John Chapter 4
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.
24 God (is) a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship (Him) in spirit and in truth.
It seems that in any time of crisis or unrest we've heard or read the phrase, "Never before like now...." and that's because in that specific time-frame it seemed like there had never been anything as bad happen like what was/is going on that moment.
But as time marches on, some feel we've encountered things that seem far worse than what our predecessors experienced which gives us cause to say, "Never before like now...."!!
I could not have ever imagined in my lifetime that I would have experienced what our world has endured thus far; grocery store shelves bare due to people hoarding food and supplies, people dying from some plague like disease that's escaped any type of cure from modern medicine, as many souls were taken in its wake, men and women without jobs, children kept home from school, countries, nations, city's and communities afraid to assemble in their houses of worship and travel brought to a halt as borders are closed for fear of spreading this invisible enemy. As I think on these things it reminds me of the many sermons, I heard preached as a child, of what the last days might look like!!!
So as I think about this "Never before like now....." statement does it really have relevance? Have we really had it as bad as our predecessors, or is it just because we didn't experience it first hand? Could this be the time John is referencing in his writings above?
So I'm going to say it, "Never before like now is the time when we should be worshipping and praying like never before!!"
We might think these times are rougher than before, but three Hebrew men who were thrown into a fiery furnace might not think so (Daniel 3:16-30), A trusted servant thrown into a lion's den might not agree (Daniel 6), two apostles beaten and thrown in the uttermost bottom of a jail with chains and guards might have something to say as well (Acts 16:16-40). BUT THIS DID NOT STOP THEIR PRAYING AND WORSHIP....BUT HAS IT STOPPED YOURS?!?!?!
Worshipping in Spirit is not formal and comes from a place in each person's soul that knows how to cry out and worship the God that created it. The true issue is we suppress that feeling our spirit wants to express because it's not popular or will make us uncool. Newsflash------Christians are not supposed to act like those who have not been washed in the Blood of the Lamb.
1 Peter 2
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Prayer is much the same way as the Apostle Paul writes in
Romans 8
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.
Some may not understand this, but those who have experienced a time when you were at your lowest and all you knew how to do or have the strength for is to cry and moan out to God, is an example of the above text. Trust that same Spirit of God that lives inside of you!!
This is the time when the TRUE WORSHIPPERS are needed to rise above this, "Never before like now...", example that's sweeping through our world and Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth and Pray like you've never prayed before. Because as the scripture reads above: "....for the Father seeketh such to Worship Him".