Beyond Sunday Worship
With the explosion of modern worship over the last 20-30 years, we have more resources than ever for leading a slick Sunday morning worship set. There are tutorials, magazines, schools, podcasts, multitracks, service planning apps, Youtube videos, chord charts, conferences and MORE on how to produce your Sunday morning worship “programming”. All of this is not bad, but something more is needed.
We need worship leaders more concerned with the fiery eyes of Jesus than the latest in-ear monitors.
We need worship leaders who spend more time in the Scriptures than they do on Songselect, CCLI and Planning Center.
I have had many pastors of revival-oriented churches contact me in search of a worship leader that is burning for Jesus. They do not just want those who can sing well or engage a crowd, they want fiery worship leaders that operate in a prophetic spirit that brings heaven to earth. We need more prophetic worship leaders.
God is raising up furnaces of day & night worship and prayer around the earth, and God is looking for priestly musicians and singers to stand before Him and minister to His heart for hours and hours. In the Burn 24-7 movement, one of our biggest limitations to having more hours of worship & prayer is a lack of worship leaders to fill the sets. This is also true with houses of prayer around America. We need more priestly worship leaders.
Recently our short-term missions trip directors with Light A Candle (Burn 24-7’s missions arm) told me that they need more worship leaders to go on the trips. They need those who can go into regions and nations and shift the atmosphere with prophetic songs from heaven. We don’t just need more worship leaders, we need more musicianaries!
The Hillside & The Sons of Thunder
Where are the ones like David? Those who learn to play their harps on the hillside of Israel? Those who learn to pray and sing and war when no one is looking? God is calling a generation of musicians and singers to the “hillsides” of the secret place to cultivate intimacy with Jesus and to get free from selfish ambition. These are the ones who are no longer allured by many things and now live for the “one thing” of God’s presence.
One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.
Psalm 27:4
When these “davids” emerge, they will release songs that carry authority that comes only from intimacy with God. Like when David played his harp before Saul and the demons fled, these worshipers will shift the destiny of cities, regions and nations with their songs (I Samuel 16:23). The prophets have called them the sons of thunder who carry the “new sound.”
And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
I Samuel 10:5-6
The heart of David is not to stand on platforms at conferences, to write the next “hit worship song” or have a record deal. Davidic worshipers are free from the celebrity culture. They are not trying to leverage their talent, gifting or anointing to advance their personal career, brand or success. Davidic worshipers live for the smile of their Father not the applause of crowds.
The musicians and singers emerging from the hillsides have learned to minister to God. They have learned to “priest” before Him. They have learned Him. They have discovered what moves His heart and the nuances of navigating within His presence.
However, it is not that davidic worshipers are not skilled – quite the opposite. When David established his 33-year tabernacle of 24/7 worship in Jerusalem, the musicians were trained and skillful (see I Chronicles 25). Davidic worshipers actually understand that they are playing before God himself. If anyone deserves the best music, it is the Lord. We need skilled worship leaders.
How to Respond
I know a number of people who are starting to learn an instrument because God is calling them into this role of a musical worship leader. These people already have a heart for God, but they are being stirred to also incorporate music skill as a means to worship the Lord and serve others. I also believe many of the best unsaved musicians and singers are going to put their faith in Jesus and begin serving the Lord with their talents. We need more worship leaders!
In light of what God is doing, I have a few encouragements to different groups of people…
- Worship Leaders. If you are already a worship leader, here’s my encouragement to you. Become a worship father. In David’s tabernacle, the worship leaders were mentored and trained by their fathers (I Chronicles 25:6). It was multi-generational. Make disciples. Train. Teach. Release. Write. Host seminars, conferences, schools and training. Multiply yourself by sharing what God has done in you with others.
- Parents. If you are a parent, invest in your children’s worship. Consider giving your kids music lessons. Buy instruments to have around the house. God is calling thousands of young people to play and sing before Him. If you’re a Christian parent, it’s quite likely you have a “david” (or two) running around your house.
- Church Leaders. The body of Christ needs to value the calling of the “levites.” We need to value worship, worshipers and music beyond simply a tool for a good Sunday morning gathering. Something bigger is going on. We need to budget more for music, worship and worship training. And I do not mean spending more money on technology (although churches need decent gear). I mean spending more money on freeing up worshipers to spent time before God, worship, develop their craft, write songs, etc. We need to fund musicianaries. We need to fund the musicians and singers who are staffing Burns and houses of prayer. This needs to be a high priority.
Become a Worship Leader
If you feel like God might be calling you to lead worship, here’s a few suggestions on next steps.
- Get music lessons. Learn an instrument. I know two 20-somethings who recently bought guitars so they can learn to lead worship. Take voice lessons. If you can’t afford private lessons, there are hours of free Youtube tutorials. Put in the time and practice. Develop the craft. It takes time and hard work, but it’s worth it.
- Cultivate the secret place. Learn to worship. Learn to pray. Study the Bible. Fall in love with Jesus. Sing your prayers. Sing the Bible. Sing thanks and praise. Sing to Him when no one is looking. Read Facing the Wall by Don Potter.
- Try it. Lead worship in empty prayer rooms. Take the 4am set at a Burn. Lead worship at your small group. Ask if you could go to your church worship band practices just to observe and learn.
- Get training. In the 21st century there’s no excuse. Find an online or in-person training school.