SPIRIT CENTERED WORSHIP – From the Edges – Morning Devotional

From the Edges – Morning Devotions

Pastor Calvin Cook – May 18, 2024

SPIRIT CENTERED WORSHIP

Scripture focus – John 4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

When you are receiving guests in your house, aren’t you trying to make everything perfect. Making sure all preparations for their comfort are meet. If the guests are coming for the meal, we try hard to present a great feast that everyone will enjoy. If they are overnight guests, then we are making sure that the guest room is clean and orderly and that everything the guest made needs will be provided.

This morning, we will just cut to the chase and ask the question of 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Hmmm, how are we preparing our lives for God through the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our lives. Or are we just hoping for visitation at our convenience and need? Or do we desire a permanent presence of the Spirit. What will be the preparations that you will make for this presence.

In the modern-day Church, we spend quite a bit of time preparing for our worship services. We plan, pick, and present so that those in attendance might experience a great and uplifting worship service. However, I am desiring to go just a bit deeper, how are we individually preparing to worship, not just in the structured conventional way, but worshiping in Spirit and Truth, in the quiet moments of our life. How are we coming before the Lord? How are we preparing our life as the residence of the Holy Spirit.

The scripture this morning leads us to believe that this is through worship in Spirit and Truth. Now we might begin to understand Spirit but what about Truth. I believe that our view of truth has become so skewed, that sometimes we wouldn’t recognize truth if it hit us with a stick.

I believe that Spiritual worship means that we are connecting with God at a higher level—beyond rituals or being in specific places. It should remove all apprehension and just in our soul fall face down before the Lord without the worry of anyone or anything else and worshiping very authentically.

The idea of authenticity carries into the idea of truth. Being truthful in worship and our relationship becomes a total alignment with God and worshiping God as God truly is without any pretense or expectations of what we are hoping for worship to be.

Note: The picture this morning is of a recent Brandon Lake Concert I attended where over 8,000 people were worshiping as the Spirit directed. Some standing, some sitting, some lifting their hands in praise, some looking up, some singing, some praying, some standing in silence. May we lean into the Spirit for genuine worship wherever we might be.