Tips to Stay Engaged while Leading Worship
One of the hardest things for me to do as a worship leader is to keep my heart consistently engaged during the times that I’m leading. As a worship time progresses, it’s so easy to simply get into "coast" mode and not really engage my spirit with what I’m doing. Have you ever faced this challenge?
The Lord, in His kindness, still speaks through us and uses us to touch others because He loves His people and wants them to receive ministry, but I don’t want to just settle for God’s grace. I want to maximize my time of leading worship and actually encounter the Lord myself.
"Make a commitment to actively engage your heart in worship. God wants to encounter you. Draw near to Him and trust His promise that He will draw near to you."
I have to constantly remind myself of the primary reason for singing, playing, or leading. Whether the room is full of people, or there isn’t another soul listening; whether I have a full band, or whether it’s just me up there – I am playing before the same audience – Jesus. It is His eyes I want to catch and His heart I want to touch. Though singing prophetic words over people is cool, and leading people into corporate exaltation of Jesus is amazing – we must constantly remind ourselves why we’re doing what we do. This can be a challenge.
Human nature is such that once we do something for long enough, we tend to lose focus. Many times our hearts naturally disconnect from what we’re doing. It takes a constant effort to connect with the Lord and a faithfulness in prayer to encounter Him consistently.
Here are a few things that have helped me over the years to keep my heart engaged while leading:
1. Sing in the spirit.
Pray in your prayer language (tongues). Fellowship with the Holy Spirit who is dwelling on the inside of you.
2. Sing the songs from your heart.
Really try to engage your heart with the words that you’re singing. Don’t let it become just a mindless act.
3. Pray.
Don’t underestimate the power 30-second prayers before and during your worship time.
One thing that I’m constantly reminding myself and my team is that you have 100 times during a set where you may not "feel the Lord." That gives you 100 opportunities to either say, “I want to encounter You, God” and engage your spirit or to say, “We’ve done this song so many times before, I’m not feeling it…” and check out. If you err more on the positive side and check in, I guarantee you there’s a much better chance that you’ll walk off stage feeling the Lord. Conversely, if you check out more often that not, you are more than likely going to walk off stage with a dullness in your spirit.
Make a commitment to actively engage your heart in worship. God wants to encounter you. Draw near to Him and trust His promise that He will draw near to you.
Huge thanks to my friend Jordan Vanderplate for letting me use this photo of Sequoia National Park, CA. Check out more of his work here.
