Prophetic Worship

None of us can argue what Scripture says about King David. He was a man after God's own heart. However, when I look into David's life it's rather easy to see the mistakes that he made. He wasn't a perfect man but God saw something in him that was worthy of great recognition.

Over the past couple of days I have been looking into some of the things that David did as King. Through this process I was able to get a glimpse into what God was seeing. What He saw in David was a heart that burned for worship. Folks, we will only possess a heart that goes after God when we have a heart for God.

Here's a couple of the interesting things that David did as King.
1 Chronicles 16:4 - David established full-time Thankers and Praisers
1 Chronicles 25:1 - David set apart those who should prophecy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals.

David placed a great Priority for Worship!
- Think about it...Men whose only job was to bring thanks and praise to God Almighty. Every day was ruled by thankfulness and praise to the God who had delivered, protected, provided, and blessed beyond measure.
- Not only that, but there were those who should bring forth the Word of God through the instruments of praise. Prophecy means to speak or sing by inspiration! This can be done in prediction (foretelling) or simple discourse (forth-telling). Imagine singing God's Word over the day!

I can't imagine how pitiful our worship must be at times. Should we not sing a new song unto the Lord today? The problem within the church isn't impartation...we know that God still speaks and gives. The problem within the church is imitation! We are only praising God with what He spoke to someone else. I think it's time for us to get a fresh revelation of God and begin to sing what He has revealed over our congregations.

David was also concerned about the Place of Worship.
- When you read about David's reign you will see that he longed to build a place for God. He worked hard to return the ark of the covenant back to the kingdom and built a tabernacle to house it. However, in the heart of David this wasn't good enough. God didn't allow David to build a permanent structure but would use Solomon (David's son) to accomplish this task.
- The interesting thing about David's tabernacle is that this is the "place" of worship that will be restored according to God's Word. I believe it has to do with the fact that David's tabernacle could be accessed. There wasn't a veil shielding people from the presence of God. Every time the people went to worship they were able to see God in all His glory.

We should be weary of ever establishing anything that keeps people from truly experiencing God in our midst! If all they ever see are the performers, and all they ever hear are our voices, then we will have missed the heart of God in worship. Worship is all about Him! It should be a time when we give to God what He is worthy of and allow God a time of unhindered communion with His people.

Last of all, with David there was a Purity in Worship.
- Read through the Psalms and you will find prayers, songs, & prophecies. David, along with those who would follow his lead, wrote about what God had done, was doing, and would do for His people. With every fresh revelation of God came a song to proclaim who He was and what He was doing.
- Could it be that our worship falls short since we are singing about other people's experiences? Don't get me wrong. There are some great worship songs that God honors when we sing them. "How Great Thou Art" is still one of the greatest hymns ever written. "Shout to the Lord" is a praise and worship song that has carried many hearts to the throne room of God. But are we giving birth to our own praise?
- At PBC, we often sing a song that was written by Ron (Worship/Missions Pastor) and the music was created by members of our Praise Team. It has become a PBC favorite. There is such joy and celebration as we sing "Victory." I truly believe it's because God's song has become our song!

During our Iron Man's Conference this year, I had a close friend come and lead worship. Caleb is being used by God in great ways. What struck me about the songs that he led in (some original, some borrowed) was the simplicity. They were fairly simple songs. They were easy to play and sing but the presence and power of God was all over them. Why? Because they brought us back to the heart of worship - It was all about Jesus!

Why not take some time today and ask God to birth a new song in you. You don't have to be gifted musically. All you need to do is be reflective about the great things that God has accomplished in His Word and in your life. Sing a new song to Him today and I believe that you will be swept away in His grace and mercy.

Let the church find her song! And may the church gain a heart for God that once again places a great Priority for Worship, honors the Place of Worship, and returns to a Purity in Worship.