NEW RELEASE: PROPHETIC WORSHIP

I am excited to tell you about the new release of my book, PROPHETIC WORSHIP.

This book was the first on the subject of prophetic worship...worship that prioritizes God's presence and His interaction with us in worship.

Head on over to my ministry page to get your copy of this updated and expanded version of:

PROPHETIC WORSHIP - my ministry page

Link to the bookstore

Two Common Misconceptions About Prophetic Worship

There are two very common misconceptions that REALLY hinder prophetic worship:

1. Prophetic worship is SPONTANEOUS

2. God is the AUDIENCE

While both of these statements are not terribly wrong, they still keep people in their seats - intimidated by the spontaneous aspect of the prophetic and daunted by the prospect that they have to “perform” for this imposing “audience.”

Prophetic utterances may very well be spontaneous…but that is not what determines the prophetic. A prophetic statement, song, dance, piece of any kind is prophetic because it has God’s voice and character inserted into it. That’s simple – He LOVES to interact with us, so we can be expectant of His voice and participation in our worship every time we minister to Him. If we think about the prophetic like this - it makes it more about Him than us.

Secondly, although we are ministering to Him, He is NOT THE AUDIENCE. In prophetic worship there is no audience – only communing hearts. We used to get frustrated by congregations coming into worship behaving like an audience and simply sitting or standing in place. I think we tried to adjust that thinking by saying that God is the audience…so everyone needs to participate. While corporate participation by every member is desirable, we cannot limit God to the position of audience – He has something to say in every service.

Followed to their logical conclusion, both of these statements shut down congregational participation in worship and limit the scope of the prophetic because people may not feel proficient at spontaneously doing anything and they may be threatened by the concept of “performing” for the Audience of ONE.

We just need to relax about these two issues and allow Him to speak…and He LOVES to speak through every willing vessel. The onus is on Him – not us. We don’t have to perform or produce anything – we simply need to abide in Him and allow Him to flow in, and through us.

Dance Camp

I am on my way to Charlotte NC - the annual Summer Dance Camp. If you are in the area...come and worship with us - there are wonderful prophetic worship times on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings with Folk dance on Wednesday evening and a concert on Friday evening.

Dance Camp 2014

Aaron Chin

                                         

                                     Daryse Osborne                                     

Yvonne Peters 

Excellent practical teaching 

Great worship

Theo and Jolie Williams

The theme this year is "Stones, Staffs and Crowns" looking to find the Lord and His anointing for our lives, out of our past, presence and future.

Teresa Gardner

Prophetic Worship - Some More Thoughts

A young friend in Colombia asked me this question: Why do most churches tend to choose traditional worship music instead of prophetic worship?

After all these years I am still trying to answer this question. Here are a few thoughts:

1. Prophetic worship is very costly because in order to have PW we have to keep on changing - you can't have PW and stay the same because God will take you to the sight of His glory and you will not be able to resist His change. People like to stay the same - we don't like change...but if we see Him, we will be changed to be like Him. So...it is easier not to really have God's presence...and not to change

2. Prophetic worship is really about having the presence and voice of God in our time with Him. This can happen in our private worship or in a meeting of any size. Many people want God to be like them - their image of what they think God is like. But....He is not like us and is not like any one denomination has painted Him to be. So, in the end, I think a lot of churches don't like the God who speaks today - the God who wants to participate in our services and dance with us...people want a God in a box - the box of tradition. Prophetic worship breaks Him out of all our traditions - prophetic worship can draw upon our traditions and use them, but the ultimate is no longer the tradition - the ultimate goal of PW is the glory and presence of God

So...Prophetic worship is scary - we run from this God who is not like we have thought Him to be - He stays longer than we want Him to stay - He talks through people we don't think should have His voice - He does things that we don't think should be done in Church etc...tradition is shaken to the core by prophetic worship

3. Prophetic worship puts the Holy Spirit in control, and so many people want to have control. Sure, there needs to be leadership in the Church, but in PW times, we need to learn how to yield to the Holy Spirit and wait in His presence - that is very hard for a lot of people. 

