Where's the Sword of the Lord?
“In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”
Revelation 1:16
I was at a decent size church not too long ago attending the worship service. As a worship leader for over 15 years, I was not only enjoying the worship time, but I was also very aware of what was going on - musicianship, anointing, sound mix, congregation engagement, etc. It was all done very well and I was having a great experience in the Presence of God. But then the Lord spoke with His thunderous voice in my heart and said, “Where’s the sword of the Lord?!”
It was one of the most intense times I’ve heard Him speak to me. I instantly started weeping under the anointing as the power of what He said rang throughout my being. I knew what He meant. He was looking for the prophetic edge to be released. He wanted to respond to the vertical worship that was being given to Him. Vertical worship is vital and necessary for the church to engage in, yet just like any healthy relationship, it’s a two way street. God doesn’t just want to receive, He wants to respond!
1 Samuel 13:19, 22 tell us that the enemy had made weapons virtually non existent in the army of Israel; the only ones with swords were King Saul and and his son Jonathan. I believe it’s a picture of what the enemy wants to do with the church today. He wants to make the church at large ill equipped for the battles at hand, leaving the swords only in the hands of a few selected leaders. He wants to take the prophetic sword of the Lord out of our worship! He knows the power of it. Yet now is the time for prophetic worship to rise across the body of Christ!
In all types of churches, God is restoring the prophetic edge to worship ministry. He is not only bringing awareness through many amazing music ministries out there, but he is stirring a hunger for it.
Earlier this year, I was leading worship at Patricia King’s with Jerame Nelson doing an Arizona Rumble event. As we flowed, I felt the Lord lead me to sing Malachi 4:2 that the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. Jerame then led into a time of releasing healing. A woman came up to testify that when I started singing that verse, she knew it was for her because the Lord gave her that verse that very morning. She testified to all the pain of glaucoma leaving her right eye! That’s the power of the prophetic!
It’s not only what is being communicated in lyrics, it’s what being played by the musicians. David set up the musicians to prophesy upon their instruments (1 Chron. 25:1). The sound of the voice of the Lord can be heard without lyrics. The spirit of revelation can come upon a sound and the Lord can begin speaking to people without a person singing. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve heard the “sound” of the Lord God walking in the garden (Gen. 3:8). Even David was instructed to wait for the “sound” of marching on the tops of the Mulberry trees before advancing against the enemy (2 Sam. 5:24).
God is activating His prophetic voice through the body of Christ - especially in worship teams. The sword of the Lord is being restored!
One thing I know about swords is that you can’t use them passively. You can’t swing them with a weak arm! They have a weight to them. You’ve got to have passion and intentionality to swing a sword! Another thing I believe God is doing is stirring up fresh passion in our worship!
Many times when I lead worship, I lead into a shout of praise. What I notice is that many people settle on just clapping their hands. I jokingly respond by saying something about our hands not having mouths and clapping isn’t the same thing as shouting. You can’t shout passively! You have to cross the threshold of passivity in order to enter into passion! It’s the shout that broke down the walls of Jericho! (Josh. 6:20). And David danced with all his might before the Lord! (2 Sam. 6:14).
If you want breakthrough in your worship times, you need to break passivity. Today is a new day to express your love to the Lord! It’s been said that if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got. God wants to give you another level of encounter, but it calls for a greater response from you.
Lastly, we have to make room for God to move. If we want the sword of the Lord to come forth in our worship times, we have to make room - which means, at minimum, to make time for it. What if the breakthrough needed to take your church higher could be experienced by simply making time for Holy Spirit to move?
Worship leaders/teams: In regards to the sword of the Lord, create space for it in your sets. If you usually have time for 4 songs, then cut one song and leave room for the flow of the Spirit. Get practical training on the prophetic. Use your practice times to practice flowing and learn how to “swing the sword.” Be full of the Word. Be passionate!
When you make space for the Holy Spirit, it will put a demand on the prophetic anointing. When worship leaders/teams step into the flow, your churches and ministries will begin to experience the Lord in a whole new way.
The sword of the Lord is on the rise! I prophesy to worship teams abroad that God is calling you to not only lead the people in worship to God, but to speak to people on behalf of God! You will see darkness flee, disease healed, people set free, and the church rise higher in their communion with the Lord!
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***Have you checked out my new worship album “Sent Out Your Roar”? It’s got 8 original tracks that will provoke passion for Jesus, stir up the Spirit of revival, and release encounter with the God of the Breakthrough!
Check it out HERE!