Jesus invites us into a way of worship that many of us have only begun to understand. In this third teaching we connect the familiar words of John 4 with the biblical truth of spirit, soul, and body. The revelation is still unfolding in my own life, yet it is already bringing fresh freedom.
The Hour Is Coming and Now Is
As it is written in John 4:23-24, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman about worship that rises above mountains and temples. The Old Testament saints could worship with their bodies by going to a place, or with their souls through emotion and expression. But they could not worship in spirit and truth because their spirits were dead, disconnected from God. Jesus lived in constant spirit-to-Spirit union with the Father. He calls us into the same reality.
Connecting Worship with Spirit, Soul, and Body
I believe we have often projected our own experiences onto these verses. Some emphasise truth through the Word. Others focus on the Spirit through tongues and stirring. Both have value. Yet the deeper connection for me has come through seeing worship through the lens of spirit, soul, and body.
We are three-part beings. I am a spirit. I have a soul and I live in a body. My spirit is the new creation, joined to the Lord as one spirit. It is already seated in heavenly places. My soul and body are not yet fully redeemed in the same way. Much of what we call worship stays in the soul realm. We seek feelings, connection, and experiences. We try to warm up, press in, or work ourselves into the Spirit. This is soulish worship. It is not wrong, but it falls short of what the Father seeks.
You Are Already in the Spirit
Here is the glorious truth that has been reshaping me. You do not have to get into the Spirit. You are already in the Spirit. As written in Romans 8:9, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” Paul also writes, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).
I remember a season here in France about twenty-five years ago. I would feel God so close at times and then not at all. It frustrated me. I fasted for five days. My body grew weak and my soul became quiet. Suddenly I broke through into a deep awareness of communion with the Lord. My spirit was joined to Him all along, but my body and soul had been dominating. That experience taught me it is possible. Yet I have come to realise something even better. I do not need to strive to repeat the breakthrough. I can start from the place where my spirit already lives in union with God.
Be Before You Do
The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there” (Exodus 24:12). Moses walked up the mountain and kept walking until he entered the presence of God. I believe the same principle applies to worship. Before we do anything, we must first be. We must learn to abide, rest, and commune in the spirit.
In practice this means I often begin my day with no music, no striving, simply sitting quietly. I put my body in a place of rest. I quiet my soul. I come to awareness of what is already true in my spirit. I am not trying to attain something new. I am learning to let my soul and body recognise the communion that has existed since I was born again. When that awareness fills the screen of my life, the soul and body begin to follow. Worship then flows as overflow rather than effort.
This is counterintuitive. We love to dance, clap, raise hands, and feel emotion. I enjoy all of that. Yet I am learning to start in the spirit first. Let the doing flow from the being. When we live this way, worship in spirit and truth becomes our normal Christian life.
Selah.
Scriptures for Study:
John 4:23, John 4:24, John 17:17, Romans 8:9, Romans 8:16, Galatians 5:25, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 1 Corinthians 6:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:6, Exodus 24:12, Psalm 103:1, Psalm 51:17, Hebrews 10:19-22, John 7:38-39, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:18-19, Matthew 6:1-6, Psalm 29:2, 1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 95:6, Isaiah 66:1-2, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Revelation 4:11, Romans 12:1.
10 Questions for Reflection:
- How often do I try to “get into the Spirit” instead of resting in the fact that I am already there?
- In what ways has soulish worship dominated my time with the Lord?
- What would change if I began every day by coming to awareness in my spirit first?
- Where do I still look for feelings and experiences as the main proof of God’s presence?
- How can I practically quiet my body and soul to let my spirit lead?
- Have I experienced moments like the fasting breakthrough, and what did they teach me?
- Am I willing to be before I do in my worship?
- What practical adjustments can I make to start in the spirit each morning?
- How does understanding my spirit as the new creation change the way I approach the Father?
- Will I practise abiding in the spirit today so that worship flows naturally?
