In John 4:23-24, Jesus spoke about worship with the Samaritan woman. Let’s try to understand what true worship is according to the Bible, and how you can apply it to your own relationship with God:

1. True worship requires our spirit.

“. . . true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit . . .” Does this mean our spirit, or God’s Holy Spirit? Actually, it’s both! Worship is meant to include our whole self. This is why the Lord commanded Israel in Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Both publicly and privately, we must not just go through the motions of worship, but be fully involved with our heart and soul – our inner selves.

2. True worship requires to worship in the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:19-20 tells us, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” When we are filled with God’s Spirit, a natural result is heartfelt worship – singing to God, and talking about Him to others.

3. We need to worship in Truth.

What is the truth? A better question is, who is the truth? The answer is Jesus: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)

Jesus also said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32). The more we know Jesus, who is the truth, the more we will be able to worship in truth. We get to know Jesus through prayer (we talk to Him) and His word (He speaks to us).

When you worship God in a church or anywhere else, ask the Lord to help you “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:2). He will help you to worship him with your whole heart, and not just go through the motions. The Lord will be glorified, and your faith will grow, and others will hear about Him.