Random Snippets: Spontaneous Worship, Self-Discipline, Song Choice

///Spontaneous Worship///

(Psalm 33:3)

Sing a new song of praise to him; play 

skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.

(Ephesians 5:19)

speaking to one another with psalms, 

hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and 

make music from your heart to the Lord, 

This was something I did but that I didn't know what to call at the time. When I led worship at a church at age 18 the Holy Spirit really became my teacher. I could feel Him so near instructing me how and what to sing. Suddenly between songs He would just take over and new lyrics would burst forth without me even thinking. The Pastor called it "prophetic worship" because sometimes I would prophecy through song but the band and I would just say, "lets flow." I compare these moments to a stream of running water because there was no stopping what the Holy Spirit was doing and it was a continuous overflow of new songs. It wasn't until last year that I first heard the term "Spontaneous Worship," when discovering Bethel Church in Redding, California. The Spirit connected me to something that I'd never heard of. He thught me what made Him happy. During our congregational worship times it's great to get a perfect sound and to have beautiful voices on cue but...the Holy Spirit could care less about that if we're not letting His voice be heard. He knows what's in the Father's heart and if we're ignoring Him in our churches then we'll be stuck in an old revelation when God always has a new one to give. Spontaneous Worship isn't something you practice because it comes from soaking in God's presence and worshiping him in spirit and in truth. It's a new song that isn't rehearsed that bursts from The Spirit's heart, to yours, and then to those around you. Many churches don't allow this because they seek an "order" but God's order looks nothing like ours. I encourage you to let the Holy Spirit move the way He wants to through you. There have been musicians, pastors, and singers that I have worked with that just don't want to have anything to do with this because they seek their version of perfection, just like there's those who's spirit's discern what comes from God and respond to the atmosphere. The Lord has given me prudence to know when and where but my heart's desire is that first off, as worshipers, we can all plug into what the Spirit of God is doing. David constantly talked about singing a new song to The Lord in his Psalms because he knew the difference between sitting and writing to moving and reacting at the time at hand. He didn't have time to write during a battle between the Philistines but he could begin to praise his God right where he was by sing out, "Praise be to The Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war!" You'd be surprised to know that many of the songs that you hear now started off as spontaneous songs during a worship service or during a car ride. So I encourage you to let your spirit sing on stage and off. Let the Holy Spirit move through you, let Him be your teacher.

///Self-Discipline///

(2 Timothy 1:6-7) 

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift 

God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has 

not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of 

power, love, and self-discipline.

You have been given the power by The Holy Spirit to discipline yourself. It doesn't matter how old you are because God's Spirit is given to anyone who responds to His call. Whether you sing, play an instrument, dance, or minister all together discipline is something that we all need to enforce in our lives. Discipline is what has now accustomed me to vocalize each time before I sing to maintain healthy vocal chords and what helps a guitar player play certain chords and memorize a musical scale. If you're like me going through preparation, through a psalmist school, or a ministry school then you know this: you will only learn what you practice. Without making yourself practice, your gift will never reach it's full potential. God always has more to teach us but we've got to be responsible and apply what has been taught to us.

*Discipline- training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character

Take advantage of all the training being thrown at you.

///Song Choice///

Just like there are numerous stars in the sky, there are numerous songs out there to chose from. We each have our own style when it comes to the way we choose music: some of us popcorn choose (so not recommended), others go check out popular songs and go for that, some choose songs that they like or that they think the congregation/audience will like. So what's the best way? I love this topic, I love talking about this. Here are some tips that I've learned and that I've been taught, so I share!

1. Pray. Ask God what He wants to tell His people. Ask Him how to guide his people because each service is different and God will always have something new and specific to say.
2. Observe. When you get to the place that you're getting ready to sing, play, or perform at look at the people. Are they sad? Borred? Fired up? If the congregation or crowd looks depressed then you want to gear more toward starting with praise songs that will get them meditating on God's power or faithfullness. If the congregation or crowd looks on fire already (which is every worship leader's/minister's dream) then take them deeper with praise or worship songs that reflect giving more of ourselves to God or songs that bring everyone together to cry out to God as one.
3. Message in Action. Now that you've prayed and God has reveled to you what He wants to say and you've observed the specific crowd, act on it. Though you may not understand why, the Holy Spirit knows exactly why so just be obedient and you'll see the fruit.

