Growing up, I attended a charismatic church. I believe that in those formative years, God was teaching me key lessons on the worship ministry. A typical Sunday at church was anchored in spontaneity as the worship team would lead the congregation in song. During these moments, individuals in the congregation would be inspired to speak prophetically, give a word of knowledge or speak in tongues {1st Corinthians 12:1-11}.

Being in these services was exciting because I always longed to hear what the Father was saying to His people. Of course, there were times when biblical ignorance or immaturity caused the gifts of the Spirit to appear more like confusion than blessing, but for the most part, the expression of the gifts of the Spirit always came with joy.

Thereafter, I began hungering for intimate moments with the Lord that consequently led to the deep transformation of my character. I believe that as we worship God intimately, His power is made available to heal, deliver and restore. This kind of worship goes beyond musical style and talent.

While there is no mention of the term prophetic worship in scripture, there are instances where music was used as a catalyst for prophecy {1st Samuel 10:5b, 1st Chronicles 25:1, Ephesians 5:19}. In fact, many of the Psalms are actually prophetic in nature and are set to music.

The word prophecy comes from the Greek word propheteia {prof-ay-ti’-ah} which means “discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving or admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted or revealing things hidden…{Thayer’s Greek Lexicon}.The bible is clear as to the purpose of prophecy: But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort {1st Corinthians 14:3}.

From this definition of prophecy, prophetic worship can then be described as when the intentions, desires and purposes of our Heavenly Father are revealed through song, in order to build the body of Christ {1st Corinthians 12:7}.So, why engage in prophetic worship?

1) God can use these moments to heal and deliver

In 1st Samuel 16:14-23, the bible recounts that the Spirit of God had departed from Saul. Saul was thereafter tormented by an evil spirit. David was commissioned to play his harp so that relief would come to Saul. In the same way, prophetic worship can be a conduit of God’s presence in areas of bondage and oppression. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are flogged and thrown into prison. While in there, they began singing hymns and praying; the foundations of the prison were shaken and the doors opened and chains came loose. As a result, the jailer and all his family were saved.

Once when I was leading song in a service, I felt the Lord lead me to say that there was someone in the congregation who was postponing the decision for salvation. The word that God gave me was: Today is the day of your salvation {2nd Corinthians 6:2}. This individual surrendered their life to God that day.

2) God can use these moments to give direction

As earlier intimated, God desires to speak to us about His plans and purposes for our lives. In times of worship, we can receive clarity as to whether the direction we are taking is where the Lord would have us. In Acts 13:1-3, a group of prophets and teachers were waiting in prayer and fasting before the Lord. The bible records that while they were worshipping God, the Holy Spirit instructed them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for mission work. Prophetic worship can be a channel through which the Lord imparts anointing, envisions, and gives assignments to His children.

3) Prophetic worship is a mighty tool of warfare

As you declare the word of God in song over a situation in your nation, church, or personal life, you are essentially declaring God’s purposes against the schemes of darkness. Your singing takes on the form of a mighty weapon that demolishes strongholds {2nd Corinthians 10:4}. As a music minister, it is therefore critical to be grounded in the word of God. Read a previous article on the importance of a solid theology.

I believe that all the gifts of the Spirit must be rooted in the word of God so as to minister out of purity and love. Our expressions of the gifts should lead our congregants closer to Jesus Christ. If this is not happening, it may be best to hold off or clarify. Ultimately, we are accountable to those in leadership. Maybe a good place to start would be to find out the policies of your church concerning the gifts of the Spirit and how you can use your gift in this context.