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The Power of Praise
by
Colin & Carol Owen
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Preface

This little booklet is a compilation of the seminar notes used in the Power
of Praise conferences held at Roffey Place in 1994.

Both conferences were very well attended, and Gods presence was evident
throughout. The teaching is at times quite challenging, and at others
hilarious, but at all times God focused. There are tapes available that
accompany these notes

We hope and pray that this booklet will inspire you on to higher things in
God, and enable you to reach out to Him in praise & worship in a more real,
and inspired way. There are tapes to accompany these notes, see address below.

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Part 1. Notes from the first Power of Praise Conference.

WHO ARE WE MINISTERING TO?

GOD - NOT PEOPLE!

Praise and worship in the church service is not just a matter of singing
songs to warm up the people, or to get the atmosphere going before the preach.

Its a time when we, as individuals, together as one body, declare the
goodness of God - when we tell and sing of His faithfulness - when we declare
who He is and what He has done.

Its the time when we need to take eyes of self, and fix them on things above.

Psalm 136: God is good and His love endures forever.

 The praise time is not to be aimed at the people: Were to focus the people
onto God. Were to minister to God, then He in turn will minister to His
people!

 As leaders - were to lead and encourage the people to follow us to where
were going - into the Lords Presence.

Psalm 16:11 You will fill me with joy in Your Presence.

JOY

Psalm 31:20 In the shelter of Your Presence You hide them in Your dwelling
You keep them safe.

SHELTER

Psalm 89:15-16 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in
the light of Your Presence, O Lord. They rejoice in Your Name all day long
they exult in Your righteousness.
BLESSING

Psalm 90:8 You have set our iniquities before You - our secret sins in the
light of Your Presence.

CONVICTION

Jer 5:22 Should you not fear Me, declares the Lord, should you not tremble in
My Presence.

AWE OF GOD

Mal 3:16b A scroll of remembrance was written in His Presence concerning
those who feared the Lord and honoured His Name.

ACCEPTANCE

Jude 24 To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before
His glorious Presence, without fault and with great joy.

INNOCENT/HOLY

WHEN GODS PRESENCE IS AROUND, WE DONT HAVE TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN -
THEYLL JUST HAPPEN! GODS WAY - NOT OURS!

MANS WAY:

1 Chron 13:2 If it seems good to you...and if it is the will of the Lord our
God...let us bring the ark of our God back to us... v:4 The whole assembly
agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people!

The ark represented the Presence of God. No man could touch it. Ex 25:14
states how it is to be transported - poles through the rings on the side of
the ark - carried on the shoulders of the priests.

2 Sam 6:3 So they set the ark on a new cart... V:6 The oxen stumbled, Uzzah
put out his hand to steady it...He was struck dead - because of his error -
irreverence. (Not even the priests were allowed to touch the ark, or look
into it - it was so sacred!) Had it been carried according to Gods
directions, on the shoulders of priests, this would not have happened.

 In the same way, we can do things our way - be self confident in our
giftings - not bother to enquire of the Lord, or acknowledge Him - get
carried away with our own good ideas - try to organise God - using people who
are not called to the job!

* Doing it our way results in death and lifelessness. Services can be so
organised and rigid that theres no room for the Spirit to move.

* We must regard what were doing as holy - not to be messed with!

* 1 Sam 6 - its interesting to note that the Philistines transported the ark
on a new cart when they returned it to the Jews - lesson to learn: DONT COPY
THE WORLDS WAY!

GODS WAY:

1 Chron 15:2 No one may carry the ark of God, but the Levites, for the Lord
has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.

MINISTER: SHARAT - To wait on, to serve, to attend. Refers to the tasks to
which the closest servants of God or the king are assigned. The priests and
Levites in their ministry in the tabernacle and the temple served God.

The scriptural use of the term minister conveys yieldedness, servanthood and
obedience.

V:12-15... You and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring
up the ark of the Lord....to the place I have prepared for it. It was because
you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God
broke out in anger against us. We did not enquire of Him about how to do it
in the prescribed way. So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in
order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. And the Levites
carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had
commanded in accordance with the word of God.

THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS BORNE BY PEOPLE - NOT THINGS!

1 Chron 15:16... Appointed singers, to sing joyful songs, accompanied by
musical instruments, stringed instruments, harps and cymbals.

1 Chron 15:22... Cheneniah - leader of the Levites was instructor in charge
of the music, because he was skilful.

1 Chron 15:26... God helped the Levites who bore the ark! When we do things
His way - He helps! His anointing works for us and through us. They offered
up seven bulls and seven rams - they sacrificed - its the same for us!

1 Chron 15:27... David was clothed with a robe of fine linen - as were all
the Levites, the singers and Chenaniah.

* We can only minister effectively when we know were clothed with Gods
righteousness and not our own. Only called, anointed and appointed people
should be in this ministry. There is no room for compromise - unsaved
musicians or singers should not be considered.

1 Chron 15:28... they brought up the ark with shouting, trumpets, cymbals,
music and harps - were to rejoice before Him with all our being!

1 Chron 15:29... As David whirled and played music, Michal, despised him in
her heart. * Were bound to cause problems for those caught up in tradition
and form, when we step out in Gods way.

* We must be careful not to criticise forms of worship unfamiliar to us - if
we do, it may cause future unfruitfulness!

1 Chron 15:21... David replied to Michal - It was before the Lord...I will
celebrate before the Lord ...I will become even more undignified than this
and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.
* We must learn to die to self - not to be men (or women) pleasers, do
everything as unto the Lord!

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM ALL THIS?

1. Enquire of the Lord - seek His ways, not yours. 2. Realise youre not just
singing songs, but ministering to God. Youre serving Him! 3. Hes made you a
royal priesthood, youre a priest of God. 4. Youve been chosen for this duty.
5. You need to consecrate yourself. 6. Appoint the right people for the
ministry - not just good musicians - they need to be called of God. 7. The
person in charge of the music is to be skilful. 8. Sing joyful songs about
God. 9. Our bodies are the living sacrifices we offer to God willingly. 10.
Like David - give it all youve got!

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WORSHIP MUST BE A LIFESTYLE.

* As individuals we need to be walking in faith and obedience to Gods word -
taking time to study and pray.

* Know who we are in Christ - we dont stand in our own merit. (Our
performance doesnt change our position!)
* Be set apart from the worlds way of thinking and principles. (Be careful of
what you listen to - it has an effect!)

* Our bodies are to be offered to God as living sacrifices - this is our
spiritual act of worship. We are not to conform any longer to the pattern of
this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Rom 12:1-2)

Through Jesus - let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the
fruit of lips that confess His Name. And do not forget to do good and to
share with others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased. (Heb 13:15-16)

* OUR WORSHIP OF GOD IS TO BE 24 HOURS A DAY - 7 DAYS A WEEK!

* It is not to be a performance which we do only once a week in church!

* Our prayer - our activities - our actions - our words - our thoughts our
ambitions - should all reflect our worship of God, He should be glorified in
all that we do, and say, and think!

a) So when you put yourself out to help a neighbour, youre showing yourself
to be a worshipper of God.

b) When you give your last few pounds to someone who has need, you show
yourself to be a worshipper.

c) When you switch off the T.V. programme which is offending your spirit, you
show that youre a worshipper!

WE ARE ALL CALLED TO A LIFE OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP - NOT TO A ONCE A WEEK
RELIGION WHICH IS COLD, CALCULATED AND FULL OF TRADITION!

ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS

BE WATCHFUL:

Worship is under much satanic attack - his goal is to destroy our intimacy
with Jesus. We must be on our guard, alert and perceptive in order that we
may avoid spiritual attack, and recognise it quickly when it comes:

BE SELF CONTROLLED AND ALERT. YOUR ENEMY THE DEVIL PROWLS AROUND LIKE A
ROARING LION LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR. RESIST HIM, STANDING FIRM IN THE
FAITH. (1 Pet 5:8)

1. PRIDE. Take every thought captive. Dont think of yourself more highly than
you ought.

a) Always re-direct complements or praise you get from people back to God.
Never think Im doing pretty well!

