Worshiping in Spirit and Truth (Selah Part 3)
Scripture Focus: John 4:23–24 (ESV)
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
An Invitation to Pause
Selah—a word scattered throughout the Psalms—calls us to pause, reflect, and rest. It’s a posture of stillness before God. This summer, as a church family, we’re embracing that invitation: to slow down and learn to rest in God. Not rest as our culture defines it—distraction or disengagement—but rest as God designed it: remembering, exalting, surrendering, and trusting.
Each week, we’re pressing into one of these movements. In this post, we turn our focus to Exalt—lifting God high in our hearts and lives.
What Does It Mean to Exalt?
To exalt is to lift something or someone high. The word comes from the Latin altus, meaning “high” or “elevated.” When we exalt God, we are raising Him above every other voice, every other authority, every other name in our lives.
Whatever we exalt, we expand. If we dwell on negativity, fear, or frustration, those things grow larger in our minds. But when we exalt God—His character, His power, His faithfulness—our hearts are lifted, and our perspective shifts. That’s the transforming power of worship.
The Heart of Worship
Worship, at its core, is a response to revelation. We respond to what we see. When we catch a glimpse of God—His glory, His goodness, His mercy—worship naturally follows.
This is why remembering is such a vital part of rest. If we forget who God is, we struggle to exalt Him. But when we remember that He is the Father of Lights, the Source of all comfort, the Giver of all good gifts, our hearts are drawn to respond in awe and praise.
The Object of Our Worship: The Father
In John 4, Jesus has a deeply personal and transformative encounter with a Samaritan woman. Through their conversation, He shifts the focus of worship away from geography and toward relationship. The place of worship is no longer a mountain or a temple—it’s the heart.
And the object of worship is not a distant deity, but a Father.
Jesus referred to God as Father more than 175 times in the Gospels. It was His primary revelation of who God is. He taught that the Father is:
The Creator – the One who knit us together in the womb (Psalm 139:13–16)
The Redeemer – who gives us the right to become children of God (John 1:12)
The Provider – from whom every good and perfect gift comes (James 1:17)
The Comforter – the Father of mercies and God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
The Teacher – who imparts wisdom and brings correction (Hebrews 12:9–11)
God is not merely a force or an idea. He is a loving, present, powerful Father.
Worship in Spirit and Truth
Jesus said true worshipers would worship the Father “in spirit and truth.” What does that mean?
Truth grounds us in who God really is. We can’t worship what we don’t know. That’s why Scripture matters—it reveals God’s character and ways. To worship in truth, we need to know the truth of the Word.
Spirit connects us to God through the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:15 says, “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” Worship in spirit is a cry of the heart, empowered by the Holy Spirit, that declares, “You are my Father.”
True worship, then, is both rooted in the truth of who God is and inflamed by the Spirit that connects us to Him intimately.
Worship Is Bowing Low
In Hebrew, the word for worship literally means to bow down. It’s an act of humility. We lower ourselves to lift God high.
Worship is the admission: “There is a God, and I am not Him.” It’s surrender. It’s reverence. It’s awe.
And when we exalt God in this way—lifting Him above all else, remembering who He is, and responding with our whole heart—we are changed.
Reflection Questions
What are you exalting most in your life right now—your worries or your God?
When was the last time you asked God to show you His glory? How might you do that this week?
How can you practice worshiping the Father in spirit and truth in your daily rhythms?
Let us be people who pause to remember, who go low in humility, and who lift high the name of the Father. The world may be filled with distractions, but we will exalt the One who reigns above it all.