Living Waterনমুনা

Worshiping God in spirit and truth

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

When the woman at the well asked where she could find God, she was thinking of a physical place. But Jesus says that “the hour is coming” when people won’t worship God in the temple — neither in Jerusalem nor in Samaria. Instead, they will worship Him in spirit and truth, because God Himself is spirit.

What does this expression mean? Well, God is not localized. He surrounds us and can be found everywhere. He does not have a body that is limited to a particular space. He wants to dwell in the hearts and in the lives of his children: “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

This means that we can pray to God anywhere. We don’t need to go to a temple or a church. We don’t need to wait till Sunday or a particular time of the day. Our worship is not confined by place or time. Moreover, it should not be limited to the physical acts of bowing our knees and folding or lifting our hands. Our emotional core, our spirit, should be involved.

How do you worship God?