• I think song lists are a good guide but once we cling tight to it's order we tend to brush off anything that's not on the list. So be prepared to let the Holy Spirit surprise you and your obedience will have its reward.
• Don't choose songs because you love them. You need to be in constant connection during the week with God so that the days you give you truly give. Choose the songs that the people need.
• Respect the authority no matter what, even if you know better because God's anointed are protected but just like David was anointed he also recognized King Saul's anointing by refusing to take revenge out on him. Pray for your leaders but if their vision is truly not matching up with what God is constantly revealing to you then decide whether or not you want to continue with a vision that you don't share. Can to be together if they are not in accord?
• Express your worship to God with your music and gifts as if each time were the last time here on this earth.

Random Snippets: Anointing, Power, The Key

(Isaiah 61:1) 

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

    because the Lord has anointed me to 

proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

    to proclaim freedom for the captives

    and release from darkness for the prisoners

This verse goes on and on and it is beautiful. The truth is beautiful. Jesus repeats this verse in the book of Luke, filled with the Holy Spirit. The anointing of God is the difference between heaven and earth. The anointing of God manifests His glory. I rarely talk about this but I feel the need to share. When I barely began to sing at church at age 15, church members would come up to me after and tell me that they heard angels. At age 17 when I began to help out at another church by leading worship I got so much feedback but the one thing I remember is the guy sitting next to me after the service during prayer whisper, "Was that you singing just now, because I heard a different voice...do you know that you have an angelic voice?" He couldn't comprehend what he had heard but he was in awe, as was I because I was just softly humming to the piano's melody. It's been something that has always followed me to this day. Angels. The angel of the Lord encamped around me. The anointing of God was given to me. To the girl who wanted nothing to do with God. In God's eyes I was special when I hated myself. In whatever I do His anointing is over me. When I sing I don't care about pretty because I already know that anything anointed by God is beautiful. Sure I've learned and continue to learn the vocal techniques but the Holy Spirit has an out of my order type of order. If He tells me to start releasing a certain sound instead of lyrics I obey and I see His ways unfold before my vary eyes. As worship leaders, artists, sons and daughters of God our heart's desire should be the Father's anointing over us. Let that be our prayer.

Jesus came from heaven to earth to redeem our lives and to place in our hands the very same authority that His Father gave Him. Like an inheritance Jesus passed the power on to the new sons and daughters of God. We have all been given this authority.

(Luke 10: 17-22) 

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, 

“Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 

He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and 

scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; 

nothing will harm you. 

However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, 

but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, 

said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, 

because you have hidden these things from the wise 

and learned, and revealed them to little children. 

Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. 

No one knows who the Son is except the Father, 

and no one knows who the Father is 

except the Son and those to whom 

the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Just imagining this scene is amazing to me. To envision Jesus laughing and smiling at His disciples as He witnessed the joy they experienced in releasing the supernatural power that the Holy Spirit had poured over them. I imagine Jesus smiling in His throne each time we exercise that same power. When you and I sing or play an instrument we have the power to submit all principalities of darkness beneath our feet. Anyone scared out there? We live in this world but the Word of God tells us how there is a supernatural realm invisible to the natural eye that is more real than what our eyes see. It's where the angels battle, where demons are submitted and stomped beneath our feet, and where God inhabits. When you release a word you are impacting both worlds. It's not about singing a simple or extravagant song. Seeing God's glory here, His kingdom being established on this earth, is what I yearn for. To see the woman in the back row crying out for help during the Worship Service have a divine encounter with the Lover of her soul. To witness the teenager on the verge of suicide fall to her knees as the angelic melody, inhabited by God's Spirit, sweeps over her. To take part in bring a people closer and closer to the living God. You and I have been given this authority. Some believe that the times of miracles and the supernatural power of God is over and died along with the disciples. That's a lie. We are in the third era. The time of The Holy Spirit. The time of the One who raised Christ from the dead and baptized people upon people with the gift of speaking in tongues. Is our God not unchanging? We serve the one and only LIVING God. And because of Jesus you have the power that the Holy Spirit has poured out on you. Don't hide it and don't bury it because God has given it to you for a reason. Whether you're up on a stage or not remember the power that has been vested upon you. Just a single word, phrase, utterance, or sound can alter the spiritual atmosphere and transform lives.

