²¹ Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.

⁸ In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

¹¹ But my name is honored^[a] by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer^[b] sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

¹⁸ Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

²³ 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 those who will worship him that way.

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

¹⁴ When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,^[a]

² For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.

²⁸ Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son,

³ “Son of man, these leaders have set up idols^[a] in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?

¹⁴ We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth^[a] will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”