The Key to True Worship

But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. (John 4:23 CSB)

Earlier this week, I asked Tammy, my church worship leader, what her favorite worship scriptures were. She replied with three scriptures. The first two were no surprise to me, but the third one was a surprise. That scripture, in my estimation, placed her in the top tier of worship leaders, for it revealed her understanding of the key to true worship.

What was that scripture? “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2 CSB)

This is the key to the true worship of God in spirit and truth. We cannot truly worship our God, Creator of heaven and earth, without sacrifice. Sacrifice starts with giving our body as a living sacrifice. I am not talking about a momentary decision here, but a lifestyle.

This means we sacrifice our will and desire to the Lord and do His will and desires. Of course, this isn’t possible unless we renew our mind to what God’s will and desire is. We find His will and desire in the Word of God, our Bible.

We are to take what we learn of God in the Word and renew our mind to what we learned. When we renew our mind, then we start to speak God’s will and desire. When we speak His will and desire, our body, the living sacrifice, will do His will and desire.

At this point, we are walking by the spirit and not by our flesh. This is when we can worship our Father in spirit and truth. Without giving our body as a living sacrifice and being transformed by the renewing of our mind, we are not equipped to worship our Heavenly Father in spirit and truth.

True worship is giving your body as a living sacrifice and renewing your mind to God’s Word so that you may be transformed into His image. When you begin to do that, for it is a lifelong process, only then can you truly express yourself in worship to God.

Worship will always begin at home. When you learn to worship God at home, you then come to church worshiping God. This is the time you find you have stepped into the realm of worshiping God in spirit and truth. You will worship God as His Spirit leads you and you will do it in truth, which is His Word.

The more people in the church that do this, the deeper the church can enter into the presence of God. This is when God inhabits the praise of His people and moves in spectacular ways.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for my selfishness. I have lived more for me than I have for You. From this point forward, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice. I surrender my will and desires to what You will and desire for my life. Daily, I will spend time in Your Word, renewing my mind. I thank you for the transformation that is taking place in my life as You are transforming me daily into Your image. Please teach me how to worship You more fully in spirit and truth. In Jesus name. Amen.

 Additional Scriptures:

Psalm 22:3; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10, 14-17; 1 John 2:6; Psalm 95:1-6; Isaiah 12:5; Hebrews 13:15; 2 Chronicles 20:1-29