Joyce Meyer Devotional 19th January 2025, Sunday Message
TOPIC: In Spirit and Truth
God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth (reality). – John 4:24 (AMPC)
TODAY’S MESSAGE
We communicate with God through our spirit. Jesus said in our verse for today that we must worship God in spirit and in truth. Being totally and completely truthful with God is one of the ways we can develop intimacy with Him. He knows everything about us anyway, so there is no reason to not be totally honest with Him. Tell Him how you feel, what you have done wrong, and what your desires are. Talk to God honestly as you would a good, trusted friend.
There are times when I know God wants me to do a thing and I tell Him honestly that I don’t want to do it, but that I will do it in obedience to Him and because I love Him. Pretense and a close relationship with God will not work. A friend of mine once told me that although she knew she should give financially into the kingdom of God that truthfully, she did not want to. She was honest with God and told Him, “I will do it, but I don’t really want to, so I am asking you to give me a desire to give.” This woman eventually became very generous and did it with joy.
Only the truth will make us free (see John 8:32). God’s Word is truth. He says what He means and means what He says. When we do something wrong, we must be totally honest with God about it. Call sin what it is. If you were greedy, call it greed. If you were jealous, call it jealousy. If you lied, call it a lie.
Ask God for forgiveness and receive it by faith. When we worship God, we must do so from the spirit and do it with all truth, sincerity, and honesty. If we feel a friend is being untruthful, we often say, “Get real,” meaning that we are asking them to stop pretending and just be honest. I think God wants the same thing from us.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: Lord, I know there’s no point in pretending with You. Please help me to be perfectly honest and sincere with You, so that I can move forward and be all You want me to be, amen.
Joyce Meyer is one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers. She is a New York Times bestselling author, and her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on how the Word of God applies to our everyday lives. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences, and helps others understand how to apply biblical principles to their own lives. Christ, amen.