Relevant Life

Habakkuk 2:20  The LORD is in his holy temple. All the earth should be silent in his presence.

Several years ago, I was in a church service in a different country. The congregation was singing familiar songs from the Hillsong sound tracks. The worship band was professional and the worship leader had a great voice. The worship songs were sung in English and other languages. I was blessed and ordinally would be caught up in the worship experience. However, Holy Spirit kept speaking to me about the worship. After a few songs, I kept hearing Holy Spirit say “ Silence”.  He kept encouraging me to take the microphone from the worship leader and declare a time of silence. I argued a little with the Lord. “ God, you want me to get up in the front and tell everyone to shut up?” There is close to 200 people in the place and Holy Spirit was leading me to tell every last one of them to be quiet! Was I hearing correctly? Suddenly, I felt drawn to the scripture in Zechariah 2:13.

Zechariah  2:13  “Everyone be silent in the presence of the LORD. He is waking up and setting out from his holy dwelling place.”

I read the scripture several times before finally obeying Holy Spirit. I remember walking up to the stage and taking the microphone from the worship leader. I shared with the congregation from Zechariah and asked everyone to be still and quiet. The musicians stopped playing, the singers stopped singing, and everyone in building got miraculously silent. For about 20 minutes no one said a word or moved a muscle. Everyone was standing at the time. After the 20 minute mark, I started hearing the pews scoot back and some noise that sounded like crying. I opened my eyes and everyone in the whole building was either on their knees or lying on their faces.  I started to cry and fell to my knees as well. We worshipped the Lord this way for about an hour. I never even preached a message. Holy Spirit had led us all into a new revelation in the Lord. Over 200 people had experienced the same phenomenon and became closer to the Lord because of it.

Western Christianity tells us that the only way to connect to the Lord is through worship songs and the whole worship experience. Jesus told us something different.

John 4:23-24  Indeed, the time is coming, and it is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for people like that to worship him.  (24)  God is a spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Worshipping God in Spirit means being led of the Spirit. If Holy Spirit says sing a song then sing a song. If he says just play the music then play the music. If he says be silent then be silent. Sometimes we can get caught up in the normal and miss God’s direction. Worship has to be genuine and spontaneous. Those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

Next time you are in a worship session try following Holy Spirit and see how He leads you.