Prayer -- pray His word back to Him, praise and give thanks, listen to music and sing, spend time in His presence, listen to Holy Spirit and renew your joy in the Lord. These are only a few ways, there are many more. Worship is not just for a corporate body of believers but it is also a personal and private experience between each of us and God!
“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.” –John 4:23
The good news is, you can worship God "in spirit and in truth" anywhere — and worship is a powerful spiritual exercise in any believer’s life.
What Does Worshiping ‘in Truth’ Mean?
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, NKJV).We do not worship as the world believes! Rather we focus on the message and the truth of Jesus Christ.
“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts” (Colossians 3:16).
The Bible outlines seven different types of worship, and they are all appropriate, with each having its place. Let’s examine them:
Barak–To kneel, to bless God, to bow down -- Barak means to bow down to, or kneel before, the Lord. It communicates that the Lord holds a place of importance and helps us remember just how great He is. Barak is not done out of a begging attitude but rather an expectant attitude, because the Lord is more than willing and able to move on our behalf. Psalm 72:12-15
Halal–To be clear, to shine, to boast, to show, to rave, to celebrate, to be clamorously foolish -- Halal appears more than 110 times in the Old Testament. It translates as to shine, boast, rave about, celebrate or even to be clamorously foolish. Can you imagine a more wondrous noise raving about about all the Lord is and all He has done? 1 Chronicles 16:4
Shabach–To shout loudly, to command -- Shabach means to shout loudly or command. Of course, it isn’t simply about being loud. Its focus is to worship the Lord with one’s whole being. Psalm 47:1
Tehillah–To sing praises, singing out of the spirit spontaneously -- Tehillah means to sing unrehearsed, unplanned praises to the Lord. It can include adding words to an existing song or even singing in the spirit to the Lord. Psalm 22:3
Towdah–Extending hands, acting out of thanksgiving for what has or will be done -- Towdah is a type of worship that includes extending your hands or raising them in thanksgiving for something that has been done or will be done. Psalm 50:23
Yadah– Extending the hands vigourously -- Yadah means to extend your hands vigorously as in complete surrender. 2 Chronicles 20:21
Zamar – To touch the strings, to make music with instruments, mostly rejoicing -- Zamar means to touch the strings. It involves rejoicing and making music to the Lord. Psalm 150:3-6
Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you about the seven ways to worship "in spirit and in truth." Remember, praising God is to be on our lips, or spoken (Isaiah 57:19), and we are to do it continually as a sacrifice (Hebrews 13:15). God promises that when we praise and worship Him, He inhabits those praises (Psalm 22:3), and it gives us strength to defeat our enemy (Psalm 8:2)
Maranatha
Anna