God's Holy Fire: 'The Kind of Worshipers the Father Seeks'

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

[Jesus said,] "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
— John 4:23-24 NIV

Key Thought

Growing up, I loved to play hide-n-seek. Sometimes I liked to be the one who hid and then was found. Other times, I loved the seeking and discovery of those who were hiding. I especially loved it when there was a surprise find - they surprised me, or I surprised them. In worship, we can love the surprises, but we need to ditch the hiding! God wants us to ask, seek, and knock. He promises to answer, to open the door, and to help us find him. But we need to be aware that God is also seeking us. And as the Father seeks us, the Holy Spirit draws us near and makes the joyous surprise of worship something precious!

Today's Prayer

O Father, I seek you, so please find me! Use your Holy Spirit to draw me close to you and to my brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus' name, I ask this. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

18 Related Resources by Heartlight

John 4:23-24
Devo: Today's Verse
"[Jesus continued his message, saying:] "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are..."
Must!
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[Jesus said,] "But the time is coming — indeed it's here now — when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for..."
The Time Has Come
Devo: God's Holy Fire
"[Jesus said,] "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of..."
God Is Spirit!
Devo: What Jesus Did!
"[Jesus concluded his response about worship,] "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.""
See All 18 Related Resources about John 4:23-24

Illustration

Illustration of John 4:23-24 NIV — "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'Not to Us' (Ps. 115:1)
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'God's Plan' (Acts 2:22-24)
"[Addressing the people at Pentecost, Peter said,] "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles,..."
What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'The Window into Heaven' (Jn. 1:50-51)
"Jesus asked [Nathanael], "Do you believe [I am the Son of God] just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things...."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Don't Be a Show-Off!'
"Dear Disciple, I have a question: Why are you doing spiritual things? Are you trying to impress someone and prove you are religious? Are you trying....."

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations