“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org/
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie http://www.harvest.org/devotional
Written by bruce r. mills for “God’s group”@ www.Godsmanforever.com
“How to Worship in Spirit and in Truth”
Revised from July 23, 2016
Ephesians 5:18-20… And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (NKJV)
At our men’s Bible study the other day, we discussed how best to worship the Lord in church… Several thoughts were proposed, including the comment that proper worship has to be learned… I call this spiritual maturity, as the Christian spends time in the Word, in prayer, and gathers in a local church body to gain spiritual wisdom and knowledge in a process called “Progressive Sanctification” [ see 4. Below]
At the close of our Bible study, we looked at this scripture…
John 4:23-24… But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (NKJV)
Here is the key to worshiping the Lord… “and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” As the apostle Paul pens in the opening scripture, Christians should seek to continuously…“be filled with the Spirit”…
Once we are filled with the Holy Spirit by God Himself, to become Christians through God’s grace and mercy [see 1. below]…we are just beginning our spiritual journey… Walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), or being “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18-20), requires submitting one’s life to God; allowing the Holy Spirit to take total control of our lives… This is an ongoing, day by day (sometimes moment by moment) endeavor, for the Christian to remain “ filled with the Spirit” on a more or less consistent basis…
We as Christians will never be free from sinning, until we breath our last breath here on earth… But when we do sin, we are to confess our sins before the Lord, and turn and repent of them, to regain the sweet fellowship with the Lord as Spirit filled Christians… We see the apostle John pen this need to confess our sins, in this scripture…
1 John 1:9… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)
Our ability to love others (even when they show us anger or hate – Matthew 5:43-44), and to have joy in all situations (James 1:2-3), comes from a heart filled with the love and the joy of the Lord… We read this in…
John 15:9-11… “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.“ (NKJV)
When the Holy Spirit is in total control of all that we say and do, He will give us the ability to sing praise songs with a heart filled with the Love of Christ… This is true worship through “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”…
The Holy Spirit will urge us to use our spiritual gift/gifts God has given to each Christian (1 Corinthians 12)…to become part of the working body of Christ, in our church… When we are urged to serve in our church by the Holy Spirit…step out in faith, knowing that if God asks us to get involved, He will give us all that we need to complete what we have been called to do… [See 2. below for why church is important, and using our gift in a church body]
Ephesians 4:15-16… but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (NKJV)
And when the Holy Spirit has control of our hearts and minds, we will be able to listen to a sermon at church, and focus on the Word…without letting our mind wander… This is true worship in the Word…
Indeed the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit has to be experienced in one’s life to be believed !! Why try to accomplish anything in your own strength…when God tells us to let Him carry our burden, in…
Matthew 11:29-30… Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NKJV)
Heavenly Father, I thank You and praise You for who You are… I thank You Father, that You promise never to leave nor forsake Your redeemed children…[see 3. Below] Help us Father, to do our best to live “Christ-centered” lives…allowing the Holy Spirit to control all that we say and do… I thank You even now for how You will change the hearts and lives of those who humble themselves, and turn to You for help… I pray for the fullness of Christ in all of our lives, so that we come to worship You in spirit and in truth…in Jesus’ most precious and holy name… Amen…
Blessings in Christ, bruce
References for further reading:
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If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth for this most important days writing, about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… https://godsmanforever.com/2016/12/19/the-gospel-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-12182016-written-by-bruce-r-mills/
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“Get plugged in” https://godsmanforever.wordpress.com/2015/07/05/get-plugged-in-7052015-by-bruce-r-mills/
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I will never leave you Bible verses… http://www.thejourney2grace.com/index.cfm?i=11059&mid=1000&id=324730“Progressive
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Progressive Sanctification”… http://www.gotquestions.org/progressive-sanctification.html
God's group 
Yes worship is connection with the Holy Spirit, and also worship can be in our everyday lives. Connecting to the Spirit daily, in our living for the Lord. Praising Him for the ability to serve Him daily. We do not need music to worship the Lord.
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