Prov 27:2 says: Let another praise you, and not your own mouth, someone else,
and not your own lips. Having a public ministry such as this often draws
people to you, just be always conscious that youre only there through Gods
enabling - if any pride begins to creep in, watch out! God has His ways of
humbling us!

2. SUBMISSION.

Remember that youre subject to the Pastor - you are there to support him and
help the meetings to flow in the Spirit. Watch out for rebellion which can be
very subtle....ie: you carry on singing when he has given you a sign to draw
to a close - even if, in your opinion you think hes wrong, or out of the flow
of the Spirit, its not for you to be disobedient to the leadership. Remember
were all subject to mistakes at times. God is very gracious to us - so must
we be to others!

3. RELATIONSHIPS IN THE GROUP

If the atmosphere between people on the platform is strained and tense, then
you can be sure the praise will be hindered. It will be lifeless and
disjointed, and certainly wont flow as the Spirit desires.

There is no room for egos in a worship group. God calls us to dwell together
in unity, to esteem others as better than ourselves, to look out not only for
our own interests, but also for the interests of others.

We need each other. God has placed us into a body - all with different
functions, and no one is any less important than anyone else. I have grown to
love and really appreciate all the musicians in our team - God has given us
something very precious - musicians and singers who are not self-seeking, not
egotists, but people who are humble and gracious, and very faithful in serving
the Lord with their giftings.

We often laugh and smile at each other on the platform, and that in turn
releases a joyful and relaxed atmosphere - the congregation can see where
brothers are dwelling together in unity. How good and pleasant it is when
brothers live together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard, running down on Aarons beard, down upon the collar
of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For
there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life for evermore. (Ps 133)

The enemy for sure will be looking for ways to cause disunity and discord, so
always be on your guard against: Rivalry, jealousy, critical spirits,
misunderstandings, and differences of opinions.

Always be walking in the light with each other. Expose any of these things by
going to the particular individual that youre having the problem with and tell
them. If youve been feeling jealous of anothers giftings, then bring it to the
light by admitting it to them and pray together against it. I had to do this
not so long ago, but once it was confessed and prayed over, then it was no
longer a problem.

PRACTICAL RULES FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

1) Maintain an attitude of humility, meekness, patience and forbearance. (Eph
4:2)

a) Humility: means that we are prepared to do anything necessary to make
matters right with others when we have sinned against them or hurt them.

b Meekness: not insisting on doing things our way, or pushing ourselves
forward.

c) Patience: we wait for others lovingly, even when they are wrong.

d) Forbearance: we help others when they are weak.

2) We are to speak the truth in love. (Eph4:15,25-26,29-31)

a) Speak the truth: be direct, forthright and honest.

b) Speak the truth in love: not in anger, bitterness or unkind manner, but in
Gods timing, waiting for Him to prepare the hearts of those to whom we are
going to speak.

c) Only speak that which edifies: only that which is positive and helpful.
Sometimes if were blatantly honest with someone it can cause hurt and
devastation. Honesty without wisdom can be sin!

d) Get rid of any critical spirit: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger,
brawling and slander. (Eph 4:31)

The root of all these is a critical spirit - one of the greatest enemies of
unity. Do you find it easier to criticise than to encourage?

Repeating peoples faults and sins to others is classified as a sin in the
Bible, as it spreads mistrust and encourages division. Its poison that can
quickly infect the whole body.

3. Be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you.

There is no problem of disunity that cannot be solved by greater humility and
forgiveness.

4. Acknowledge that we belong to each other.

We are co-heirs of His grace. (Eph 4:25)

5. Be filled with the Spirit Worship the Lord Encourage one another Always,
in everything give thanks to God the Father. (Eph 5:18-20)

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Section 2

1. What is worship?

a) Intimate - Heart response - Love toward God

b) Spirit, soul and body are involved:

i) spirit: John 4 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true
worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the
kind of worshippers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshippers
must worship in spirit and in truth.
true worshippers: Alethinol means:-

dependable - genuine - real - pure

in truth: Aletheia means:-
dependability - freedom from error - integrity

ii) Soul:

Mind - will - emotions

iii) Body:

Posture! Heb/Greek words

John 4 24 God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in
truth.

Worship: Proskuneo means:-To kiss like a dog licking his masters hand! to
crouch, prostrate oneself in homage, to adore. (most used word in NT).

Revelation 22 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when
I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel
who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, Do not do it! I am a
fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who
keep the words of this book. Worship God!

Not music. There are no scriptures that directly link worship and music!

c) Unlike praise, worship is one way, God will never worship= us! He will
never bow before us. John5:44 + 12:43 (doxa) Glory, honour, reputation.

2. What is praise?

a) Praise is Proclamation: Isaiah 43 v 21 (proclaim)
Isaiah 43 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not
perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. 20
The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water
in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my
chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

NB  May proclaim. Its an honour to do it!

(Saw-far) To score or mark, to inscribe, narrate, make known. 110 entries in
Heb OT, 90 in the intensive. form, ie, to list in detail orally.

1Peter 2 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

NB May again!

To whom do we proclaim and declare it?

i) to God, for who and what he is and has done. ii) the world, they need to
know the truth! iii) the church, because much of it doesnt believe it! iiii)
Satan to torment him, he deserves it. The powers of darkness believe and
tremble.

b) Praise is Rejoicing: God commands it. Praise is always exuberant.

Leviticus 23 40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from& the
trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the
LORD your God for seven days.

(sameach) to shine - joy - be glad. And also below...

Deuteronomy 12 7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your
families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to,
because the LORD your God has blessed you.

NB The connection between eating and rejoicing!

c) Praise uses our bodies as well as our spirits.

2Samuel 6 14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all
his might,

Psalm 134 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.

NB There are others: shouting, clapping, kneeling, bowing etc.

d) You must lead the way for others to follow.

1Chronicles 25 1 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart
some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of
prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals......

NB Set apart by the king! So were you!

1Chronicles 15 22 Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that
was his responsibility because he was skilful at it.

NB Human skill does have some value, but only in the Lords hands

2Chronicles 23 13 She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar
at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and
all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers
with musical instruments were leading the praises.

NB Praise leaders in scripture!!!

2Samuel 6 5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all
their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines,
sistrums and cymbals.

(sachaq) To laugh, play, deride, mock. Also below (v21)

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul
came out to meet him and said, How the king of Israel has distinguished
himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as
any vulgar fellow ... 21 David said to Michal, It was before the LORD, who
chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed
me ruler over the LORDS people Israel I will celebrate before the LORD.

NB The Lord chose David not Saul, even though David was most irreligious
before God. He laughed, danced, celebrated, rejoiced, shouted, played loudly
on his instruments, (including drums), and still God chose him!

22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in
my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honour.

NB In my own eyes! the hardest thing to do is to defeat pride, and self
consciousness. Yet we must if we are to follow Christ. There is no room for
self... 23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her
death. NB God punished her for despising His anointed and chosen servant, the
one who abandoned self for love of his Lord.

3. What praise isnt, or What isnt praise
Emotional writing has introduced error into the church:
Emotion appeals to emotion, but spirit appeals to spirit

a) Musical prayers - not praise
b) Goose bumps - not spirit but flesh (emotion)

c) Error - not truth

d) Deception - wrong focus (warfare)

The power of praise is truth!

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3. Warfare

Is praise a weapon for warfare?

Which is the most quoted scripture to support this theory?

2Chr20: The singers went before the army....

2Chronicles 20

1 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to
make war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, A vast army is
coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in
Hazazon Tamar (that is, En Gedi).

Dont you just love good news!

3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a
fast for all Judah.

This was a godly king, his first thought was the Lord!

4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they
came from every town in Judah to seek him.

They all came to seek the Lord!

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the
temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: O LORD, God
of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the
kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can
withstand you. 7 O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this
land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of
Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary
for your Name,saying,

In other words God You promised! 9 If calamity comes upon us, whether the
sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before
this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and
you will hear us and save us.

