God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24).

So many times, congregants have been instructed to praise the Lord, and that their praise will get them what they need from God. We have been instructed to worship God no matter our lifestyle.

Jesus knew the heart of man, and He informed His followers of the prophecy that was given by the Prophet Isaiah: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away, manipulated worship (This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me – Matthew 15:8). Know they aren’t liviing according to the Word of God, but praise Him with defiled lips and hearts.

God has given us instructions on how we should worship Him and receive results from our worship. We cannot have on the garment of unforgiveness, envy, strife, rebellion, disobedience, fornication, adultery, unbelief, doubt, and all the other things He has commanded not to have or do or think because the praises aren’t acceptable in the eyes of God ( God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth – John 4:24).

Many times, we come together in worship, we sing, shout, and jump, run around the church, and we say “the Lord is here” when we’re really worshipping in our emotions. The music sounds good, but it’s ministering to our feelings, not our spirits. Whenever the Lord comes on the scene, things change; people don’t go out the same way they came in.

Conviction comes upon those who aren’t living right; those who are born-again will be refreshed in their spirit. Sinners will come to the altar, and it will be a life-changing experience—not just salvation for today; and they will be living like a sinner tomorrow. Healing will take place in the spirit, mind, emotions, and body. Relationships will be healed, backsliders will rededicate their lives, people will receive the Holy Spirit, and the Spiritual gifts will be in manifestation when the Lord enters the sanctuary.

We cannot live a sinful life and expect the Spirit of the Lord to come, because He will not (For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore, shall thy camp be holy; that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee Deuteronomy 23:14). When sin is in the camp of the body of Christ, it’s not the Spirit of the Lord moving among the people, but the spirit of emotions that are making the people believe the Lord is in the midst of them. We’re spiritual beings, and we draw spirits by the spirit that is dwelling in us.

If the spirit of the world is in the people, then the spirit of the world will be in the church; they are jumping and shouting, praising their god and not the God of Holiness, the Spirit of God will not dwell in an unclean temple that goes for the body and the church!

Many churches are filled with envy, jealousy, spiritual discrimination, fault-finding, disunity, disobedience, rebellion, and some ministers have the people believing the Lord is in the midst of the mess; God doesn’t bless a mess. If the minstrel is not living a holy life, separated from the world, committed to the Lord, they cannot usher the Spirit of the Lord into the place.

Choir members cannot usher the spirit of the Lord into the sanctuary if they’re in disunity, backbiting, fault-finding, ungodly pride, or any of the other things the Lord has put in place for us to follow; He isn’t coming into the sanctuary.

We cannot manipulate God with our praise and worship and not be living according to His bylaws to receive the blessings. The Bible is our mirror of correction; it will always assist us to find out where we are. We draw God’s Spirit by His Spirit that lives within our being. The next time we go to worship, we need to discern what spirit we’re drawing to us.

When the worship is real, He will give a visitation in our homes; wherever we may be, He will come to us. When the Spirit of the Lord enters our church, home, or wherever we’re worshipping, when we get into His presence, we are changed; we can’t get into His presence, and nothing changes!

The majority of the body of Christ has lost their love for God; they are too busy keeping up with the things of the world. When does the church gather together to pray and fast? Years ago, the church had a Friday night deliverance service where people could come and receive deliverance and salvation. They stopped testimonies in the church, which was a blessing to others. We have allowed the spirit of the world into the body of Christ and the church.

To see the move of God, we must sacrifice ourselves to meet Him in prayer and fasting as a corporate body. Then we will see miraculous signs and wonders because we’re seeking Him with our whole heart, not just a manipulated praise.