Worshipping in "spirit and truth" describes both the mode and the manner of worship .The mode- being the approach or way to worship which we should do in "spirit;" and the manner- being the conduct or behavior, which we should do in "truth." What does this mean? It means that true worship takes place when the spirit of a man or a woman communes with the spirit of God. We are relating to God when we are in spirit (mode).
According to the Word, God is spirit, so He can only communicate with us through our spirits. We cannot relate to God through our flesh. That is why worshipping God is a spiritual communion. It is not entertainment, rather time we are in direct connection with our Father, communicating with Him.
True worship also takes place when we do it in all sincerity from within our hearts. In order for us to truly, sincerely worship God, our behavior, conduct and lifestyles have to line up with the truth of His word (manner). What does this mean? It means that God does not solely want us to worship Him in prayer, song, and dance, God expects us to worship Him with our lives. When our lives line up with the truth of His Word, we are able to worship Him sincerely from our hearts. It is from that point our worship is no longer a stench, but is purified worship, like a sweet smelling aroma unto the Lord.
The bible tells us in Jeremiah, 17:10 "the Lord searches the heart," Therefore, when we commune with Him, we should do so from the place He searches. Isaiah 29:13 speaks of worshipping not done from the heart. God says:
"For as much as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of man.” (KJV)
1 Samuel 16:7 says:
"For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (KJV)
When we worship, we should speak directly to the Lord with a sincere heart. Tell Him what He means to us, what He has been to us. We do not have to wait until Sunday morning to worship Him. We can worship Him right now. Let us close our eyes and think about the goodness of the Lord. Think about how wonderful He is, how good He has been.
Think about all His blessings. If you feel like crying, cry, let the tears flow. Lift your hands up, bow down on your knees, do whatever you feel like, but do not take your mind off Him. Imagine the cross. Picture how it looks, what it smells like, what it feels like.
We do not deserve His sacrifice. We are not worthy, but He died anyway because He loves us that much. Think about it. Just think about it. Think about how awesome He is, how great He is, how spectacular He is. Come on. Let us worship him! Tell Him how much we love Him…
Are you empty and able to be used? Are you empty of all your junk, intentions, ideals, even your will? Are you willing to let it not be all about you, but all about God? Are you willing to be the PR person and not the star? Are you willing to do the work to promote the star, (Jesus) so that His name goes up in big lights, that He can receive all the glory? These are vital questions you should ask yourself, and answer honestly, to determine if you meet the requirements of being a useable vessel. As you may already know, there are several requirements you must have in order to be effective useable vessels and, of course, throughout this series, we will explore a number of them. However, right now I want to focus mainly on those things that prevent us from becoming effective useable vessels: Those things that hinder us from successfully doing the work of God…
Pride is the only sin that has a long list beneath its covering. I have comprised a list of behavior patterns that describe what a prideful person looks like. As we peruse this list, we will see that it covers an extremely broad spectrum. Look closely at the following;