This was a man of faith!

10 But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you
would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned
away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by
coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.

Here he is stating the problem!

12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast
army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon
you.

This is the key to the victory!

13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood
there before the LORD.

The king didnt stand alone, they all had faith!

14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son
of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant
of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

The Lord always answers faith!

15 He said: Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem!
This is what the LORD says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of
this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but Gods.

Now God tells them the plan!
16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of
Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm
and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not
be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD
will be with you.

Then came the worship!

18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah
and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.

Now comes the praise!

19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised
the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice.

They got the word of the Lord and praised Him for what He was going to do!

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set
out,Jehoshaphat stood and said, Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem!
Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his
prophets and you will be successful.

Now comes the after thought....

21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD
and to praise him for the splendour of his holiness as they went out at the
head of the army, saying: Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures
forever.

Not mighty warrior, but His Love endures forever

22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of
Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

NOTE: As they began to sing NOT because they began to sing! The Lord would
have set the ambushes anyway.

23 The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to
destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from
Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 When the men of Judah came to
the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw
only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

When the Lord sets an ambush watch out!

When was the battle won?

3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a
fast for all Judah.

9 If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or
famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your
Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save
us.

12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast
army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon
you.

14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son
of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant
of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. 15 He said: Listen, King Jehoshaphat
and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you:
Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is
not yours, but Gods.

17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm
and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah a\and Jerusalem. Do
not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the
LORD will be with you.

Which ever of these verses you think it was, it was before they decided to
praise the Lord.

It wasnt the singers, or the words they sang, it was the Lord. So the
Israelites didnt use praise as a weapon, neither should we!

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4. High praise

This is a phrase that crops up now and then, but what does it mean, and how
do we do it? For some, high praise is singing 4 keys to high. For others its
the height of the platform that does the trick. For still others its the
robes that give the highness. What a load of rubbish there is in our churches
these days.

Lets take 3 scenarios as examples:

  1. Up and down praise.

This type of praise is where you have a frustrated preacher leading the
praise and worship times. It starts with a song, and so our thoughts go up
towards God, but at the end of the song the worship leader jumps in with a
mini sermon, and so we come back down to earth again. This is one cycle of
many that constitute your average praise and worship time. This up and down
stuff goes nowhere, and at the end of it you just sit down or take the
offering. The faithful among the congregation will do their best to keep
their eyes and thoughts on the Lord, but most will just follow the leader up,
and down. This type of leader is usually very popular with the people, and may
be a very good communicator. But as a praise and worship leader hes a disaster
because he gets in the way and stops peoples focus from resting on the Lord.

2. Up and up praise.

This is more your liberated praise, and occurs when people are too willing to
sing freely. In this scenario the worship leader doesnt talk between every
song, but instead sings out vigorously in tongues. What happens here is that
focus is kept on the Lord, but praise is paused whilst we sing a bit. After a
while we kick off again into the next song, and so on. This type of praise
time climbs steadily, and doesnt slip back, but it takes a lot longer to
reach the true destination which is high praise. Usually the time runs out
before you get there, which can be very frustrating.
3. High praise.

This is the real stuff and when reached it is usually end of all plans for
the rest of the meeting (glorious). What happens as a rule is this. A song
starts but doesnt end. Instead it runs straight into the next one, so theres
a lift but no pause. The second runs into the third, and so on until there is
such a focus on and abandonment to the Lord that spontaneous praise explodes
out of the congregation. They just cant hold it in any longer. This is high
praise. Its a crescendo of glory and honour and praise pouring out of the
congregation to their God. Its in tongues, its in English, its shouted, its
sung, its sobbed. Its the genuine article, the real thing, and its difficult
to stop. Once the people are in that place it just keeps on breaking out all
over the place. Its tremendous, thats why the devil has done his all to stop
it from ever happening. That;s why hes seen to it that it has been buried
under centuries of tradition, and so called dignity. Well Ive got news for
you Satan, the cats out of the bag!

As Ive said, only through praise can you truly worship, so, after high praise
comes high worship. The difference when you sing a holiness song in high
worship is staggering to what is regarded as normal. It has to be experienced
to be really understood.

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5. Barriers to Praise and Worship

There are 2 kinds of barrier, Physical and spiritual.

i) Physical

a) The building:

platforms can be a real barrier to communication, especially in the older
type of church building where there are lots of pillars and corners to get in
the way as well. I personally hate being cut off from the people. You need to
be able to hear them singing, especially when singing in the spirit. It is
almost impossible to gauge where people are at if you cant hear them. Couple
this with not being able to see them and you are lost. The only answer to
this one is to rearrange the church so that it is more conducive to praising
and worshipping God, which is the reason it was built in the first place.

Acoustics are another problem are, again more so in the older buildings. Most
people like to sing in a reverberant environment. It covers over all the
cracks and so makes us sound better. This may be fine for those who like to
think that their singing matters, but in reality God is not interested in our
performance so much as our heart. And if our heart is right before Him then
our singing is sweet in His ears, no matter how it sounds in ours! Anyone who
complains about a dry acoustic is in danger of pride, because they are usually
judging by the sound of their voice. An echoy environment makes it much harder
to hear from the platform, and as such does not help the leader at all.

P.A. systems are another potential problem area. Acoustics can be improved by
a good P.A. system, and drastically worsened by a bad one. P.A. systems in
churches tend to be of the latter kind, so what you end up with is a very
thin scratchy kind of sound that hurts your ears if it is turned up too loud,
which it never is, because volume is ungodly in most churches! And thats the
reason why they wont spend any money on a good system. If half the people in
the congregation miss part of the message because the system is too quiet
then thats fine, but if one person complains then all hell is let loose,
quite literally. How we need to change our attitude towards praise,
rejoicing, and celebrating.

Sometimes its not the P.A. system thats at fault, but the person sat behind
it. If ever there was a more neglected area of ministry this is it. And yet
it is one of the most important and responsible jobs in the church. A meeting
can be totally ruined by the P.A. operator. It is a position of considerable
power, and should only be undertaken by those who have Gods calling and
anointing on their lives to do so. To let just anyone sit there is to invite
disaster. The devil can really use this situation to his advantage. He can
prevent people from hearing the word. He can make things so uncomfortable
that people are distracted and miss important teaching. He can block peoples
praise and worship of the Father by using the P.A. system. He can mess up
tapes, and all sorts of platform ministries that rely on the P.A. system. Do
you see just how important it is to get this area right in the church. To
have the right person operating the right system is vital.

b) The people

sin is obviously a problem for real praise and worship. God never did and
never will accept a blemished sacrifice. We as His children are to be
spotless before Him and offer up to Him a sacrifice of praise worthy of Him.
Peter says that He has given us everything we need for life and Godliness, so
there is no excuse for sin, yet it does exist in the church, and does affect
praise and worship. So, what do we do about it as leaders? We listen to the
guiding of the Holy Spirit, and when He tells us something is wrong in the
meeting we act according to His direction. Sin only requires repentance to
kill it, but many people just say sorry Lord and dont repent at all. Hence
next week they are saying sorry Lord again. This is no good to anybody
especially the person in question. Judas shed bitter tears of remorse, but
did not repent of his sin. Repentance requires confession, for forgiveness,
and then a total turning away from that sin forever. You only truly repent of
a sin once, all the other times were not true repentance. It may be necessary
to have a time of repentance before coming to God with our offering of praise
and worship.

Tiredness really is a problem for many members of the congregation. Most will
have been at work all week, and wives and mothers have every right to be tired
at the end of the week. Looking after the family is very draining physically
and spiritually. So, people may be tired and lethargic. Obviously this will
manifest itself in the praise and worship, and no amount of pushing from the
front will break it. Only the anointing will break through this barrier. As
the Holy Spirit flows through the music, He interacts with our spirits and
somehow we come to life. This is the only way to break tiredness. Shouting at
them only brings condemnation which is counter productive. Let the anointing
break the yoke, its Gods way of doing it.

