Your Presence Is Heaven
Following the Voice of the Holy Spirit in Worship
How important is the presence of the Lord in worship? How do we know when He is in the room? And how do we as worship leaders and musicians follow the voice of the Holy Spirit when He comes to dwell among us?
We will begin by looking at several accounts from Scripture in which people worshipped, and the Lord came. As you reflect on these accounts, remember this: The stamp of God’s approval on your worship is His presence.
The first account we will see occurs when the Israelites finished building the Tabernacle. The Lord had given them specific instructions for its design because the Tabernacle was to be a type and shadow of Jesus. When the Israelites had completed it exactly according to the blueprint given to Moses, Exodus 40:34 tells us, “Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle.” God was pleased with their obedience and their worship, and He came.
We find a similar account when Elijah brought a sacrifice to the Lord on Mount Carmel. 1 Kings 18:38 says, “Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!” God was pleased with Elijah’s offering of worship, and He came.
A third account is found in 2 Chronicles 7:1-3, when Solomon dedicated the Temple: “When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, ‘He is good! His faithful love endures forever!’” Again, God was pleased with their worship, and He came.
The stamp of God’s approval on your worship is His presence. When He is pleased with your worship, He comes. And when He comes, anything is possible.
As the early believers were worshipping, the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to preach the gospel: “One day as these men were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them’” (Acts 13:2).
Paul and Silas were in prison, but as they worshipped they were set free: “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off” (Acts 16:25-26).
We could go on and on recounting stories of those who worshipped until the Lord came, and then were forever changed in His presence. The point is this: As you worship, He will come; and when He comes, there is no limit to what He can do.
As worship leaders and musicians, our job is simple: Worship until He comes – and when He comes, do what He says.
This takes practice. You can’t practice in front of a congregation on Sunday morning. You have to practice hearing the voice of the Lord and knowing His touch in the secret place, with just you and Him. What does this look like practically? Here is what it looks like:
I start worshipping. I don’t feel anything, but that’s okay because worship isn’t about me.
After a while, Jesus becomes real to me. My spirit senses that something has changed, and I know He is in the room.
When He becomes real, I open my ears and my heart to hear His voice – and then I start to hear Him. He might say things like… Sing the chorus again. Go back to the verse. Play it softer. Play an interlude. Go to a different song. Often when I lead worship, I can only think of one thing to do at a certain moment. It is as though all other songs, lyrics, and musical possibilities have left my mind but one – and that is the one thing He wants me to do.
Suddenly, what began as vertical worship has become a dance – He leads and you follow. And when He is leading, there is no limit to where you can go and what you can do in His presence.
Worship invites Him. That is why in Jeremiah 32:39, God says, “I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship Me forever.” As you worship, He will come. And when He comes, anything is possible.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.