“22 You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for Salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” John 4:22-23
All true praise is worship but not all worship is praise. Some worship and know not what. True praise comes when the Believer truly understands the worth of Jesus and His redeeming work between mankind and God. Only when we realize the worthiness of Jesus Christ, God manifested in the flesh, who came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin in order to redeem whosoever will believe and to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life, can we realize our unworthiness.
“8 This people draws nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.
9 But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9
Worship is an attitude not an act and it is the spirit behind the attitude which effects true praise. Recognize the attitude to realize the spirit behind the acts of worship in many modern churches. With their mouth, they glorify the Lord but their hearts are far from Him…they worship in vain. The spirit behind their attitude, not their words, is not of God. The acts of worship are worldly, not holy. Sadly, many worship another Jesus and know not who they worship.
Recognizing the attitude will reveal the spirit behind the worship and will solve the issue between modern day so called worship services and true praise and worship.
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 