Ever get frustrated in worship? Worship in 'soul' and in truth?
I grew up in the church. I'm a pastor/missionary's kid. I've been exposed to times of worship since before I was born. I graduated from a Christian university, have attended multiple doctrinally solid churches, but one thing none of that experience trained me for was worship in the Spirit. Oh, it was something we were expected to do to please God but no one ever told us how! Like so many phrases in the Bible that we were expected to understand and incorporate without explanation or definition or with a definition that fell short of the reality, to 'worship in Spirit and in truth,' was another in a long string of vague, nebulous phrases.
The Lord began to teach me several years ago about the Spirit and what life looks like in relationship to the Spirit. He gave me the gifts of praying in tongues, prophetic dreams and visions, and began to teach me how to commune with Him. He then took me across the ocean to a small surfing town on the coast of France and continued to teach me about His Spirit and mine and what 'becoming one spirit with him' (1 Cor. 6:17) looks like. I was taught that union with Christ includes union with His Spirit. I can bring my body and soul (will, mind, emotions) into subjection, submission to my spirit which is one with His Spirit.
This submission of my body and soul can happen internally or out loud. I find it helpful and powerful to speak this submission out. When I do, I speak from a different place; I sing from a different place. I sound different. I can worship with conviction and speak with authority. It's not my authority - it's His. It's no longer me trying to work up an emotion or emotional response, because my emotions are submitted to His Spirit. He is gifting me with the proper emotional response. It's not my mind trying to understand the things of the Spirit of God - it's His Spirit giving me understanding. It's not me trying to muster up the will power to want the things that God wants - it's His Spirit aligning my will with His. He's like the orchestra conductor and my soul is His orchestra.
So, . . . . worship? I have come to times of worship, both publicly and privately, and sought to work up within myself the correct emotions, desires, and understanding to 'worship him in spirit and in truth.' I have ended up frustrated so many times. Moments of 'worship' have left me feeling empty and dry and frustrated because I haven't done what I'm supposed to do - 'worship in spirit and in truth.' Satan has attacked at this very weakness with guilt and discouragement - 'You call yourself a Christian but can't adequately worship Him?' It struck me, only this morning, why that is, why I end up dry, frustrated, and empty. I'm seeking to worship with/in my soul and in truth. Satan attacks our soul - our mind, will, emotions. He doesn't seem to mess with our spirit, perhaps because that is the part of us that is joined to the One to whom he must yield? Why do I seek to worship using my own resources when I can tap into the resources of the Spirit? Why do I seek to understand on my own the things of God when it is the Spirit who gives me the understanding of 'the things of God' and the 'things freely given to us by God.' Why do I seek to 'lean on my own understanding' when it is the job of the Spirit to illumine and give His understanding and wisdom? Why do I seek to muster up on my own the desire to want what He wants when He can align my will with His when I submit to Him?
So, how do you worship? Where do you draw your resources to do so? Why?
The Lord began to teach me several years ago about the Spirit and what life looks like in relationship to the Spirit. He gave me the gifts of praying in tongues, prophetic dreams and visions, and began to teach me how to commune with Him. He then took me across the ocean to a small surfing town on the coast of France and continued to teach me about His Spirit and mine and what 'becoming one spirit with him' (1 Cor. 6:17) looks like. I was taught that union with Christ includes union with His Spirit. I can bring my body and soul (will, mind, emotions) into subjection, submission to my spirit which is one with His Spirit.
This submission of my body and soul can happen internally or out loud. I find it helpful and powerful to speak this submission out. When I do, I speak from a different place; I sing from a different place. I sound different. I can worship with conviction and speak with authority. It's not my authority - it's His. It's no longer me trying to work up an emotion or emotional response, because my emotions are submitted to His Spirit. He is gifting me with the proper emotional response. It's not my mind trying to understand the things of the Spirit of God - it's His Spirit giving me understanding. It's not me trying to muster up the will power to want the things that God wants - it's His Spirit aligning my will with His. He's like the orchestra conductor and my soul is His orchestra.
So, . . . . worship? I have come to times of worship, both publicly and privately, and sought to work up within myself the correct emotions, desires, and understanding to 'worship him in spirit and in truth.' I have ended up frustrated so many times. Moments of 'worship' have left me feeling empty and dry and frustrated because I haven't done what I'm supposed to do - 'worship in spirit and in truth.' Satan has attacked at this very weakness with guilt and discouragement - 'You call yourself a Christian but can't adequately worship Him?' It struck me, only this morning, why that is, why I end up dry, frustrated, and empty. I'm seeking to worship with/in my soul and in truth. Satan attacks our soul - our mind, will, emotions. He doesn't seem to mess with our spirit, perhaps because that is the part of us that is joined to the One to whom he must yield? Why do I seek to worship using my own resources when I can tap into the resources of the Spirit? Why do I seek to understand on my own the things of God when it is the Spirit who gives me the understanding of 'the things of God' and the 'things freely given to us by God.' Why do I seek to 'lean on my own understanding' when it is the job of the Spirit to illumine and give His understanding and wisdom? Why do I seek to muster up on my own the desire to want what He wants when He can align my will with His when I submit to Him?
So, how do you worship? Where do you draw your resources to do so? Why?
Some great insight here and great questions! We need to worship. It is central to our daily walk. It is important to 'quiet' ourselves in a loud world, a world that is also seeking our attention and affection. I am listening to a bird right now outside my window. I hear it because I want to be in 'tuned' on other "noises". Because what is currently around me, is the everyday, human life, in a lost and dying world, noises. People drown out (really, they are only adding) those noises with TV, movies, social media, etc. The headphones go on and they tune out. They escape. But if I learn to focus in on the 'spirit', I will begin to 'hear' what the spirit is saying and see what the spirit is doing. I hear into another dimension, the realm of the spirit world where my Father resides! Communion happens and I hear His heart. That makes me want to worship Him!
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