. You can read the whole passage here, but for the sake of this post, I am jumping in after she asks him why the Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, yet the Samaritans claim it's at their mountain. Her question actually reminded me of different churches today, each thinking they have it right. This is His reply to her:

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. ²³ But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. ²⁴ For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (NLT)

Boom! This came ALIVE to me. We cannot worship God in just ONE way, ex: Holy Spirit driven, or Bible driven. It MUST BE BOTH. Spirit AND Truth. Holy Spirit AND Bible. 

So as you evaluate your walk with the Lord (and even evaluate your church), are you worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth? Does your church teach/worship/serve/pray in spirit and truth? Spirit-filled but Bible backed?

A good question to ask yourself: Do you tend to lean on "the feels" without confirming it in His Word? 

Or are you the type who knows scripture, and always goes to the Word, but you don't actually know how to hear the Spirit? 

Jesus tells us it MUST be both. Spirit without truth (God's Word) isn't His Spirit. And truth without Spirit, isn't the whole truth, it's just information that you may or may not be getting right. The Spirit is what clarifies scripture to us, reveals what it is really saying, behind just the general knowledge. (John 14:26) We need the Spirit just as much as we need the truth, and vice versa.

Also, when Jesus says we are to "worship" in spirit and in truth, He's not just talking about singing praise at church. He's talking about your relationship with God. How you talk to Him, praise Him, listen to Him, obey Him, serve Him, love Him, learn about Him by yourself and with others, etc. ALL of that is how we worship our Father. It must be done in spirit and in truth.

So now the question for those of you in the spirit camp, how do you worship in truth? The answer: read God's Word DAILY. Don't just depend on worship music or feel good devotionals. You need to be IN HIS WORD, communing with Him and letting the Spirit teach you truth.

For those of you in the truth camp, how do you start tuning into the Spirit as you worship? For starters, I would practice being still in His presence. Open your Bible, but before reading it, ask His Spirit to awaken your senses to Him. Spend some time being still before the Lord, welcoming His presence. You can even turn your palms up, letting Him know that you are open to His Spirit, and ready to receive what He wants to teach you in His Word. Praise Him for everything you have to be thankful for, thank Him for your trials, and then read where He guides you. Bible time isn't about you having knowledge, it's about the Spirit teaching you truth. Let Him guide you.

Take a look at what Jesus prayed for us in John 17:20-23:

 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
²² “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me." (NLT)


 Believers, how we worship is not just about us and our walk with the Lord. When we worship Him in spirit and in truth, it shows the world WHO we belong to, and how much He LOVES! This is bigger than us, and we need to stop with the arguing and division, and start being ONE for His glory. The way we can do it is by following His command to worship our Father in spirit and in truth. 

May God bless us and refresh this land with His Spirit as we move forward as one!