WHAT IS PROPHETIC WORSHIP?

Today many Christians are asleep, in a coma. We hear the Word preached, but it is as if we are under anaesthetic, unaware of what is going on around us spiritually and in the world we find ourselves in.  The Holy Spirit wants to revive us because He lives inside of us.

WHAT IS PROPHETIC WORSHIP?

Prophetic worship is is Spirit-led worship – it is simple. We think if something is not complicated it is not good enough, yet the Lord tells us to be like children, to keep things simple.
Worship is going into the Holy of Holies. From the moment the worship service begins, we are on a journey towards that place. One of the words translated worship in Greek is “Proskuneo.” It literally means to “prostrate oneself in homage.” It is used in Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (my emphasis). But while it means to bow it also means to “Kiss towards”, to blow a kiss towards God!

Worship is like a bridge into the Spiritual realm. It takes us into God’s presence and to become aware of His presence is part of worship. We need to flow under the direction of the Holy Spirit because he has new things for us in every service. God is a God of variety and ever so original. Every sunrise is new and original, no two snow-flakes are the same, in the same way no two meetings with Him will ever be similar. He has something new to say to us whenever we stop to listen. The Holy Spirit is like the wind. We can’t see the wind, but the result thereof is visible:

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

Prophetic worship is catching the wind of the Holy Spirit for a specific service and flowing with it.
The main aim of the Holy Spirit is to focus us on Jesus. This is difficult for musicians, worship leaders and pastors alike. We all have agendas, programmes and egos to struggle with. There needs to come a time when a true death to self and all these other things come so that we may indeed be lead by the chief Worship Leader, the Holy Spirit.
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63)

During Prophetic Worship Some Things Happen

a. SPIRITUAL WARFARE:

This is reflected in the songs. One might find that the music starts to flow in the direction of sounds of war. The drums might start to feature. The worship leader should be sensitive enough to step out of the way and let the anointing go at this point and make room for the Holy Spirit to flow through the percussive instruments etc. to go to battle and lead the people in spiritual warfare.

“The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, and show the descent of His arm, with the indignation of His anger and the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the Lord Assyria will be beaten down, who struck with a rod. And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, which the Lord lays on him, it will be with tambourines and harps; and in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.” (Isaiah30:30-32)

b. INTERCESSION:

Fantastic times of prayer and intercession may be released during prophetic worship. One needs to be open to the prompting to the Holy Spirit and ready to drop the agenda at a minute’s notice. We were in Bloemfontein doing a worship conference and the first session was about to begin. As we walked onto the stage we noticed that there was a massive atlas behind us. The musicians started playing but somehow we felt that we had to pray for the nations. To our surprise there were many people from other nations and yet more who were supporting missionaries or had children and families serving the Lord in foreign countries. We had a glorious opening session and ended singing our national anthem, black and white brothers hand in hand together, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, instead of teaching what was on the agenda for the first two hours of the conference programme.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

c. PROPHECY:

A word of prophecy is released. The Rhema (spoken word) is spontaneously dropped into your spirit. One needs to ask the question though whether this is a word for oneself personally or for the body. Prophesy is like creating, declaring the word for NOW. We can’t say “last week the Lord said!” That is old news. What is He saying now? This brings glory and life!
“They are created now and not from the beginning; and before this day you have not heard them, lest you should say, `Of course I knew them.’ “(Isaiah 48:7)

d. SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY IS RELEASED

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: `Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. `Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!’”(Zechariah 5:6-7)

When the Lord speaks anything to you during the worship (especially if you are leading the meeting or are in the team,) and a spiritual determination comes to your heart as there is power in those words. In II Corinthians 6:16 (b) we read: “For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My
people.”’ —- Like with Adam.

Too often we are doing all the talking so that there is no time for the Spirit to talk. For years we have only had a monologue with God. How monotonous and boring this must be for God and frustrating it can become for you, yet we do this with God, we do all the talking. Mostly asking, never taking the time to listen and then to verbalise what we perceive He is saying.

e. GOD WANTS COMMUNION WITH US

He wants to speak. Write down what He says. Pray in tongues, stop, listen, what comes to mind is God speaking. He speaks in the first person. We have to give over control to the Holy Spirit and trust Him. We are so afraid to risk. What if it is my imagination, what if it the devil. Where is your faith?! The Word says

“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”(Matthew 7:7-11)

In II Corinthians 3:17 it is written:

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
Where the Holy Spirit is allowed to be Lord, where He is given full right of way, liberty to do as He pleases, where His is not limited, He will bring Liberty.

The Fear of man keeps us locked up in jail. We are often more concerned with the opinions and approval of man than with doing the will of God. It is part of human behavior and needs to be brought to the cross. It happened already while Jesus was walking the earth:
“Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God”. (John 12:42-43)

Liberty is not license, doing as one pleases! We have to make sure it is the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is important to know that with every move of the Holy Spirit there is always flesh involved, excesses abound. The Lord is not fazed by this. It passes. It is part of our learning to discern the good from the best and the precious from the vile. That is why it is important to test everything and cling onto that which is good. To utterly dismiss something because it is strange or outside of our experience field is equally excessive and dangerous. The Pharisees accused Jesus of driving out Satan by Beelzebub and He said that that the sin against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven them, for you can not call that which is from God evil.

There is a fine line to be had when we “discern.” We have to make sure that we are not “judging” something prematurely. We can take a leaf from the book of Gamaliel who said the following of the apostles:

“Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while….”
“And he said to them: ‘Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it lest you even be found to fight against God.”’ (Acts 34,35,38,39.)

We must invite the Holy Spirit to come and then, whatever we do, do not short circuit what He wants to do. (John 2:5 (b)-”Whatever He says to you, do it.”)

Paul instructs us in Ephesians 5:18-19: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…”

The Holy Spirit is like a Dove. We need to get to hear His voice, follow His leading and make a friend of the Holy Spirit.