A Lesson On The True Worshippers

In this insightful teaching from Andrew Murray's classic work on prayer ¹, we encounter Jesus' revolutionary words to the Samaritan woman at the well — perhaps His first recorded instruction on prayer itself. Murray takes us beyond the familiar story to explore what it truly means to worship "in spirit and truth." This isn't merely about being sincere or earnest in our prayers, but about entering into a completely new dimension of relationship with God that only became possible through Christ's redemptive work.

Listen to the PrayerCast to hear the full Lesson Summary and the Lesson Prayer as Murray challenges us to move beyond surface-level religious practice into the depths of authentic spiritual communion with our Father, with three main points:

1. Three Levels of Worship Exist Among Believers

Murray identifies three distinct categories of worshippers:

2. True Worship Requires Harmony Between God's Nature and Our Approach

Since "God is Spirit," our worship must be spiritual in nature.

3. Spirit-Filled Worship Comes Only Through Christ's Redemptive Work

The ability to worship in spirit and truth is not something we can manufacture through effort or sincerity.

In Conclusion

True worship transcends religious activity to become authentic spiritual communion with God as Father, made possible only through Christ's redemptive work and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Action Items:

1. KNOW: Recognize that sincere effort and correct theology alone cannot produce the worship God seeks—only the Holy Spirit can enable true spiritual communion with the Father.

2. DO: Examine whether your prayer life is confined to only specific times and places, or if it reflects the continuous spirit of worship that should characterize every aspect of your life.

3. REMEMBER: Embrace your identity as a child of God through Christ—this Father-child relationship through the Spirit of adoption is the foundation of all authentic prayer and worship.

Listen in the PrayerCast for the audio summary and Murray’s prayer at the end of the Lesson: LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.'

1. Andrew Murray. Taken from With Christ in the School of Prayer, Second Lesson, pp 10-14, Fleming H. Revell, Public Domain, Fleming H. Revell Company, Publishers of Evangelical Literature. Some text has here been lightly edited and formatted for modern readers.

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