Worship More and Worry Less: 30 Days of PraiseSample

One day, Jesus sat beside a well at just the right time, in the heat of the day, to meet a bitter, broken woman. We don’t know her name, just where she was from, Samaria. What most people remember about her was her marital history and living situation. But few notice the importance of what she was searching for. It wasn’t water.

This desperate, lonely woman wanted to know where to worship. Really! John records her question. It’s in the scripture reading today. She asked where to worship, and Jesus told her the place wasn’t important. He said, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth” John 4:24b.

The ancient word under “truth” can mean: “dependable, truthful, perfect fidelity, unswerving obedience.” So, Jesus’s answer involved more than where to worship. It was about how to worship. The place doesn’t matter, but the heart of the worshiper does. I think that’s why Jesus intentionally waited for this woman that day. He knew her heart.

As soon as He told her about worship, she proclaimed the second thing she desperately searched and waited for, the Messiah, and Jesus told her something she’d longed to hear. He said, “I AM.” At that moment, all her worries, shame, and anxiety disappeared. Filled with joy, she ran back to the place of pain to invite the whole town to meet Jesus. Her problems and worries hadn’t changed. But she had. This worshiper would never be the same. Spending time with Jesus will do that for you.

Journal

Write a letter to Jesus today. Share with Him your heart’s desires and then ask Him to give you a heart of worship. Ask Him to help you worship in spirit and truth every day. Wait a little bit after you’ve written your letter and listen. Write down His reply.