I don’t know for sure, but there could be something missing in your worship team.
No, it’s not better music, more popular songs, or tighter production. It’s not newer gear, younger musicians, or more connections.
It’s something simpler, but not simplistic. You can’t just copy it from another ministry.
You can’t just turn it on and turn it off.
Why? Because it’s a way of life – a reflection of who you are.
What am I talking about?
Crying out to God. The sound of a desperate heart.
Worship teams that cry out to God don’t just sing songs. They realize that songs are a vehicle to the real thing. Songs lead their hearts to the main course – feasting upon the presence of God.
Effective worship teams model this. They realize it’s not just the leader’s responsibility, but it’s everyone’s goal to cry out to God with fervent passion.
Are We Too Comfortable?
Have we grown too comfortable with church? Have our lives become so manageable that we don’t feel like we really need God?
I’m sure you’ve cried out to God before. I know I have.
But it was when I was in the darkest place, surrounded by pain, realizing my need for God’s help.
But what if it was every day? What if we led worship like a desperate, dying man or women in need of water?
Because that’s the way it is. We need Him. His presence. His power. His breakthrough.
It’s time to cry out.
3 Tips For Leading Your Team To Cry Out
But how do you get there? How do you develop a team that knows how to cry out?
I can think of at least three way to build this culture.
1. Prioritize – Your team will adopt the values that you prioritize. If you want to develop a culture that values the presence of God – values crying out to Him, than prioritize it. Prioritize it in your rehearsals, your emails, your conversations, and your worship leading style.
2. Teach – Oftentimes people don’t cry out to God because they don’t know how. They don’t know how to move beyond singing a song. You need to teach them. Get very practical with people. Plan an entire rehearsals around crying out to God. Challenge, model, practice, and encourage.
3. Pray – There’s only so much prioritizing and teaching you can do. Without the awakening revelation of the Holy Spirit, our hearts would remain dead. It takes the power of God to make us come alive. Pray that God would fill you heart with desire for His presence. Pray that a movement would start on your worship team – a movement of following hard after God.
It’s time to get desperate for God again. Don’t be content with tight systems of church.
We. Need. God.
Question: How are you building a culture of passion, desperation, and crying out to God? Share your ideas in the comments. Yea, it’s always better when you share!
[ois skin=”Next Level Optin”]
Great word today David…
A good way to start is BEFORE rehersal, lead your group in an intimate worship time. just leader and guitar…(does not even have to be lead singer….pick some one else…) and just sing one or 2 songs…and break out in prayer individually….and let the holy spirit take over…
its an awesome way to keep us grounded, humbled…and hungry for God and his presence…it’s something that is hard to do when playing an insturment in front of the congragation…but here….in the intimacy….all bets are off…and the focus couldn’t be clearer….it’s no longer about stayng on beat. im i in the right key? when is that key change again? what is the next song again?….
To….God…its just you and me….i need you.
Great suggestion, Arny. How would you challenge/encourage worship team members who are quiet and not used to “crying out to God” in that context? Any tips?
well crying out to God doesn’t necesserly mean you actually Cry as in tears…but that your focus physically (on knees) Mentally (thinking on him and who he is and whats he’s done) and Sprititually (actively speaking out loud how awesome he is: for from adundance of the heart we speak and our words reflect)
it’s giving your time soley to HIM…no distractions….
if we do this…
he can take you to an amazing place….his presence.
and the Holy Spirit has a field day!
Ah, so good.
YEEESSSS
HOLY SPIRIT CONTINUE TO FLOW OVER US!!!!!!
OUR CHURCH IN ITALY IS DESIRING THE SAME…..THANKYOU GOD!!!
My Heart is full of Joy. Our Church is looking at Phil 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.
JEEESUS WE NEED YOU OVER ALL THINGS.
No. I haven’t forgotten how to. I do it all the time. I’m not sure you can encourage someone to do it a certain way. Different personalities and different situations would cause you to cry out to God in different ways. There’s no one correct way to do it. What I have learned and what I have raised my children to do, is cry out to God daily. It’s about connecting yourself to Him, being in His presence. Sometimes, for me, it’s in tears of joy, sometimes its in tears of pain, sometimes its to pour out my heart to Him loudly, and sometimes it to sit and be still in His presence and just feel His embrace. I believe the best gift I can give myself or my children is just to teach them to cry out daily in their own way. Be real with God whatever your situation is, if you are in a season of joy, cry out for joy, in a season of pain, cry out in tears, just be real with Him and people will see it as genuine. I believe it is more important for me to teach by example, especially to my children, that in whatever situation I am in my first response is to cry out to God. As a worship leader, I believe the best thing you can do, and the best thing you already do, is teach by your example, not only your worship team but the congregation as well. Simply keep pouring your heart out before God and dwell in His Holy Spirit. You and Kate are quite good at that all ready and that is always my favorite part of your worship. Not how well or rehearsed your team is, but when you actually allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to take over anything you could have practiced or rehearsed for!
Love your insight, Lisa! Thanks for sharing!
Good post. I would just move your #3 up to number #1!
Yes, definitely the top priority!
I appreciate that you said to prioritize it “in your emails.” It’s the logistics that are so easy to compartmentalize, aren’t they? To think of it as “work” as sort of set apart from our faith and spirituality. I’m worried that I often get caught up in details and planning and logistics, and that is 90% of what people see. But if church leaders aren’t communicating the church’s vision consistently people will forget or misunderstand it…
Well said, Nick. You can’t speak or write vision too often. It needs to constantly be in front of your team.
Nice post! 🙂
I wonder how hard it is sometimes to keep this concept in the forefront of your mind as a leader. I play a minor instrument and only a couple times a month. I am priveledged to be free to just worship 90% of the time in the congregation. Even when I play, the most fullfilling times are when I just cut loose and worship. I make more mistakes then, but feel I have accomplished more.
I like your suggestion Arny.
Great post David!
Thanks for your insight, Ruth. I actually find it more difficult when I’m NOT leading. As a leader, I feel more responsibility. When I’m in the congregation or just on a team, I tend to just observe and get lost in my music. How do you cut loose?
I don’t want this for just my worship team, I want this for my entire church! Just yesterday I’ve decided to commit to fasting a prayer that the Holy Spirit would awaken my church in revival. I hate fasting more than anything, but this is so very important. The Spirit is life to me. I want it more abundantly for myself and my church family.
Love your passion, La Toya. Seek and you will find!
I.LOVE.IT.- Preach.
M_
Awesome!
… as usual!
Always a joy to see your posts, David – don’t always have time to comment or reply though 🙁
I believe strongly that prayer should be the highest priority for your worship team. At times you should consider even not practising but rather praying together!
And that statement ‘following hard after God’ – WOW – that’s just it!
We should be Godchasers in every sense of the word!
Have a Godsome day!
Blessing y’all