O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (Ps. 95:6).
What does it mean to move prophetic in worship? It means to move with an awareness of the desire and leading of the Holy Spirit to discern the direction of the Spirit and to lead the people of God in that direction. Worship is also a way of expressing our love for God. Worship is the humbling of self and the exalting of God, which brings brokenness that is a key element of worship.
Prophetic Worship is an expression of our spirit in direct communion with our Maker; sharing and receiving from Him as well as giving Him homage, honor, and reverence for who He is. We should not rush into God’s presence unprepared and insensitive to His majesty. When we commune with God, our spirit becomes one with Him, and we are on the same page with God. We are connected.
First Corinthians 6:17 says, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” That gives room for the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “…when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” (John 16:13)
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14 NIV)
Prophetic Worship will usher one into the presence (glory) of the Lord. It will at times bring brokenness or conviction within one’s heart. Prophetic worship will prompt us to examine ourselves, revealing the true nature of our hearts so that we may see ourselves the way we really are, without hiding behind the mask. Isaiah 6:5 gives a perfect example of this. “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
Isaiah was convicted of his mouth and his sinful condition. He saw himself as an unclean man before a Holy God. His sins were revealed, and he saw himself unworthy to be in the presence of a Holy God. Isaiah became broken and confessed he wasn’t in his proper place. So often, we find ourselves in a place that we know we should not be in. We allow our members to indulge in things that are displeasing and that we know is wrong in the site of God. “..for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.. But I say unto you, that a every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shall be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” (Matthew 12:34-37.)
Prophetic Worship will reveal the envy, strife, greed, hatred, lust, pride, anger, evil desires, malice and a host of other things in our hearts that must be repented of. I believe when we are in the presence of God any existing unrighteousness is brought to the surface so that we can begin to deal with the issues of our hearts.
Waiting is another attribute of worship. Prophetic Worship is characterized and developed through the process of waiting upon God. We must learn to wait before our Father in prayer, reading the word and listening to His voice. True worship requires submission of the whole person—spirit, soul and body. True worship will cause us to examine ourselves, our motives and the way we respond to people and situations. The question was asked in Psalms, “…who shall stand in his holy place (His presence)? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart…” (Ps. 24:3, 4). From this place you can petition, intercede, declare and do spiritual warfare. This is a place where your prayers can cause changes to take place on the Earth.
Should we praise Him? For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.
Praise is always proceeding before worship. That means we should act according to Psalm 100. We should:
- Shout joyfully, Serve His with gladness, Come with joyful singing; Know our God who made us.
- Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise, Give thanks and bless His name.