ushered in

Hearing God’s voice has been the topic of study for our worship team this week, and a timely one. It’s important for every believer to hear from God and obey His voice. As leaders of worship, we need to be in tune with His voice, as sometimes God has a different plan than we do in our worship services.

However, this is easier said than done. It can be easy to get so busy that we don’t even take the time to listen to God, and pretty soon we’re not sure what His voice sounds like anymore. I know I needed to be reminded of this danger this week.

This week we were reminded that listening takes practice and requires us to intentionally focus our thoughts. God’s words to us will often challenge our faith and require courage. They may even clash with our flesh or another’s human wisdom, but they will always be consistent with the Bible.

Over the past several months my wife and I have felt a call to really love the people of our city, and even move closer to the inner city. God’s voice in this matter has challenged our faith, required courage, and at times clashed with our flesh. We are just trying to be obedient to what He is saying. Dwayne’s thoughts on hearing the voice of God were confirming to me this week as our decision to move and be more involved in the city has not been the easiest.

In the specific area of worship leading, Dwayne writes that just before any time he leads worship, he goes into a room alone and kneels before God asking Him for help and proclaiming to God that He can’t do it alone. I’ve put this exercise into practice since this summer, and it has changed the way I lead worship – I have experienced God’s voice as I’m leading and His power moving through me like never before.

Whether on or off stage, hearing God’s voice is critical to our lives as believers. It’s not always easy and takes practice. I’m glad for Dwayne’s reminders this week – I needed to hear them for my own personal life, and my role as a worship leader.