Perhaps you are wondering what prophetic worship is or how you can incorporate prophetic worship into your weekly church service or worship nights. But where do we begin? How do we start leading prophetic worship?
Brandon Lake of Seacoast Church and Bethel Music unpacks what it means to be a prophetic worship leader as he shares his process and values for prophetic worship.
Prophetic Worship: How To Become Activated Spiritually
Before we get started, grab a piece of paper and take a moment inviting the Holy Spirit to come. Then ask God for one thing that He says about you. Once you have it written down, look at it and shout it out as a declaration!
You have the gift of prophecy! Just as it says in 1 Corinthians 14:31 (The Passion Translation)
“For you can all prophesy in turn and in an environment where all present can be instructed, encouraged, and strengthened.”
Prophecy is that simple. It is hearing the voice of God and saying it, sharing it, declaring it. As worship leaders, we get to pair prophetic words with God’s heart and a melody. We get to give others a powerful gift they can go home with, and they are going to be able to remember it and bring it back to their memory time and time again.
Have you ever seen believers who quote Scripture at the Western Wall in Israel? Do you notice anything different about what they are doing? They do it with rhythm and melody! One of the best ways to remember God’s Word is to attach it to a melody. Just think about how many times you are heading home after church on Sunday, and you are singing those same songs as they are washing over you. This is the power of marrying God’s living Word with a song!
To lead prophetic worship, we should be living prophetically. It needs to be who we are off the stage, in our daily lives with our friends, family, and loved ones before we should do it corporately. People need to trust us when we are on the platform during worship. Ask yourself this question, “Am I the same person on the stage as I am off the stage?”
Prophecy requires action from us. God is eagerly looking to co-labor with us in this process. When you see or hear something for someone’s life, share it with them. Often the Holy Spirit is speaking, and it not just for you to hold on to. Remember always to be filtering what you are seeing and hearing through Scripture and the heart of God. If it doesn’t line up with Scripture or God’s heart, keep waiting and asking the Holy Spirit what you should do with what you are seeing and hearing.
Prophecy is encouragement. When you speak a prophetic word over someone, it is an encouragement to them. You are giving them a gift and speaking the promise of God over their life. The word given to them becomes something powerful they can come back to in the future. There are countless testimonies of individuals who received prophetic words and kept them in their hearts for years until it came to pass.
Prophecy requires intimacy. To lead prophetically, we have to have an overflow. We need to remember that our primary call is not ministry; it is intimacy with our Father in Heaven. Everything we do has to flow out of that intimacy. Ask yourself, are you being filled up with life and truth? Matthew 12:34 says, “For what has been stored up in your hearts will be heard in the overflow of your words.” The same applies to when we are leading worship. Our songs will be a reflection of what we are storing up in our hearts.
Here are some practical ways to help with prophetic worship.
- Just Listen. Listen to what the Lord is saying as you are preparing to lead worship. As you drive to church, listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying about your church, about your worship service, and what He wants to be revealed to His children. A prophetic chorus can sometimes come to you before the service time.
- Listen to different genres and voices of worship. This will help you with the melodic overflow so that you don’t sing the same melody in every prophetic moment.
- Songwriting. Spending time with God strengthens your ability to hear HIs voice. As you spend time with God and writing songs, your ability to write catchy songs that carry God’s heart will be strengthened. Your goal should be to create a chorus that your congregation can follow. You want to make it simple enough that everyone in the room can join you on the journey of prophetic worship.
For more on How To Activate Prophetic Worship, watch the full teaching by Brandon Lake here.
