How can a person worship God in spirit and truth?

Question

John 4:24 says that God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. How can a person know how to do that and what that means?

http://prayershack.freeservers.com/article_spiritandtruth.html
I found this site about worship, but I don't personally believe worship is just about singing praises.

I found more scripture on the subject.
Matthew 15:9
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mark 7:7
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Colossians 2:18
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Does this mean their is a right and wrong way to worship?

Some of you have some very good answers, so that it will be hard to choose.

Answer 1

When a Christian becomes Born Again spiritually, and accepts Jesus as a savior for all of his or her sins, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within. This is the spirit that helps us to know how to pray, what to pray, and when to pray. The Holy Spirit guides us in all things. The Holy Spirit also convicts us whenever we do something wrong (not one person is without fault), and we will immediately repent and stay on course with the Truth that is found in God's Word, the Bible, otherwise known as Jesus, who is God in the flesh - delivering the Word.

It is also important to notice that this is actually saying that we should worship the Father in the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. How's that for an indication of the Trinity?

Answer 2

I believe that the spirit is found when you are still and you have a sense of your very core. You know who you are and what you are about. Being in the spirit is talking to God from that inner core and talking with an honest heart (truth). The conscious mind that most of us have - psychopaths excluded, is intended as a guide built into all human beings to be able to access God via the Holy Spirit that lives inside born again Christians.

Answer 3

To worship in "spirit" is to worship from a sincere, repentent heart. Not just go thru religious ritiuals. To worship in "Truth" is to worship what IS, not what you think is. This means conforming to what God has revealed in His word. He has revealed the His Son is "God manifested in the flesh". This means that if you "deny the Son" you "deny the Father". To dishonor the Son, means dishonoring the Father who sent Him. As Jesus said, "Unless you believe that I AM, you will DIE in your sins.". (john 8:24) Jesus knew exactly what He was saying. He deliberetly referenced Exodus 3:14 and identified Himself as the same person who spoke with Moses at the burning bush. He KNEW how His words would be received. His enemys denied that He was God in human flesh then and wanted to kill Him, and they deny it now (i.e. The Watchtower). The Jehovah Witnesses make the same mistake that the Pharisees did. Remember if you dont believe that He is God Himself, then He says you WILL die in your sins. The Cults deny this. They worship from the "heart" but not from the TRUTH of Scripture. Also, remember, an "angel" could never die for mankind. Because we did not sin against an angel. But we sinned against a Holy God. So, God Himself had to become a man and as a man, die for men. A "Kinsman Redeemer" has to be equil to BOTH parties, to buy a person out of slavery. So the Redeemer had to be both Man AND God.....theBerean

Answer 4

Under The Anointing of The Holy Spirit.

Answer 5

It's signifigance is in relation to the scribes and Pharisees who were big on Scripture, the temple, legalism, their heritage and privileges but had no heart; they had so little in common with their heavenly father that their hearts and minds were cut off from the spirit of life. Jesus' life is the answer to your question; the life he led, the example he set,to show not only them but all people what it means to worship in spirit and truth which to me means ever docile to the Holy Spirit (always doing the will of the Father), obeying his commandments to love God with all our hearts, ... etc, and to love our neighbors as ourselves by being humble, serving, forgiving, generous, kind, and compassionate to ALL people not just our own kind.

Answer 6

For our worship to be suitable to God, it is going to comply with the actuality printed in the pages of the Bible and it is going to be guided by the holy spirit. John 17:17 says: Gods observe is actuality. in actuality discovered in the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:sixteen,17 highlights that Gods words stimulated by His Holy Spirit.

Answer 7

They have to learn the WORD. The Armor of God. Get ready for battle. That's the only way. When people open themselves up to the Spirit, they also become targets of evil in the spiritual realm, which can lead to doubt, fear, and falling away.

Answer 8

Jesus said: “The hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for such like ones to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.” (John 4:23, 24) To worship God “with spirit,” we must have his spirit and be guided by that spirit. It is possible to worship God ‘with truth’ by studying his Word, the Bible, and by worshiping him according to his revealed truth.

Jesus emphasized that God wants true worship. This shows that there are forms of worship unacceptable to God. To worship God means to give him reverent honor and to render sacred service to him. If you wanted to show honor to a powerful ruler, likely you would be eager to serve him and do what would please him. Surely, then, we want to please God. Rather than merely say, ‘My religion suits me,’ we therefore need to make sure that our worship meets God’s requirements.
Doing God’s will requires an accurate knowledge of both Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. Such knowledge leads to everlasting life. Surely, then, all of us will want to take seriously the matter of gaining accurate knowledge from God’s Word, the Bible. Some say that there is no need for concern as long as we are sincere and zealous in our worship. Others claim, ‘The less you know, the less is expected of you.’ Yet, the Bible encourages us to increase in the knowledge of God and his purposes.—Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9.

Answer 9

I think that it's describing the relationship between man and God. Man is to worship God, but not just by going through the rituals thereof, but making it personal, taking it serious. Trust in God is vital to life itself. For those that believe all that, God promises to place His Spirit in us that we my be changed according to His will.

Worship are acts of faith. Where the mere belief is necessary, but also action is required to make the connection complete. If we act, God acts.

So turn to Matthew 6 if you need examples of worship; giving to the poor, laying up treasures in heaven, fasting, prayer, they all count as the heart of the believer continues to trust God to recieve those as they are selfless when trust in God is the focus.

Answer 10

In the Bible, the word spirit can mean 'intention' or desire ( such as the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak ). It can also mean mental attitude, or strength w/in. Truth, in the Bible is always equated w/ God's words ( as in your Word is truth ).

So to worship God in spirit and in truth means that we worship him w/ all our mind and strength; and worship him according to his standards as written in the Bible.