Fear plays a huge part in hindering praise and worship. Self consciousness or
embarrassment are enemies of the church in every sphere of its operations.
Evangelism being an obvious one. But far less obvious are the effects that
these fears have on our praise and worship. The flesh is very strong, and
also inventive. It can make reasonable sounding excuses for its lack of
participation, even spiritual sounding excuses. Praise has always been a
problem for the flesh. Praise requires that the body gets up and does
something, like, clap, or dance, or shout, or raise the arms. Praise always
involves the body. Praise incorporates rejoicing, and celebrating with great
intensity. Anything less is an insult to God who has given us life in all its
fullness, and joy that is complete. As leaders we are to see to it that they
have every opportunity to express that joy before God. So one praise song and
then into the slow stuff doesnt cut it. True worship only comes after true
praise. We enter His courts with praise, and to get to the holy of hollies,
which must be our goal, we have to come through the courts. There is only one
entrance to the holy place: through praise. True worship is intimate. In order
to be intimate with someone you have to be close to them. So, to worship God
you have to be close to Him ie, in the holy place, where He is. You cant
worship Him in spirit and in truth from outside, its not the real thing.

Unbelief is the root cause for every problem in a Christians life. God has
given us in His word, every answer that we need. There is no situation that
He did not foresee and allow for. So, total and uncompromising belief in His
word is the key to victorious living. It sounds simple doesnt it? But in
reality few of us achieve it. We are being changed however from one degree of
glory unto another day by day by the Lord, but there will always be further to
go.

There is a serious lack of teaching on praise and worship in our churches
today. Look at any big conference add and you will see all of the subjects
that tickle peoples ears, like, prophesy, deliverance, healing etc. All
things that we want for ourselves, even if our motives are pure. But where is
the teaching on praise and worship? It is relegated to a few books, and
limited conferences (like this one) for musicians etc. Nowhere does Joe
public get any real in depth teaching on what is probably the most important
item in his life, namely, his offering to God. Fellowship should be two way.
We pray a lot and ask God for a lot, but how much do we give to Him? How much
of our time? How much of our money? How much of our lives do we really
dedicate to God? These are serious questions and need to be answered. Often
in church on Sunday morning if the preacher goes on a bit thoughts turn to
dinner (or the burning of it). How sad that God is placed second behind the
roast. And how sad that we are only willing to give Him just so long on a
Sunday and no more, when He has given us all eternity. All of these things
stem from basic unbelief, and a lack of understanding of just how mighty and
majestic our God really is.

Apathy is the result of unbelief. It could be described as just plain couldnt
care less. This must make God sick, and in Revelation 3 we see that it does
just that. Lukewarm is the term used to describe it, but apathy has a more
realistic ring to it. Those who couldnt care less about God are in for a
shock. A prayer of commitment is not a sign of salvation, but the outworking
of a relationship with God is. As a music leader there is nothing you can do
about these parasites. They need to be weeded out of the flock which is the
pastors job not yours. Pray for him to have the bottle to do it. Many pastors
are so loving that they tolerate some rather than offend them. A little leaven
in the lump is enough to work its way through and taint the whole lump. It
doesnt take many members of the congregation to spoil the praise and worship,
pollute is a better word than spoil.

c) The leadership:

Worship leaders are not listed in the five fold ministry, but they certainly
are a gift to the church. Any falsehood on the part of the worship leader can
be a hindrance to praise and worship. Thoughts of stardom, delusions of
grandeur, stroppyness etc., will get in the way of Gods purposes. Worship
leaders need to be strong in spirit and discernment, but gentle with the
people around them. Grace must abound. Worship leaders must have a working
relationship with God. This is essential. You can only lead the congregation
where you yourself have been, and are willing to go. So, if you wont dance
dont expect them to...

Pastors can be a serious hindrance to praise and worship. Many pastors do not
have a vision for it, and many of them see it as a threat when the worship
leader is functioning under the anointing and keep jumping in. If this
happens then the Spirit is grieved. The answer to this is for those involved
in praise and worship to really pray for their pastor to receive revelation
from the Lord for praise and worship in their church. Any kind of rebellion
is out. We must respect authority.

Music directors are notorious in the more traditional type churches for not
even being saved. Choir masters too come under this heading. But for our
purposes we must think along the lines of vision. It is the job of the M.D.
to direct the music according to the leading of the Spirit. Music will always
play a big role in the life of the church. You can see this quite plainly if
you compare tradition with freedom. Traditional music basically is bondage
because it is laid down and rigid in its form, and cannot really be preformed
any other way. Music that has been birthed from freedom is flexible, it bends
to the will of God without any trouble. This bending is what allows liberty
in our praise and worship times. Rigidity is out and must stay out. It is
also the job of M.D. to make sure that the songs themselves are sound, and
wholesome, fit for consumption by Gods children. Not some wishy washy drivel
that appeals to the flesh. It is also important that praise is not neglected
in favour of what is called worship. In other words there needs to be more of
a balance between the faster rejoicing songs and the slower more intimate
songs. Most churches err on the side of the slow stuff.

d) The singers/musicians:

Ego has no place in the praise and worship team. Unlike the secular music
world, where ego and self image are of paramount importance. The Christian
music world is exactly opposite, and seeks to suppress these things in favour
of giving God the glory. Ego manifests itself in over playing, especially solo
type instruments such as sax or lead guitar. Playing in every gap etc. Solo
instruments shouldnt play all the time, or else their effectiveness is lost.
Playing too loudly is another sign of ego. The need to be heard above the
rest, constant complaining about the monitors etc. These are all tell tale
signs to beware of.
Singers are just as prone to ego as musicians. The signs are the same,
especially with regard to I cant hear myself syndrome. We personally dont
give our singers any foldback of their voices for precisely this reason. Not
that any of our singers exhibit any signs of ego whatsoever, (we are
blessed!). For some reason trouble seems to start when vocal monitors are
added to the P.A. system. If there are no monitors there is no expectation of
hearing yourself, but if you see a monitor you naturally expect that you will
be able to hear. This is not the case, because often the monitors are trying
to be all things to all singers, and it just doesnt work. The most common end
result is that the monitors are so loud that the main system can be turned off
and the vocals can still be heard quite clearly. There is so much volume on
the platform that the main P.A. cant cope without taking the heads off the
congregation. And all because of ego I cant hear myself. If you are a singer
of even modest skill you will hit the notes you aim at by instinct not by ear.

Pride and ego are similar in manifestation, but different in intensity. Pride
insists on being heard or it throws a tantrum, or better still leaves the
group! Pride must be dealt with quickly or it will pervade the whole group
and bring serious disruption. Usually the proud person is good at what they
do. They take a pride in it! They probably practice more than the others and
so achieve a greater degree of skill, which of course everyone must be able
to hear. They have probably had a lot of praise from unspiritual people which
they have kept for themselves, and so cant understand it when the musical
director asks them to stand down in favour of someone far less able than they
are. Pride has to be broken by force of will. Either that of the person
themselves, or that of the church leadership. Pride must not be allowed to
exist peacefully in the church. Like Satan it must be thrown out.

Ability varies greatly in church music. There are the very accomplished ones
who frown on the buskers amongst us, (this is pride). And, at the other end
of the spectrum there are the loafers who are a disgrace to the Lord they
profess to love and honour, (this is apathy). We should endeavour to be is
good as is reasonably possible without making an idol of our gifts. You will
find that if God is really anointing you to play or sing, you will just get
better as you go. The anointing teaches you all things according to my Bible.
The original gift may, and probably will be very meagre, but in the hands of
the Holy Spirit you will advance naturally, and at His pace. This is a sign
by which you can judge anointing. If someone hasnt improved even though
theyve been playing for years then the Holy Spirit is not at work in them (to
play, at least). If He is there doing His thing then it will be obvious to all
what is happening. So non anointed players and singers will be a hindrance to
praise and worship, even if their ability is high.

ii) Spiritual Blockages.

a) Satan:demon tricks...

