John 4

John 4:23-24:
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jesus words in conversation with the woman of Samaria. John 4: 19-26 reveals that the woman of Samaria asks the “where” of worship. Jesus responds by rejecting the “where.” Worship is not simply a time of praise, singing, prayer & ritual slotted into a church service but rather it’s a life style of total surrender of self so that God can be glorified through my life. Worship is not through ritual or good deeds or use of symbolism but through the Messiah who is the Truth being lived out in my life. True worship is self sacrifice but many distractions lurk about as friends, enticements, pain, hurt, anger, revenge, divisions & unforgiveness make it easy to crawl off the altar of sacrifice into a self seeking, arrogant mind set. None of these represent the Truth of the Messiah & a Spirit of unity with the One who deserves all praise & honor. He is worthy of our praise! Let’s worship Him in our life style.

Our worship does not benefit God but it does change us. Worship establishes a Divine relationship that quenches our thirst for His presence.
Praising God, giving thanks and obeying Him are all aspects of worship that heal us. Our bowing and prostration show our humility and submission. Such sincere adoration produces a dynamic response deep within our heart that strengthens us.
Our affirmation of faith is a continuing vow to obey, worship and trust God, in exchange for security, for an anxiety-free life and, ultimately, for salvation.

Spiritual healing starts by correcting a temporary mental disorder, but continues into treating a human condition we all suffer. The spiritual foundation upon which we lean provides constant therapy that sustains and maintains us.
It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men. [C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, p. 93]. Our dedicated worship serves to exercise our spiritual muscles while fortifying our psychological fragility. These exercises shape the pattern of our devotional life and provide a psychological structure for our relationship with the Divine.
It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. [Deuteronomy 13:4].
The error-ridden mind cannot return to childish innocence. It can, however, regain its confidence and direction through the spiritual healing offered by God’s mercy. By connecting to the Divine Reality through sincere worship, we restore contact with God, and we resume the sacred relationship that we, ourselves, severed.