4. In order for prophetic worship to really work, we need to know God - I mean really grow in knowing Him. A lot of Christians are content to remain in an immature relationship with Him. He is looking for His Bride and for intimacy with His people. Once again this touches the area of prophetic worship being costly - we have to grow in him and into beautiful maturity - I am not talking about physical age, but spiritual beauty.

5. It is so much easier to do the things we know - to rely on music rather than His presence. The music is the tool to get to the presence of God - we make music the main issue in worship...much easier that way. It is easy to practice our music and get it perfect...it is much harder to practice the presence of God

Comparing Traditional Worship With Prophetic Worship

Here is a chart that outlines the differences between traditional worship and prophetic worship. By "traditional" worship, I am referring to all of our churches and denominations - every one of us have traditions that dictate how we do things over the years. The traditions themselves are not wrong - it is only when we put our traditions above the presence of God that they hold us back.

Look at this short discussion on: Traditions vs Traditionalism 

Prophetic Worship is any worship where we allow God to speak back into our personal lives, or in the Church. When His voice and will are made known, and His presence is prioritized - that is prophetic worship.

Traditional Worship	Prophetic Worship
1. Worship is defined by what we are doing: our various expressions and forms of worship etc. Many feel that praise is defined by fast songs and worship by slow songs.	Worship is defined by what the Lord is doing. Praise includes all our expressions of what He has done, is doing and is going to do. Worship is our response to His manifest presence.
2. The worship leader is in control.	The worship leader leads, but is also a door keeper and facilitator. The Holy Spirit is primarily the worship leader—the one directing and in control of the service.
3. A small number—those on the platform (pastors, singers, musicians, etc.), function as ministers in the service.	The whole congregation is a holy, royal, priesthood. Each one is responsible for participating in the service and ministering to the Lord.
4. There are definite time limits on the worship service.	No time limits. Worship takes as long as the Holy Spirit directs.
5. The songs/hymns are regarded as being less important in the overall service than the preaching of the word.	The songs/hymns and whole worship time are regarded as having equal importance with the preaching.
6. Our denomination determines the way we worship and has definite ideas about worship forms.	The word of God is our guide and foundation for worship structure and forms.
7. Our worship may be determined and greatly influenced by our culture.	Our nation of birth and/or residence is not our focus. We belong to a new nation—the Kingdom of God, where the standard for appropriate worship is determined by the King. Worship is made suitable for the King and not necessarily the culture.
8. There is an emphasis on the music. Music and all art forms are used for performance, entertainment and accompaniment. There is art for art’s sake. Any art forms used in worship such as music are an end unto themselves. Success is measured by excellence in the art form.	There is an emphasis on the manifest presence of God. Music and all art forms are for ministry to God and His people. The goal is the glory of God. All art forms must be ministered in a prophetic sense. They are a means to an end. Success is measured by the presence of God and His work in our lives.
9. There is little or no change of music styles and repertoire over the years.	The music and songs we sing are seen as an ongoing reinforcement of the things that the Lord is showing us, therefore they are continually changing.
10. In order for the congregation to participate in worship they do not need to mature. Nothing more is required of the worship leader and team than to be artists.	Prophetic worship is only possible with a congregation that continues to mature and grow in the likeness of Christ. The worship leader and team are required to be students of the presence of God and to carry a prophetic anointing on their lives.
11. Worship is an individual experience.	Worship does not stop at being an individual experience, it must include the corporate journey.
12. There is little or no expectation of hearing God's voice today in the worship service. The majority of the direction of our spiritual communication is from "man to God."	The hearing of God's voice for today is one of the primary objectives of prophetic worship. There is openness for "two-way" or reciprocal communication with God, i.e. man to God and God to man.