Attacks on praise and worship personnel are one of the devils favourite
tricks. Lies, The devil is a liar, and the father of it. This means that he
is good at lieing. One of his favourite lies is that we as leaders are not
worthy to be on the platform. We (if we listen to this rubbish) take it
personally, and think that he is attacking us. But this is not the case at
all. The devil is attacking the Lord through us. Scripture says that we have
been made worthy by the blood of the Lamb slain, so how can we be unworthy?
What God has done is perfect. He is incapable of doing anything imperfectly,
and He never makes mistakes, so when He made you worthy He did a good job,
and when He chose you He knew what He was doing! And what God has done no one
can reverse, especially Satan.

Tiredness is another favourite trick that he pulls. We often mistake
heaviness for tiredness, there is a difference. Tiredness comes from a known
source, ie, work. It can be traced quite easily. The answer is to rest.
Remember that Jesus gives us rest. It is not unspiritual to have a rest, that
is another demonic lie! Heaviness on the other hand is demonic. It is usually
unexpected and inexplicable. We sometimes feel surprised at how we are
feeling. This is a sure sign that it is enemy activity. Somehow the demons
can sort of lean on us and make us experience this heaviness, it feels like
we are carrying a weight around with us, which is exactly what is happening.
The weight is spiritual, and can be dealt with quite easily ie, in the name
of Jesus GET OFF ME NOW. This works every time, suddenly the weight goes. How
often we carry it around not thinking that its demonic. Just believing the
demons lie that we are tired.
Not able to do it, this is another area where demons are active. Of course we
are not really able to do the things that we do, if we were, were would the
faith be? God didnt chose us for our abilities, He could have made better
choices if that were His plan. No, God in His infinite wisdom chooses the
weak to overcome the strong, the foolish to confound the wise, and the
mediocre players and singers to lead the praise and worship. Who are we to
argue with God? Just rejoice that He HAS chosen you to do it. What you lack
as a minister He makes up for with anointing, and thats the bit that really
counts, not the human ability.

b) Anointing or lack of it:

Following on from above Musical/vocal ability is not enough to warrant a
place in ministry. You can be the best player or singer in the church, but if
God does not anoint you to do the job you may as well give up. You will only
get in the way. This is one of the main problems in praise and worship today.
So called worship leaders that are on the platform because of their own
abilities. The Holy Spirit will not flow through such a vessel, His work will
be hindered quite dramatically. The only answer to this is for the person to
stand down and let someone else do the job. True happiness and fulfilment
only come when we are in Gods will. Fancy titles and positions dont do it.
The church is full of people who are doing the wrong job.

c) Calling or lack of it:

This is similar to above. Usually those who are not anointed are not called.
Music seems to attract people. They think its glamourous and so they push
their way into offices that do not belong to them. These two items are the
kiss of death to true praise and worship, and open the door for all kinds of
rubbish to come in. Often, people who have been involved in music in the
world get saved and think that they can simply continue their career in the
church. This is definitely not the case. All gifts and abilities must be
given back to God. Laid down is the phrase we use. Then and only then will He
allow us to take them up again. You can spot the worldly ones by their need to
be the centre of attention. There can only be one centre of attention and
thats God. Anything else is a pale imitation of the real thing, and idolatry
in its worst form. God will never give His glory to another.

d) Appointing or lack of it:

Many pastors are not aware of the need to appoint leaders in the church.
Authority must be delegated physically, spiritually, and publicly. Theres a
line of authority in scripture that we need to follow. Lets start at the top,
God, Isaiah 48v17, and Jeremiah 10v23. Under God comes the King or pastor in
our case 1Chr 15v16, and 2Chr 8v4. After the pastor comes the director of
music, a most important job in the church. Most churches dont have a music
director, which is why most churches dont have any musical direction. 1Chr
25v 1+6. Neh 12v46. Psa 4. Under the direction of the M.D. comes the
worship/praise leader, 1Chr 15v22. 2Chr 23v13. Neh 12v24. Last in the chain
come the musicians and singers, 2Chr 34v12. If the church would follow this
line it would see a marked difference in praise and worship.

MAY THE LORD RICHLY BLESS YOU AS YOU PRAISE AND WORSHIP HIM.

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Some Practical Tips

We are one body - living stones, being built up together into a spiritual
house - a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ. (1Pet2:5)

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, by in lowliness of
mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look not
only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others. (Phil 2:3-4)

Be faithful in praying for one another - bear one anothers burdens. Love and
support each other. Spend time in your practice times, not only praying
together, but sharing - the Lord may even lead you to a time of ministering
to one another on occasions. Learn together to be free in the Lords Presence
- the congregation need to see that we are free in worship and praise.

Its good to have some occasions when you all meet together for a social time,
rather than always meeting around the instruments! Get to know one another.

Realise that youre part of a group, working together to glorify the Lord.
Sing and play sensitively - listen to the others, and whether youre playing
or just singing, blend in with them. Dont try to make yourself be heard above
the others - if you know your voice is louder than the other singers, then
hold fire a bit, or back away slightly from the microphone!
If youre a solo instrument player ie; sax, flute, trumpet, lead guitar - dont
fill every musical gap with your mega solo - be selective and sensitive.

EXPRESSION

There are times to sing out with great gusto in a service, and there are
times when the opposite is needed. So often songs are sung without any
feeling - without any expression. How monotone our speech would be if we
spoke with the same intensity, pitch and level all the time - in the same way
our singing voices can express so much more of the words were singing if we
learn to put feeling into them.
Expression is important - remember first and foremost that youre singing
praises and praising towards God, not the people. So express yourself through
the singing.

Smile at Him, give Him your all - give Him your best. When singing to the
Lord why not look up - when encouraging the saints, look at them: (Eg: We are
more than conquerors, Rejoice Christ is in You)

AD-LIBBING

I tend to think this is best left for the worship leader to do, if anyone.
although dont over do it, as it may confuse the congregation as to how the
song actually goes! If too many of the singers are doing their own thing it
causes distraction and would certainly confuse the people.
The only exception of course, is when there is a free time of worship in the
Spirit, where it is then helpful and encouraging for the group to be open to
sing out whatever words or little songs that are inspired at the time. Always
keep sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes it may happen that the leader breaks in just when you were about to
start something. At those times just hold tight - if you are meant to share
it, then God will provide a space. Were all learning together, and God is
teaching us through instances like this.

HARMONIES

Practice harmonising. Dont just make up your own on the spot, as sometimes
what sounds correct to you doesnt necessarily mean that its the right harmony
musically.

Its always best to practice set harmony lines with the music leader - the
simplest ones are always the best! Keep it simple and good, rather than try
to be too clever and not quite achieve it! Nothing sounds worse than several
people making up their own harmonies - it results in discord and distraction.

MIKE TECHNIQUE

The mike should work for you, so that you neednt strain your voice. For loud
notes, hold it further away - for softer singing, bring it in closer. About
four inches for normal singing. * Never blow into a microphone to see if its
on. Its a very delicate tool.

* Never point it towards a speaker, or monitor - this will result in a very
unpleasant screech called feedback.

POSTURE

For singing we need to keep a good posture, so that your breathing need not
be restricted. Wearing clothes that are too tight round your waist is not
helpful for your breathing, so be comfortable. Youll be able to sing better.

* Never strain your voice. It is a very precious and delicate instrument, and
you need to take good care of it. You wont get another one! d * Clearing your
throat is the worst thing you can do. If anything, that makes it worse! So if
you have a froggy throat, the best thing to do is just swallow, making a sort
of hum sound.

When going for high notes, dont lift up your chin - this stretches your
throat muscles and thus restricts the flow of air through the larynx, instead
slightly lower your chin. Try it!
* Just a tip - what you drink before singing has an effect on your voice. Hot
drinks tend to make you sing flat, cold drinks make you sharp. Fizzy drinks
make you burp! A tepid drink is best!

CLAPPING

For some reason, congregations always seem to clap on the wrong beats of the
bar: 1 and 3. It helps if you can lead them the correct way - correct
clapping can really enhance a song, especially if there isnt a drummer in the
group.

* Clap on the beats 2 and 4.

* Try it both ways and feel the difference.

