The Holy Spirit in Worship and Prayer: Part 2
Memory Passage
Therefore, brothers, we have an
obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you
live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to
death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:12-13
Scripture Reading: John 4:21-24
Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Scripture Reading: Phillipians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--
Insights
"What does it mean to worship 'by the Spirit of God' or 'in Spirit and Truth?' I
believe this is referring to a dynamic interaction in which the true worshiper is
so deeply moved by truth about God that there is a stirring of the Holy Spirit
within him or her that then elicits a worshiping response. In worship we don't
focus on the Holy Spirit as such; we worship the Father through Jesus the Son.
But we cannot truly worship God apart from the Holy Spirit. He is the 'breath'
(pneuma) that is our connection with the Father!.Genuineness of heart and
purity of motives come as divine gifts from the Holy Spirit who actually
empowers true worship within us." -Ron and Craig Allen, The Wonder of
Worship
Consider this!
"The flesh counts for nothing," according to Paul, in terms of acceptable
worship. True worship is "by the "Spirit of God" and involves glorying in Christ
Jesus. Ponder that for a moment.
Personal Reflection
- Recount a time recently when you were deeply moved by God in worship.
Describe what moved your heart.
- Our response to the moving of the Spirit in worship compels us to express our
love, our praise, our gratitude, and our joy toward our Savior and our Heavenly
Father. Where and when have you known heartfelt expressions of worship?
- How might you prepare yourself on Saturday night or on Sunday morning for
being "led" by the Holy Spirit in worshiping God?
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