WHAT IS PROPHETIC WORSHIP?

WHAT IS PROPHETIC WORSHIP?
Author: Pal Roebert & Evan Schoombie
2002/08/25

PROPHETIC WORSHIP



INTRODUCTION
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

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)

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).

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)

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.

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 behaviour 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 licence, 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 Efesians 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.

WHAT DOES PROPHETIC WORSHIP INVOLVE?

1.SINGING
The voices of the people. Worship in the Spirit and in tongues. I Corinthians 14:15b " I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding."
- Singing a New Song
Unknown spontaneous songs. Start at home in your own quiet time, while you are driving showering. With "prophetic" a word to be remembered is "spontaneous." "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)

2.DANCE
There are many biblical references to dance. Miriam danced, David danced. The Psalms are full of examples. Anointed dancers respond to the Spirit inside of them and express their love and worship to God using their bodies. Simplicity is part of the language of the Spirit. When there is prophetic dance is it usually unrehearsed because the Spirit comes upon somebody and they express what the Lord is saying.

- Dance is controversial because it is highly demonstrative. It requires the use of the whole body in order to express joy, praise and worship before the Lord.
Hebrew and Greek words translated for dance mean "leaping, skipping, lifting up the feet, jumping." In other words, something spontaneous and unstructured.
"So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them walking, leaping, and praising God." (Acts 3:8)
"Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp." (Psalm 149:3)
"Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!" (Psalm 150:4)

- Examples of Dance in the Old Testament:

In celebration:
When the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt. They rejoiced because of the restoration of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.
When Jeremiah prophesied concerning the coming restoration, he prophesied that people would dance.

Spiritual Dance:
It is unsophisticated, spontaneous, primitive in style and can be expressed in skipping, whirling, leaping and jumping. Sometimes accompanied by musical instruments or singing.

By individual or group:
David danced before the Lord
Miriam and all the women danced
The spiritual dance is not dancing with a member of the opposite sex.
The bible states "Miriam and all the women danced"
"Young men and old men together"
Jeremiah 31:13a:"Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together;"
There is no age limit

Singing and dances often go together: (I Samuel 29:5) (Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances?)

There is a right time to dance: (Ecclesiastes 3:4)".. a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance."

Dancing Before the Lord:
This expression of praise is one of obedience to God's revealed Word that we are to praise Him in the dance. As an act of our will, even if we feel awkward in doing so, we obey God and join in with other believers as they dance before the Lord.

Dancing in the Spirit:
Dancing in the Spirit is when our whole body is completely under the control of the Holy Spirit. The believers during this time are completely "lost" in the Spirit and so totally absorbed in the move of the Holy Spirit's power upon their bodies that they are totally unaware of themselves or even others around them. If indeed from the Lord, it will always be in God's perfect timing so as to not detract from, but rather be in perfect harmony and flow with the move of God at that moment.

The Restoration of Dance was prophesied:
If we are Spiritual Israel, then this is for us today:
"Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together; for I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow. " (Jeremiah 31:4,13)

Warnings:
Beware of Carnal dancing!
Dancing of carnal nature is also associated with backsliding, idolatry, immorality and worldliness. Satan has a counterfeit for everything. Counterfeits only prove their is a genuine and an original!

Not for Show:
The purpose of dancing in praise to God was never intended for a show or performance that would draw the people's attention to the dancers. Instead the dance as an expression of praise is to be a spontaneous and intensive physical expression of praise to God that involves the whole assembly of believers. It is to be participated in by both women and men, and by both the young and the old.

Believers are not to stop praising and become "observers" or to in any way become distracted from intense praise during the time of "spiritual dance" or "dancing before the Lord" neither is the dance allowed to become a production where only a select few are performing for the others. This DOES NOT MEAN that there are not those who lead the dance - just as we have worship and music leaders. It only implies that the lead dancers lead the people into participating, using their entire beings in worshipping the Lord.

Our DRESS and ACTIONS must always be those that will glorify the Lord and not call attention to ourselves.

Enter in:
For believers to refuse to enter into the dance of praise before the Lord when the Holy Spirit is moving in that way is an act of rebellion before God. To be self-conscious and fearful of loosing one's dignity can grieve or quench the flowing of the Holy Spirit.

Some of the greatest "breakthroughs" happen as the move of the Holy Spirit comes upon a body of believers when each one is dead to self and moves in obedience to the Holy Spirit, entering in as David did, "dancing before the Lord with all his might."

3.MIME
There are different things to be done. Blow a kiss, kneeling, stretching out your hands. God is creative. Be open to obey Him because you may be the key of what the Lord wants to do for that particular meeting, and if you don't you may quench the Holy Spirit.

4.PROPHETIC ACTIONS
These are spontaneous, like an instrumentalist suddenly blowing the victory sound or the declaration of the coming of the King.
The flags and banners are all used so effectively as prophetic symbols and in prophetic actions. Each colour has a different meaning. The gold speaks of the glory and holiness of God, the red speaks of the love and blood of Jesus, the silver of redemption, the green of rebirth, the blue of the water of the Holy Spirit, the white of purity, the pink of first love, tenderness and healing etc.

But by using these flags prophetically, we are speaking in the spiritual realm, making declarations: "Jesus has made me righteous by His blood." "I call on the Holy Spirit!" Do not look at what you can see, because it will pass away, but look at what you can't see."
"And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.'' (Hebrews 1:7)
We can't see them, but know they are around and are ministering to us at the Lord's command. As we pick up these banners in faith we are declaring things to the heavenlies that the Lord sees as a sacrifice of praise and worship and it has an effect.

5.A RELEASE OF GLORY SOUNDS
Romans 8:22-23 "For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now. And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body."
Often the people start to groan and make melodious sounds instead of singing during worship times. It is as if the congregation is giving birth to something as a group or an individual can be experiencing this. A note: we should be very careful to judge another person's worship it is for God's consumption and not our own.

6.CONCLUSION

The key to prophetic worship is to hear the sound of the wind. We do not know from where it comes nor where it is going. Yet we must not block it. How do we block it? By following our own agenda.

Being spontaneous is of utmost importance. Keep flowing until you feel the cloud has lifted.

The Result: A theme will be visible. It would have flown right through the prophecy, the prayer, music. Listen to what is happening once the Spirit moves. Flow in the same direction. Prophetic worship is like an escalator that takes us into the presence of God and meets us at the point of our need. People come to our meetings to touch God's presence. What a privilege –what a responsibility!

What power, the sweet fragrance of the Lord comes and His Glory is revealed.

Habakkuk 2:20 "But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.''

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