SOME PRACTICAL TIPS ON LEADING PRAISE/WORSHIP

1. Choose songs that are God centred, and not people centred.

2. Flow songs into one another - dont change subject matter:

ie: Bad example: We are more than conquerors (Us) Exalted You are exalted
(God) We are a people C (Us) My shackles are gone (Me)

3. Avoid being a distraction to the people - were there to help them into
Gods Presence, not hinder. Once theyve begun to worship, we need to become
invisible!
4. FLOW TEMPOS - dont have an up and down, in and out praise time! It hinders
the flow.

ie: Bad example: Come magnify Great is the Lord My heart rejoices All heaven
declares

* Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit - if you sense Him moving, be open to
change your plans! Dont stick to |your list is He is working in a particular
way. Dont be afraid of change.

5. FLOW KEYS together: It really helps to consider the keys of the songs.

* Have a list with the song keys, and practice running songs together by
experimenting.

Example: Jesus is exalted (E) There is power in the Name of Jesus (C) Lord of
Lords, King of Kings (G)

Example: You are righteous (C) Reigning in all (Dmin) For Thou o Lord art
high (F)

Example: The Lord reigns (C) Great and Mighty God - begin with chorus (F)

6. Key changes - These can be very effective in lifting the congregation,
bringing a freshness - lifting the praise higher.

Example: Blessed be Your holy name Lord Jesus (E) Passing chord of C up to
(F) Passing chord of D up to (G)

Example: There is a Redeemer (C) Passing chord of A up to (D)

7. Song endings - Be flexible with song endings. Dont a just play them as
written in a book!

Be ready to extend the end - repeating the last line a few times - get some
signals practised, so that you can communicate to the rest of the group when
to finish.

Sometimes the music can keep on playing while people continue to praise the
Lord, or sing in the Spirit.

8. Accompanying singing in the Spirit - a variety of things can be played:

a) As mentioned above, a chord sequence at the end of a song can be repeated.

Example: You alone are God: (D..D/F#..G..Asus..D..etc)

b) The simplest is one chord being played in tempo.

c) Another, play the chord followed by the sus4, but retain the root bass
note. Example: C.. Csus/C..C

d) Another; C..G/C..F/C..G/C..

e) Another; C..Fmaj7..C..Fmaj7..etc (keeping C bass note)

9. Dont be tempted to preach in between songs - every time you speak to the
people youll bring their attention back down to you and off God!

The praise time is for just that - praising, not preaching! If you feel the
people need some encouragement to praise God, then exhortation is how we can
do this:

10. EXHORTATION

In most church situations, people often come in cold to church. Theyre not
always ready to worship God - they may have had hassle all week at work or
with family, and by the time Sunday morning has arrived, theyre pretty
deflated! Its no good flogging a dead horse! If you sense that theyre just
not going with it, then an appropriate exhortation can be the right word to
send their spirits soaring!

* Dont get frustrated and angry with them - thatll make things worse.

Learn the scriptures that are encouraging and faith building to speak out at
appropriate times. When the people are not properly exercising their will to
praise, a positive exhortation can help them become aware of their laziness,
and inspire them to renewed enthusiasm.

* Keep the exhortations short and to the point

11. FOR YOU PERSONALLY - get to know God more and more. Learn about His
character - His Names - what He has done.

Learn the scriptures which tell of all these things - keep them in a book -
be diligent in study. This will help you to lead and encourage others in
worship and praise.
FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.

12. LEAD CONFIDENTLY - Be clear in your directions - confidence instils
confidence. Learn the songs by heart, so that you can be totally focused on
the Lord, rather than on a music sheet!

If people see that you are lost in Gods Presence, then theyll want to follow.

* You may need to keep your eyes open some of the time, to make sure theyre
still with you!

13. PRACTICE - Give your best to the Lord - without going to extremes and
becoming a perfectionist. We should be diligent and put an effort into all
that we do for God.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as
a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving! (Col 3:23)

14. LEARN TO HEAR AND RECOGNISE GODS VOICE
Be sensitive to the spirit - Dont be afraid of silence - you dont have to
fill all the gaps!
There is a definite difference between the silence because God is present,
and the awkward silence of not knowing what to do next.

After a time of genuine praise and worship there can often be words from the
Lord coming through in song or speech - allow space for this. Be open to sing
or speak as the Lord guides.

EXPECT HIM TO USE YOU, AS YOU SURRENDER YOURSELF TO HIM AFRESH EACH DAY.

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Part 2 Notes from the second Power of Praise Conference

Thank You For Your Support:

The teams role is to support the leader, not get lost in wonder awe and love,
as nice as that is. When youre on the platform youre working, doing a job,
youre not there for yourself but for others. This sounds unspiritual but it
isnt, its very spiritual. You are making a sacrifice on behalf of the others
in the church, both on and off the platform.

The team can be split (if youll forgive the word), into two groups, singers
and musicians. Each has a specific role to play. There will in some cases be
an overlap of these roles as some members of the team both play and sing,
myself and Carol being examples.

So, we have a trinity on the platform: Leader, singers, musicians. Leaders,
and the leaders role was dealt with in The Power of Praise 1, if you missed
it I recommend that you get both the notes and tapes, they are readily
available from us.

So lets look at the two remaining groups:

A. The singers:

Believe it or not, singing is only a small part of what singers should do
when on the platform. Their role is dual in that they have to support the
leader and also help to lead the congregation.

SUPPORTING THE LEADER:

Support takes the form of always being alert to what the leader wants to do,
and doing it!

FLOW: With the Holy Spirit, go where He goes, He often moves in waves.

LEAD: When the leader needs to step back from the mic, cover for them. A
cough, or burp, looking for the next song etc.

WATCH: For any signs that may be given.

LISTEN: For any vocal clues as to what is coming next.

ENCOURAGING THE CONGREGATION:

The congregation will almost always need encouragement, especially during the
praise songs (the fast ones). Remember that you lead by example, you have to
do what you want them to do...

DANCE: When appropriate, not all the time!

CLAP: On the right beat and lead the clapping.

LOOK: At the congregation and see where they are spiritually.

RESPOND: Smile at them to make them feel welcome, dont be afraid of eye
contact, we are brothers and sisters.

WORSHIP: Enter in to the worship, vocally, facially, bodily.

B. The musicians:

Its the job of all the musicians to support the leader. This is first
priority.
DONT: Get so lost in your instrument that you forget everything else. DONT:
Keep looking at your fingers, or the music book. This closes you off to the
congregation, and the leader.

You cant hide on the platform, if youre insecure it will transmit to the
congregation and make the leaders job that much harder. LOOK: Up and smile,
its so important to look like you mean it!

LOOK: For the leaders signs and obey them no matter what.

C. The 1st musician:

This is a vital role in the team. If the leader is not musically that great
then someone has to start the songs off, someone has to set the tempo,
someone has to nod the key change etc. This is the job of the first or lead
musician. They act like a conductor for the orchestra. The role is doubly
important if the leader is not a musician at all. In this case the 1st
musician is like the right arm of the leader. He/she must translate what the
leader wants to achieve into musical terms that will be understood by the
rest of the musicians.

The 1st musician must be musically adept and flexible, also humble enough to
deal with any non musical leaders. The job requires great servant hood and
much sacrifice.

They must watch the leader like a hawk to get the earliest possible clues as
to what to do next. There is always a time delay between the leaders nod, and
the rest of the team picking it up.

II. Signs & wonders:

line of sight is important. Set up in such a way that you can see the leader
just by looking up. If you are facing the leader you will be able to detect
whats going on without looking directly at them.

A. Look for them:

ALWAYS: Be alert, I cant stress this enough. You must look out for what the
leader is doing. If youre not looking then they have to try to get your
attention, which is a great distraction to both them and the congregation.

LISTEN: You can get clues from what you hear. The next song can be hinted at
by an adlib.

KNOW: The songs inside out so that you can start at any given point. This
makes for a much more interesting praise time.

