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 4:23-24.
“I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
What is worship? Jesus told you that I am Spirit and those who worship Me must do so in Spirit and truth. In fact, He told you I was seeking such people to be My worshippers.
Worship is not just singing a praise song, although that may be included in it. It is living in such close union with Me that you hear Me at every moment and are always ready to obey. Not out of fear, but out of love and understanding what I am about. Like Jesus said, “To do Your Will, O LORD, is My delight and Your law is in My heart.” Psalm 40:8.
Worship is a life style of constant communion with Me. It is a life of fasting, not from food but from the works and mindset of the flesh, and of prayer, that is, constant intimate exchange with Me. It is a hearing heart. It is a clean heart. Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see Me. It is a heart clean of the clamor of unforgiveness, hatred, and dislike, and I mean of others and yourself. Many of you are not in fellowship with Me because you cannot forgive yourself and do not love the you I made you to be.
Worship is being on call 24/7. I called Samuel in the quiet of the night to tell him things to come so he could warn Eli and save him from losing his destiny.
In the Book of Acts you read that, “Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.” Ministering unto Me they heard the direction of the Holy Spirit and off they went on the assignment He gave. Worship in ministering unto Me. And when you are with Me it is not so much you are purposely fasting as that you just are not interested in and don’t need food, like Moses in the cloud with Me on Mt. Sinai for forty days and forty nights without even wanting a meal and he came out radiant with the beauty of My presence. But more on this in a moment.
Now think about Ananias. You don’t hear much about him but he was a worshipper, the kind of man I seek. You will see why, let Me show you, “Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened.” Acts 9:10-19. Do you see? I tell you he was a disciple, which means he was abiding in My Word, and continuing in the Word, so he knew the truth and it had set him free. And he immediately knew My voice. And what did he respond when I said his name? “Here I am Lord.” He was ready to do whatever I needed done. That is just like Abraham, My friend. Remember? I just would say his name and he was sensitive to My voice. His immediate response was when I spoke his name was, “Here I am.” Genesis 22:1. And he was ready to go with whatever I wanted him to do. He trusted Me, he knew My purposes were always to bless him so he could be a blessing. Genesis 12:1-3. He walked in partnership and fellowship with Me. And that is worship.
And back to Ananias, I gave him My desires and then he expressed his questions about that from what he knew about Saul. I then set his heart at ease about it and he understood what I was about and off he went to do it. He understood what I said, he did not need Me to tell him multiple times before he paid attention. And he was the man that led Saul to salvation and the knowledge of his assignment. He was a prophet to Saul. And you know what Saul went on to do and become, My apostle of apostles, Paul.
That is worship. Pressing in with Me to hear instructions and direction, and to give joy unto Me as a friend. I called Moses My friend. I called Abraham My friend. Jesus calls you “Friend.” This talks of relationship. But it is a loving relationship of service, “You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:14-15. I can share everything with worshippers, just as I did with Abraham. Abraham and I would enter into dialogue about what I was planning to do. Genesis 18:17-33. I could trust him with My secrets.
Now I want to take you back to My servant Moses because I talked to him about worship. I told Moses I would send him to Pharaoh, so that he could bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt. But Moses said to Me, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” And I replied, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” Exodus 3:10-12. The word that is translated there as worship is actually the verb of the noun “servant.” Did you notice that Paul would often begin his letters saying, “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,” and Peter saying, “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,” and James saying, “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” and Paul and Timothy, “Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus,” and Paul when described himself to the crew on the ship in the storm, “Men, you ought to have obeyed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’” Acts 27:21-24. He belonged to Me and served Me, and so I told him what to do and protected him. Paul was a worshipper, and such ones I seek.
But back to Moses and our encounter when I told him his assignment that we would do together. I told him he would worship on that same mountain, Mt. Sinai, also known as Mt. Horeb. And what happened on that mountain when he brought Israel out of Egypt? Moses spent forty days and forty nights on that mountain in the cloud of My presence and I shared with him My commandments, my laws and most of time there I gave him all the plans in intricate detail for a desire of My heart, a place for Me to dwell among My people, My sanctuary. The place where they could offer the sacrifices that would cover their sins until Jesus came and paid in full. A place where we could walk together across the wilderness. And when I first came down to meet with them on that mountain, all heard My voice.
Worship is listening to My revelation of My truth to you. Total immersion, total attention, together. In being in My presence and actively participating in our dialogue, Moses had no need of food or drink. It was the same for Jesus in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights.
And I called Moses My friend. We spoke face-to-face. And it was not just Me telling him things, Moses always gave Me his input too. He interceded for the people with Me also.
And Jesus told you that as I love Him so He loves you and to abide in and live on in His love. John 15:9. That is worship, abiding in My love as the branch in the vine. And abiding there makes you fruitful. You become My disciple, My willing servant, My friend. And but how do you get there? Jesus tells you, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:10-13. The command you obey to get into the place of worship is to love one another as He loved you. And then He tells you that the greatest love is to lay down your life for your friends. Who are your friends? The neighbor that is in need, like the parable of the good Samaritan, he alone was neighbor to the man beaten and left for dead by the side of the road by robbers. And it is being good to those who hate and persecute you. But it also giving up your time, finances, and your desires to take care of another’s needs, whether it be an elderly parent, a disabled family member, your children, a co-worker who needs your encouragement, a neighbor who needs financial help, giving time to your spouse for fellowship and prayer, and so many more opportunities. Jesus called Judas His friend and gave His life for him. Selah.
And then Jesus described the worshipper, “You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:14-15. Do you see, friends do what they hear in My Word and know what I am doing. And Jesus shares all I tell Him with you by His Spirit in you.
Walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Worship is a condition of the heart. A heart who loves Me with all its strength and is clean of the clutter of the world, the flesh and the devil. Jesus was a true worshipper. The devil had no part in Him. And He only said My Words and did the works I showed Him. And His life saved everyone from the beginning to the end of time.
Worshipers live fruitful lives of service, service of the Most High. And I reward those who seek Me.
A word for worship that is also used in Hebrew is “לַעֲבוֹד עֲבוֹדַת קוֹדֶשׁ” which actually means to be a servant of the holy. You serve holiness. What a beautiful way to live. The greatest one among you is the one who serves the rest. Jesus did not come to be served but to serve. And He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
I love you, good and faithful servant, come share your Master’s joy! You did not choose Me, I chose you, like Moses, but your response is what matters. Will you become a worshipper in spirit and in truth? Will you clean your heart with My Word and open your heart to hear Me at every moment? It will make your life amazing and one of great joy. I have told you all these things so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. My heart towards you will never change but it is up to you to open your heart to Me. A hard heart cannot be a worshipper.