David entered the presence of God whenever he wanted to because he learned how to each time he spent time seeking God. The seeking impacted his daily living. As I talked with my friend Lizzie I began to peel further and further the layers of David's way of living. I want to tune into that. David's genuine love and passion for His living God impacted lives. While His brothers were busy looking gorgeous, David was given a beauty that cam from obeying the Lord. His walk involved killing lions and bears to protect his flock, defeating giants, governing a kingdom, fighting battles, chasing off spirits with his music, and freely dancing in public. I say again, David's genuine walk with the Lord impacted and still impacts lives. If we're not genuine nothing will ever change. People were impacted by David being David. And David was a lover of God's presence. The prophet Isaiah prophesied about the Son of God and how God would "place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opened no one could shut, and what he shut no one could open. Jesus has handed us the same key.

(John 14:12-14) 

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the 

works I have been doing, and they will do even greater 

things than these, because I am going to the Father. 

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the 

Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me 

for anything in my name, and I will do it.

You and I are here on this earth and in this time and season for a specific reason. What are you doing with the authority that God has given you? Pray over all things for God's anointing because that is what separates us from being average. We were made to walk in the supernatural today. 

Random Snippets: Preparation, Fire, Love

“If we want to be transformed we first need to be informed and to be informed we need to be instructed.”

             —Kris Vallotton

We all must go through stages and seasons of preparation because without learning periods we would be walking through life thinking that ignorance is bliss. I am the first to stop right there and admit that it is abso-tu-ta-lutely not. It's scary and frustrating when we don't know what to do and when we don't have the answers. It's like trying to put together a brand new desk by looking at a picture because we're too lazy to read and follow the instructions step-by-step. Guys, girls, friends nobody on this earth taught us to enjoy the preparation because our human and carnal nature just wants to survive and live life by jumping through hoop after hoop. I've learned to enjoy the calm seasons and the wacky-out-a-control seasons also. For a while it's like we're either in a desert with no one around to support  or befriend us, or like everything is getting too hectic to stand. In particular, I want to address the seasons of solitude. Us and God and nobody else (so it seems). Literally, it's like where have all the Christians gone? It's a season of preparation. I asked God a while back what was going on with this and why I felt this way and He simply answered by giving me this image in my mind: I was a Porcelain Doll inside of a wooden hutch with glass doors, protected and hidden. I asked The Lord what this meant and I just felt Him say, "You're that doll and right now that is exactly how I have you because when it's time for you to move I'll take you out but until then I'm protecting you because I'm going to teach you during this period of time." Preparation. Enjoy the learning process and take close notes because you will need them later on for what God has begun to do with you.

Someone once said that my generation had fire but no foundation. Well that was my spiritual cue to get even more fired up. You see the events and the retreats are great but they flame out while true passion for God just cannot because it only takes one taste of His water to never thirst again. I will continue my preparation but at the same time I know God is using me to lay down the foundation for His temple. That temple is every one of us because the Word of God tells us that our bodies are the Temple of The Holy Spirit. We are The temple. The hardest thing is to start up a fire but once you get it really going there's no stopping it. The first song I actually sang in church when I was little was, 

///Oh this little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine///

*~*~*

///Don't let Satan blow it out

No, I'm gonna let it shine///

*~*~*

///Let it shine///

If the fire is already there then now all I've got to do is fan it so that it can't be blown out. God is using you and I to lay down the foundation in the hearts of His children. We're going to bridge the generation gaps. My generation will not only have the fire (which is *extremely important) but also the foundation that is God's Word. When someone is in love though, nobody has to make them do anything because they will do it out of love. That's also what I've been called to do. I'm like the wing-woman, the third wheel bestie, the match-maker. I'm that vehicle that God uses to lead others to Him, to encounter Him, and He does the rest. He does the wooing and the candle-lighting. To accomplish this we need to let The Holy Spirit prepare us and mold us. If getting into God's word is hard for you then don't ask God to help you like reading ask Him to make you fall more and more in love with Him. Because love is what God is all about and that's what our worship to Him is born from. Love is like a burning flame that cannot be easily put out.

(Song of Solomon 8:6-7) 

Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm; 

for love is as strong as death,

    its jealousy unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,

    like a mighty flame.

⁷ 

Many waters cannot quench love;

    rivers cannot sweep it away.

If one were to give

    all the wealth of one’s house for love,

    it would be utterly scorned.

Some questions for you:

Do you have someone who mentors you?

Who can you be an example for?

Is it enjoyable for you to get into God's word?

Has God been revealing His heart to and for you on a deeper level?

Does your Worship (intimate and congregational) reflect Solomon's 8:6-7 verse?

What questions do you have?...