What does the Spirit say to the churches?

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”John 4:24

Sometimes hearing the truth can be difficult, particularly about parts of ourselves that we rather remained in the closet. Perhaps the opposite to this is living a lie or in faith terms considering the Gospel as a work of fiction.

There is a tale told of the great English actor, Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: “I wish you would explain to me something.”

“Well, what is it? I don’t know that I can explain anything to a preacher.”

“What is the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all.”

Macready replied: “This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.”

So what is this Spiritual Truth that we are guided embrace in our worship. I want to suggest that the Spirit that Christ speaks about is the Spirit of Love in which the God-given truth is is shared. - John MacArthur, a pastor and author writes, “Love and truth must be maintained in perfect balance. Truth is never to be abandoned in the name of love. But love is not to be deposed in the name of truth... Truth without love has no decency; it's just brutality. On the other hand, love without truth has no character; it's just hypocrisy.”

Heavenly Father, we are told to pray in spirit and truth and I ask You to show me how to pray in spirit and truth. Teach me Lord, to pray as You would have me pray. 

I pray that my human spirit may be led and guided by Your Holy Spirit, Who by faith in Christ is living in me, so that I may be directed to pray in accordance with Your will. I pray that my human spirit may be submitted to Your Spirit of Truth, for I know the He alone can guide me into all truth. 

As I bow before Your throne in humility and thankful praise for this privilege of prayer that has been bestowed on all Your children, I pray that You would guide my prayers by the truth of Your Word, so that my prayers and supplications may be in accordance with Your will and in line with Your desires. 

Teach me Lord, to pray in spirit and truth, so that my humble requests may become to You a sweet savour, and glorify my Father Who is in heaven. I ask this in Jesus' name, 

Amen.