B. Obey them:

This sounds daft, but all to often musicians get so stuck in their ways that
any deviation is not only a problem, but an affront. Some times they get so
rigid that they simply cannot play a song any other way than the bog standard
way it was learned. We must be flexible as the Holy Spirit is flexible. Our
musical ability must be sufficient to be able to follow Him at a moments
notice.

PRACTICE: The songs in other keys. Key changes can be very expressive, and
are a great way to emphasise a point musically.

III. Rebellion in the camp:

Rebellion is sometimes subtle and sometimes not.

A. Tempo pushing/pulling:

This is an all too common form of subtle rebellion. Drummers especially take
note, tempo is your department. Practice with a metronome or some other
steady device until you can hold the tempo of a song steady.

You may have to fight against the bad time keeping of other members of the
team.

Drummers should be strong players, and confident. There is nothing worse than
a timid drummer. The drums are the backbone of almost all modern music. If the
drummer is weak then the music is spineless.
NEVER: Push or pull the tempo to what you think it should be.

LISTEN: To the play/count in. Try your best to lock on to the tempo being
set, so that when you come in it doesnt pick E up or slow down a few BPM
(beats per minute). This is a very common problem!

TEMPO: Is very important to the leader. They may feel a move of the Spirit to
play the song slower than usual. If it happens go with it, but keep an eye on
the leader for any changes. Sometimes the person who starts the song just
gets it wrong. This is easy to do when coming out of a song that is
drastically different in tempo to the next one. The answer is to look to the
leader who will pick up the mistake and give the appropriate signs to correct
it.

TEMPO: Is also important to the song. Just a shade too fast can kill a good
song, as can s shade too slow.

B. Not that song again:

This is a terrible problem. We have become a throw away society, with a throw
away mentality. The pop charts have seen to it that the life span of a modern
song is as short as possible, more songs, more money. This attitude has been
carried into the church, the constant craving for new songs can be counter
productive.

Quality has definitely been sacrificed for quantity. This is an emulation of
the world, and the sooner we realise it the better.

There will always be a place for an old song, so long as it speaks a truth,
or gives glory to God. The message of a song never changes, it never becomes
worn out. Truth is always truth, whether it comes from 1992 or 1892.

How many times have you read Isaiah? Has his message changed?Praise God the
Jews didnt get fed up with him and throw his book away.

If the Holy Spirit has told the leader to sing Majesty, or some other song
that has been done to death, and you pull a face, remember that you are
pulling a face at God!

If I was leading I wouldnt have chosen that song! Well youre not leading, and
now you know why!

_______________________________
_______________________________

IV. Musical openness:

Its important to be as open both musically and spiritually as you can.
Practice is important, but so is anointing. No amount of practice can make up
for anointing, and the anointing teaches you according to Paul. In my case
this is very true, I often play way beyond my own ability.

A. All change:

DONT: Be closed to musical styles. The Lord can anoint rock n Roll, or heavy
rock, or any other form. Remember Hes God. He once spoke through a donkey!

If you can only play by music, you must at all cost learn to be free of the
music book. You dont have to learn to play by ear, but you can learn to play
by memory. If you are trapped in the book then youre not free in the spirit.
(sorry).

A team that is in unity is a joy to listen to, and a joy to be part of.
Leaders and Music Directors, dont tolerate any rebellion in the camp. Squash
it at the first murmur, dont allow it to grow, it will cause division and
pain within the team. B. Willing followers:

1. Support the leader to the best of your ability, this is honouring to the
Lord.

2. Do it cheerfully, this will bless you, the leader, the congregation, and
the pastor.

3. Always look like you mean it, no one wants to look at a sour puss!

4. If you are nervous rejoice, the flesh counts for nothing. You can be
nervous in the flesh, but bold as a lion in the spirit.
5. Be humble always, this will keep you from pride. Pride and worship dont
mix, remember Lucifer! 6. When you are not on the platform, praise God for
all youre worth. Make up for the times of sacrifice.

7. Praise God as often as you can, use your gift to praise Him, IE sing and
or play to Him.

8. Never strive to be somebody in music, Satan did that and it cost him. Let
the Lord promote you at His pace. Just be faithful in the small things and He
will reward you with great things.

I. Why Songs?

A. A vehicle:

Songs are a great way for people to enter in. In wartime songs were used to
stir up patriotism, and raise morale. Music has this power, it can be used to
manipulate peoples emotions, it is very effective.

We as Christians must be very careful not to use music as the world does,
unfortunately, a lot of the church does not have this vision. Many pastors
and even music directors still think of music as just that, music. It is used
for almost everything, except to praise God. IE:

While they walk in, or out. As they are sitting waiting for the service to
start. Taking collections etc., the list goes on.

Music also aids the memory. Those who lived through the war will still
remember all the old songs, and the emotions that went with them, even after
50 years. Sing the song and it all comes flooding back. Thats why we got rid
of our record collection.

As Christians we too can use this power of music to aid our memories. Singing
scripture is a great way of learning it.

B. A means to an end:

We must always remember why we are singing, praise should never be just
songs. Its very easy to slip into song mode and just go through the motions.
Far too many churches have fallen for it over the years, and the fruit of
this error is that God is not being praised by His church, because they are
just singing songs. God sees the heart, and He knows when praise and worship
comes from there, and when it doesnt. The church has been deceived.

C. Dont worship the songs:

This is another error that has crept into the church. Songs and song
writers/singers have become stars. There is only one star for us Christians,
THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR, Jesus Christ super star. There isnt room for
another. How some Christians love to emulate the world! Its sad, but the
church still follows people. If Billy Graham comes thousands turn up to help.
If John Smith comes with the same gospel those same people say John who?. Its
the same God, the same Holy Spirit, and maybe a much greater anointing, but
its not the same person so they stay at home. Try getting people to church on
a Saturday! Then try it again with Benny Hinns name on the poster and see the
difference. People still follow people. The same is just as true of music.

D. To summarise:

Songs are simply a means by which we focus our attention. They help us to
clear our minds of the daily grott. They are an aid to our praise and
worship, they accompany our praise and worship, nothing more. But we need
good songs, songs that do their job without getting in the way. Songs that
help us to focus on the truth, and not lead us into error. We need anointed
song writers who will write from the spirit and not the flesh. We need to get
rid (in love) of ALL those who are NOT called and anointed to write songs.
Only then will the church really be able to rise up in praise and worship
that is in spirit and in truth.

_______________________________
_______________________________

II. Emotion:

A. Bad songs & mistakes:

Give me a heart Like Davids heart One turned to You Soft and pure Give me a
heart Like Davids heart One that loves worshipping You

Look closely at this song:

1. Give me a heart 	 is a prayer
2. Like Davids heart 	 is covetous
3. One turned to You 	is disbelief of what Gods done
4. Soft and pure 	 	is an emotional error
5. One that loves worshipping You 	is our obligation
6. I want a heart like the Lords, not some man!

The following song is an example of emotional writing:

The face of an angel
Is the face of the Lord
His arms set about me
Keeping me warm
Ill hold onto Him For evermore
And shelter in His Warm embrace

With a nice tune this song would very quickly catch on.

_______________________________
_______________________________

III. Lyrics:

A. Example of a not too $bad song:

Lord Youre beautiful 	Isa 53v2
Your face is all I see 	Ex 33v20 John 1v18
And when Your eyes 	implies a condition
Are on this child 	Matt 28v20
Your grace abounds to me 	This is truth....

But this is better:
Lord Youre WONDERFUL 	Isa 9v6
Your face is all I SEEK 		Psa 105v4
BECAUSE Your eyes 		Not condition, promise
Are on this child
Your grace abounds to me 	Still the truth......

B. From Scripture too:

Scripture can be used in the wrong way Ref.; Matt 4v57

C. Inappropriate lyrics:

This is a popular song:

Great is the darkness that covers the earth 	True
Oppression, injustice and pain 	also true
Nations are slipping in hopeless despair 	yes but why?
Though many have come in Your name 	was it futile?
Watching while sanity dies 	whos watching?
Touched by the madness and lies 	who?

This is all true but why sing about it? Is it a call for the church to get
off its backside? Does it work?

Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus 	He has!
Pour out Your Spirit we pray 	He has!
Come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus
Pour out Your Spirit on us today 	What for?

This is an inappropriate prayer for verse 1.

May now Your church rise with power and love 	It will when
This glorious gospel proclaim 		Yes!
In every nation salvation will come 		When?
To those who believe in Your name 		How?
Help us bring light to this world 		we are light
That we might speed Your return 		selfish !

Great celebrations on that final day 	This is all
When out of the heavens You came 	glorious truth.
Darkness will vanish, all sorrow will end 	Singing this bit
And rulers will bow at Your throne 	will lift you up
Our great commission complete
Then face to face we shall meet

Verse 1 makes you feel depressed. Verse 2 makes you feel guilty. Verse 3
saves the day. The chorus asks God to do what He has already done!

Do we really need songs like this?

D. Personalise the lyrics:

It is quite right that we sing about God, so much of creation needs to hear
about Him. But in our praise times we as His children should sing to Him. Its
very easy to just change a few words and make the song personal. EG:

He is Lord, He is Lord He is risen from the dead And He is Lord.....

We sing it this way to the world!

Now try it this way:

You are Lord, You are Lord You are risen from the dead And You are Lord....
We sing it this way to our Lord!

It has greater intimacy and draws you closer to Him. Dont be afraid to change
bits, remember that the song is there to serve you in your praise and worship
to the Lord. And when writing songs keep in mind the purpose of it all,
namely Gods glory.

_______________________________
_______________________________

IV. Song types:

A. Various types and their uses:

There are at least 30 types of song in scripture:

Joyful, laments, praise, sacred, rejoicing, thanksgiving, mocking,
deliverance, new, hymns, glory, wedding, love, jubilant, justice, Zion, song
of the Lord, righteousness, fools, my song, song of the prostitute, song of
the ruthless, noisy, mournful, dirge, spiritual, The song of the Lamb.

We seem to manage on just 5:

Praise, worship, teaching, prayer, rubbish!

Examples:

1. Praise songs: a) King of Kings Lord of Lords b) Jesus You are Glorious

2. Worship songs: a) Wonderful counsellor. b) Jesus Lord of all.

3. Teaching songs: a) I am a new creation. b) I have been crucified with
Christ. c) We are in Christ.

4. Prayer songs: a) Spirit Wash over Me. b) Reign in Me. 5. Rubbish: find
your own!!! IV. Focus:

A. Know the songs aims:

Each song has a point and purpose. Make sure you know what it is and keep
within it.

B. Use accordingly:

Dont use teaching or prayer songs to praise God! Rather, use them as
intended, at the right time in the meeting.
Teaching songs can really enforce a point that has been preached. A lot of
teaching songs are really joyful and can be used to bring joy or to celebrate.

Prayer songs can sometimes be very appropriate in a meeting.

Praise songs that focus on the Lord will really get people into the Lords
presence. I and we songs wont. Only use worship songs when the people are
ready to really worship, otherwise you just end up with goose bumps.

There are songs that really suit communion, Songs that are evangelistic,
Songs that call us to war.

Used correctly they are a tremendous resource for the church. Used
incorrectly they lose their effectiveness, and can even cause error.

Its down to us, the ones with a musical anointing to make sure that nothing
is wasted or put to the wrong use. The church has proved time after time that
it is incapable of functioning correctly without the right people in the right
job.

Sometimes you will need to be very bold and take a stand against intrusions
of the flesh, but thats your job. If you are not called to it then please
stop trying to do it and go and find out what God really wants you to do.
Youll be blessed.

MUSIC WAS ORDAINED FOR GODS GLORY . IT DOES NOT BELONG TO THE WORLD. SATAN
STOLE IT AND PERVERTED IT. SO THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE AFRAID TO TOUCH IT.
HES A LOSER. HALLELUJAH OUR LORD GOD ALMIGHTY REIGNS.

_______________________________
_______________________________

Some hints and tips

DRUMS

1. VOLUME:

Drums seem to frighten people, especially the older folk. Dont be put off by
this, your job is to play your instrument to the best of your ability.

2. STRENGTH:

Dont play too loud, play in balance with everyone else. Dont be timid, most
church drummers seem to be. Play for the Lord not the people!
3. TEMPO:

It is most important to keep good tempo. Practice.

BASS

1. CLEAN PLAYING:

Only one string at a time, dont let 2 notes ring together. One finger per
fret, with your second finger on the key fret You can then play any song
without moving your hand up and down the neck.

2. ROOT NOTES:

Bass means bass, only go up high for effect.

3. VOLUME:

Bass travels very well, its easy to be too loud at the back

4. RHYTHM:

Follow the bass drum. Strength is gained when these two are in unity.

LEAD GTR

1. VOLUME:

Dont be shy, let them hear you play.

2. STYLE:

Your style not theirs! Use your pedals and effects units.

3. WHEN:

Dont over play, it mars the effect. Punctuate the vocals.
RHYTHM GTR

1. STYLE:
Dont just strum it to death, learn to finger pick. Add variety to your
playing.

2. FEEL:

Watch the country feel, play according to the song. Use light and shade.

PERC

1. VOLUME:

Perc will always be heard so dont try for volume. Its tiring on the muscles
and causes timing to wander.

2. FEEL:

Most important, dont just play your favourite pattern, fit in with the song.
Use triangle, bar chimes, and belltree in the slower songs.

WOODWIND

1. FLUTE:

a) TUNING:

} Please be aware of pitch. The flute is noted for its bad intonation. The
harder you blow the sharper you get.

b) TIMING:

Watch your tempo, flute players tend to get ahead.

c) WHEN?

Pick you spot. Not all songs need flute! Learn to clap or sing when not
playing.

2. SAX:

a) TONE:

A raspy tone sounds nice in a rock style, but a smooth tone will enhance
slower songs. Avoid the pub sound (vib).
b) HARMONY:

Dont just play the tune. Learn to counter point the melody, its much more
effective.

c) WHEN?

Only play when playing adds something to the whole.

BRASS

a) VOLUME:

Trumpet/trombone can be very loud, be sensitive to the other instruments.
Play loudly when needed.

b) TONE:

A round sound is more pleasing than a shrill sound. Use mutes to add variety.

c) WHEN?

Only when playing adds to the whole.

STRINGS

a) TUNING:

Most important for strings. Violin can sound like a strangled cat. Two
violins can sound even worse when trying to play in unison, if there are two
of you, play in harmony or octaves.

b) TONE:

Again most important, scratchy sounds are distracting, violin can be sweet
and rich.

PIANO

a) STRENGTH:

Piano is a lead instrument, it has great strength. Dont be over powering, and
dont be timid.
B) RHYTHM:

Piano is a great rhythm instrument, use it. Be careful about steady tempo.
Most players need to practice this.

KEYBOARDS

a) SOUNDS:

Use a variety of sounds, not just the same old few. This can really enhance
the music.

b) STYLES:

If you are playing a brass part with a brass sound, then think brass. Octaves
work better than chords. The same goes for flute, think like a flute player
not a keyboard player. This will help you sound more realistic.

_______________________________
_______________________________

GENERAL RULES

Solo type instruments should pick their spot carefully. Most players seem to
over play. There is a place for solo instrumentalists to just stand and
worship the Lord whilst the rest of the band play. Then when you play it
matters.

All rhythm instruments need to practice playing with a good steady tempo and
a strong beat. Both of these are essential for the congregation. Dont let
them dictate the rhythm or speed, you are there to lead the way, not follow
them.
Practice using light and shade in your playing. So many players only have one
volume. Its like reading out loud in a monotone voice ie, boring. Volume can
and should be used for effect. Nothing enhances a song more than a quiet
passage followed by a crescendo into a key change. Try it.

Always play to the Lord, not the people. Play your instrument for Him, not
them. This is a golden rule, always follow it.

Contact:
Colin & Carol Owen
St Pauls Church
St Pauls Street
Worcester
WR1 2BH
01905 22022
e-mail: colin@jesusreigns.co.uk
Feel free to use/copy this material.