5 Keys To Easy Prophetic Worship
“I can’t believe how easily I started getting new songs,” our new worship leader said. “When we started to pray and read Scripture, the songs just flowed.”
We had just finished our Sunday morning pre-service prayer time. In this meeting (which lasts forty-five minutes), we combine prayer and live music as we intercede for the church service. Though it was Janet’s (not her real name) first Sunday leading worship in our prayer meeting, she was far from a novice worship leader. But this situation was new to her: she was to play and sing into whatever the prayer warriors were praying. Due to the nature of the prayer meeting, the worship had to be spontaneous.
Janet may have been a little nervous, but it didn’t show. She let songs flow in the Presence-filled atmosphere. She followed the intercessors’ prayers perfectly with her lyrics. God gave her several powerful, new songs during that one worship set.
Victory after years of trial and error.
Several years before, I had been given the opportunity to lead worship for our church’s prophetic ministry team at prayer meetings and at our healing rooms. In that environment, only prophetic worship would do. I knew nothing about leading worship, but I did know about prophetic ministry, so I forged ahead. I relied on basic ministry principles (like “Speak nothing that isn’t supported by Scripture”) to keep me afloat as we learned spontaneous, prophetic worship by trial and error.
By leading worship in small, low-pressure environments, I had time and space to study what did and didn’t work for our small team. Some things we tried were a huge success; others, not so much! Over time, we were able to implement five keys that seemed to help every person who entered our meetings enter deep into worship. Perhaps they will help you too.
Five keys to prophetic worship:
1. Emphasize the testimony of Jesus.
The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10 tells us:
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
It’s not possible to release a truly prophetic song, or even a prophetic word, without the testimony of Jesus. Therefore, if you want the spirit of prophecy to flow in your service, focus on Jesus more than ever. For example:
- Allow Jesus to take up His rightful place at the center of your worship.
- Sing songs about Jesus and directly to Jesus.
- Make your spoken words about Jesus.
- Allow people to give short testimonies of what Jesus has done for them.
If you release the testimony of Jesus, prophecy will come forth naturally.
2. Pray aloud throughout your worship set.
Prayer is a two-way conversation. When we talk to God, He talks back. Therefore, by incorporating prayer throughout your worship time, you have automatic fodder for spontaneous singing. All you have to do is sing what you hear God saying in response to your prayers!
Additionally, praying into a song (or singing into a prayer) helps your congregation internalize the message you’re trying to communicate. For example, if you’re singing “God of This City” and you pray that God will move powerfully in your city, your audience can identify with that. They will agree with you in prayer. When that happens, suddenly the song becomes more than a nice chorus; it becomes a catalyst for corporate intercession.
3. Dig into the Word of God for the most powerful lyrics in existence.
There’s no higher lyric than singing God’s own Word back to Him. The Word of God is always true. It’s alive and powerful, and it’s sharper than a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). If you want to sing a powerful song of worship to the Lord–or a powerful, encouraging word over your congregation–sing God’s Word.
If you need a great place to start, try singing the declarations of worship in the book of Revelation. We already know that “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne” will be sung for at least a thousand years, so why not get started now?
4. Work with a team.
The more you incorporate the Body of Christ into your worship set, the more power you will have. Therefore, use your team’s spiritual gifts as well as their musical talents.
As you mobilize the Body during worship, you’ll find they may have:
- an encouraging word to share with the congregation
- a testimony of Jesus that sets the hearts of the worshipers on fire
- the burden of intercession, with a powerful prayer that can draw the church together
- a gift for illustrating the Word through dance
- a new melody or lyric
God’s wisdom is manifested by the Church–his corporate Body–as they gather together to govern (Ephesians 3:10). As you empower the members of his Body to function in their gifts, decently and orderly, the more you will see God move. Without the Body, however, you can never experience the full scope of the Holy Spirit’s ministry within the Church.
5. Unleash the power of your musicians.
Train your musicians to follow the mood of what the Body is saying. They can help the congregation grasp the Word by illustrating it with their instruments. For example:
- If someone speaks a spontaneous message about spiritual rain, you might have your flute, clarinet, and trumpet players start playing melodies with descending scales.
- If someone offers a warfare prayer, have your drummer play more heavily on the toms.
- If someone describes a vision of Heaven, have your electric guitarist and auxiliary percussionist add spacey, ethereal sounds.
If musicians are trained to echo the mood of free worship, their sound can transport the worshiper even higher into awareness of the Father’s presence.
Prophetic worship doesn’t have to be hard. If we add the testimony of Jesus, prayer, the Word, and Body ministry to our musical sets, we can create an atmosphere of worship that is so pregnant with God’s glory that His creativity flows easily.
What are your best tips for making prophetic worship easy? Share your experience in the comments below!
