A New Understanding

I have written and preached many times about the truth of worshiping God in spirit and in truth. This is a subject that I have felt for years that I have a pretty good handle on. I feel like I understand it. I sit here now as I am writing this blog though with a new plain of understanding on the subject as God showed me a glimpse of this in a different way this week. It may even be something that I follow up with you later on as I am still having trouble putting all of this into words.
I was in my office this week and just having a time of worship and prayer during my lunch hour. I went through the usual singing, praying, lifting my hands to the Lord etc. I did the "worship with the flesh" thing. Then I got my emotional self involved and really started to press in mentally and worshiping God in the soulish realm of my being. Then in my worship, I experienced something that I am sure that I may have many times before, but may be never recognized it so readily and obvious. It was the moment I stepped over that line from a fleshly/mental worship and began to experience "spirit worship". It was incredible. It was a time that my mind became as the bible puts it, unfruitful.
The best analogy that I can come up with to explain it is this. You have probably experienced a time when you are at home with no radio or TV on in the day time and all of a sudden the power goes out. There is no distinct obvious engagement that you were in such as watching the TV or listening to the radio, or the lights on in the room, but there was a marked difference. It is like a suddenly different atmosphere altogether. That is what I experienced. It was not connected to any physical or emotional feeling, but something was just completely different that 2 seconds ago. At first it kind of took me back. When it did, I found myself step right back out of it. Then I thought, "wow, that was neat. I need to go there again." So I began to press in some more. My mind immediately engaged as I began to try to get myself there again. My mind was distracting me. Then when I realized it, I calmed my thoughts and BAM! I stepped in again. Almost immediately, my mind kicked in again. I stepped out again just as quickly as I stepped in. Wow! This happened several times in the course of just about a minute or two. I was readily recognizing the difference in the two "places" of worship like I never had before. It was one of the most eye opening times of worhip that I have had in a long time.

Like I said before, I will probably follow up on this post, but for now just let me encourage you in this. The next time you have the opportunity whether it be in a church service or at home by yourself, make an effort to calm the raging battle ground of your mind and tap into the song that is like a fire shut up in your bones. It is that river of living water that flows from your spirit. Tap into that place of worship in spirit and truth. Do not allow yourself to stop at the mental realm of worship and mistake that for communion with God. Go further with Him.