Is my worship true?

You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 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. - John 4:22-24 (LSB)

To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God. - William Temple

And so the Lord says, “Since these people say they are mine but they do not obey me, and since their worship amounts to mere words learned by rote, therefore I will take awesome vengeance on these hypocrites and make their wisest counselors as fools.” -  Living Bible)

For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding. - Proverbs 9:10 (Living Bible)

In spirit refers to the expression of worship. It is not the body, it is not mechanical. It is not mindlessly repeating formal prayers. It is not mindlessly reciting some religious ceremony. It is not some mechanical means. It is from the spirit. It is from the depths of the being of the person. It is with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength. It engages the mind that peruses the essence of the truth. It is from the heart where the feeling and the emotion is identified. It is with everything within us that we worship God, the body being only a means of expression. Secondly, it is to be in truth, meaning it is to be an expression of the inner man consistent with revealed truth, the Bible. This is the balance. God wants all the emotion, all the passion, all the soul and the spirit and the heart and the mind engaged in worship, but in perfect coordination, harmony, and agreement with revealed truth. - John MacArthur

Teach me Your way, O Lord,
I will walk and live in Your truth;
Direct my heart to fear Your name [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
I will give thanks and praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
And will glorify Your name forevermore.
For great is Your lovingkindness and graciousness toward me;
And You have rescued my life from the depths of Sheol [from death]. - Psalm 85:11-13 (Amplified Bible)

We must see the holy name of God only with fear and reverence so that we may rightly confess Him, call on Him, and praise Him in all our words and works. We must see the holy name of God only with fear and reverence. - Heidelberg Catechism (1563)

True worship is any and every expression of obedience, praise, honor, adoration, and gratitude offered to the true God by a regenerate soul who knows the truth about God and loves Him. - John MacArthur

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]. - Romans 12:1-2 (Amplified Bible)

Lord, glorify Yourself; exalt Your name above all. When I come into Your presence, remind me that my deepest need is to know You more—more than I know You now. You have placed that opportunity within my reach through Your Word. Shape me into all You desire me to be as a true worshiper. Strengthen and refine me until the day I am with You in glory, when sin and weakness will be no more, and I will worship You in perfect righteousness. Amen.

Be Encouraged to engage in true worship, that emanates from from deep within your soul and aligns completely with the truth of God’s Word.



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