What a glorious privilege to lead God's people in worship. If you have the privilege of leading worship in a celebration service or small group, this is for you!
If you are like me, you always want to grow in leading people into God's Presence through worship. How can you grow in helping others connect with God. Here are seven things that will help you become more effective as a worship leader.
Ask God Questions
Ask God 4 questions at every church function. Keep your ears and eyes open. Remember He promises to answer when we ask for wisdom according to James Here are the questions I ask each week.
1. What does He want from us?
2. What does He want to impart to us?
3. What is inside people’s hearts? (What are they struggling with? Hurting about? Excited about?)
4. How can you inspire/encourage them to focus on Jesus with and without words.
Memorize Scripture
If you are like me, you always want to grow in leading people into God's Presence through worship. How can you grow in helping others connect with God. Here are seven things that will help you become more effective as a worship leader.
Ask God Questions
Ask God 4 questions at every church function. Keep your ears and eyes open. Remember He promises to answer when we ask for wisdom according to James Here are the questions I ask each week.
1. What does He want from us?
2. What does He want to impart to us?
3. What is inside people’s hearts? (What are they struggling with? Hurting about? Excited about?)
4. How can you inspire/encourage them to focus on Jesus with and without words.
Memorize Scripture
I have hundreds of verses memorized, but I use them all up….I need more. When I am talking or praying, I am almost always quoting, declaring, or praying Scriptures…..they have power you see and release people from bondage, as well as touch hearts, including the Lords. God loves to hear His Word.
"How much ammo do you have?" I asked my worship and sound team a few weeks ago. If our ammo is the Word of God, Scripture that we have memorized, then many Christians walk around with no ammunition to fight the enemy of our souls.
But Scripture also stirs up faith, fills us with gratitude, and imparts faith to ourselves and others.
Use Scripture in Song
Know Which Songs Have Direct Scripture Quotes in them and Use them Purposefully & Proactively
You Said (recorded by Hillsong) quotes two Scriptures each in both verses. The chorus is a Scripture too. This song breaks down all kinds of garbage in the Heavenly realm and imparts faith. You can see facial expressions change and burdens lift during this song.
In Jesus Name and Victor's Crown, both songs from Darlene Zschech Revealing Jesus worship CD are filled with Scripture. Line after line, the Word of God is declared. How powerfully God moves during these songs!
"How much ammo do you have?" I asked my worship and sound team a few weeks ago. If our ammo is the Word of God, Scripture that we have memorized, then many Christians walk around with no ammunition to fight the enemy of our souls.
But Scripture also stirs up faith, fills us with gratitude, and imparts faith to ourselves and others.
Use Scripture in Song
Know Which Songs Have Direct Scripture Quotes in them and Use them Purposefully & Proactively
You Said (recorded by Hillsong) quotes two Scriptures each in both verses. The chorus is a Scripture too. This song breaks down all kinds of garbage in the Heavenly realm and imparts faith. You can see facial expressions change and burdens lift during this song.
In Jesus Name and Victor's Crown, both songs from Darlene Zschech Revealing Jesus worship CD are filled with Scripture. Line after line, the Word of God is declared. How powerfully God moves during these songs!
Fill Up on God’s Word
Often before leading worship, I will read an entire book, 5-10 Psalms, or another big chunk of Scripture. It’s like “carb-ing” for a run. I don't want to lose focus when I lead worship or think about anything else but the Lord, Filling my spiritual tank with extra nourishment from the Bible always helps me to stay fresh and Christ-focused.
Work Hard to be HOLY. Resting In God's Grace
Don’t give any ground to the devil, squash your flesh like a bug. Refuse to be prideful, jealous, selfishness, bitter, angry, or cold-hearted. Take down sin as soon as you see it, sack the quarterback, etc. etc. Deal ruthlessly with the tiniest hint of sin. Apologize quickly and sincerely. I constantly make the choice to “not engage” or to “refuse to allow someone to stir up anger in me.” It is hard.
Satan doesn't care about our money or our health, he just wants us to sin against God. When we sin, we grieve the Spirit of God, but keeping in step with the Spirit fills our heart with joy!
Remember who you are in Christ. Christ didn't just wipe our sin away. Jesus gave us a new nature. You are a son or daughter of the King of Kings. You are a treasured position. You are filled with His Spirit. You are more than a conqueror. None of this is because you've earned it. It's God's Grace!
Treasure Humility & Cultivate it at Every Turn
This is hard for me because my nature is confident, prideful, and opinionated. I have trained myself to thank Jesus every time someone is rude to me, a musician or singer makes it difficult to lead, I make a mistake, or I come across foolishly. I embrace that because I know that God will resist me if I am prideful (my nature!). (I have not been able to get this principle over to politics yet.) You can’t lead worship if God is resisting you. So work hard to embrace the things God sends to keep you humble. Also, remember, He is big and awesome--we are so little next to His greatness. That will keep us humble too.
Enjoy God, Love His Presence
Talk to Him, sing to Him, say “good morning” when you wake up, lavish him with complements and phone in often. Love for Jesus is contagious and worship doesn’t happen without it. Worship is all about loving Jesus, not having an emotional experience. Love Him in everyone possible: with our minds, hearts, emotions, will, and body. Don't be afraid to let people see how much you love Jesus! The world is waiting for worship leaders who love the Lamb of God and Lion of Judah.
God bless you as you serve Him and His people!
Love,
Merey (Meredith Ludwig Curtis)
Often before leading worship, I will read an entire book, 5-10 Psalms, or another big chunk of Scripture. It’s like “carb-ing” for a run. I don't want to lose focus when I lead worship or think about anything else but the Lord, Filling my spiritual tank with extra nourishment from the Bible always helps me to stay fresh and Christ-focused.
Work Hard to be HOLY. Resting In God's Grace
Don’t give any ground to the devil, squash your flesh like a bug. Refuse to be prideful, jealous, selfishness, bitter, angry, or cold-hearted. Take down sin as soon as you see it, sack the quarterback, etc. etc. Deal ruthlessly with the tiniest hint of sin. Apologize quickly and sincerely. I constantly make the choice to “not engage” or to “refuse to allow someone to stir up anger in me.” It is hard.
Satan doesn't care about our money or our health, he just wants us to sin against God. When we sin, we grieve the Spirit of God, but keeping in step with the Spirit fills our heart with joy!
Remember who you are in Christ. Christ didn't just wipe our sin away. Jesus gave us a new nature. You are a son or daughter of the King of Kings. You are a treasured position. You are filled with His Spirit. You are more than a conqueror. None of this is because you've earned it. It's God's Grace!
Treasure Humility & Cultivate it at Every Turn
This is hard for me because my nature is confident, prideful, and opinionated. I have trained myself to thank Jesus every time someone is rude to me, a musician or singer makes it difficult to lead, I make a mistake, or I come across foolishly. I embrace that because I know that God will resist me if I am prideful (my nature!). (I have not been able to get this principle over to politics yet.) You can’t lead worship if God is resisting you. So work hard to embrace the things God sends to keep you humble. Also, remember, He is big and awesome--we are so little next to His greatness. That will keep us humble too.
Enjoy God, Love His Presence
Talk to Him, sing to Him, say “good morning” when you wake up, lavish him with complements and phone in often. Love for Jesus is contagious and worship doesn’t happen without it. Worship is all about loving Jesus, not having an emotional experience. Love Him in everyone possible: with our minds, hearts, emotions, will, and body. Don't be afraid to let people see how much you love Jesus! The world is waiting for worship leaders who love the Lamb of God and Lion of Judah.
God bless you as you serve Him and His people!
Love,
Merey (Meredith Ludwig Curtis)
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