3 signs of an excellent Praise & Worship session
 

We frequently hear people talking about a worship session describing it in terms like “worship was good today” or “worship was just not happening for me today” and so on. So how do we measure the effectiveness of a praise and worship session?

 

Is it the number of people raising hands / crying / laughing / shrieking? Proportion of new songs/old songs in the set-list? CD-like sounding band on stage? Guitar solos, thumping bass, crashing symbols? Or is it something more than what we see and hear?

 

 3 indicators of a good worship session are suggested below:

1. Joy

Check out scripture passages like Luke 24:51-53, Luke 10:21, Luke 19:37, Psalm 100:2, Psalm 33:1, Psalm 71:23 etc. The Bible calls us repeatedly to approach God cheerfully. Our worship sessions must be joyous and celebratory and lift people up – if they are downcast, worship should apply the oil of gladness on them; if they are already happy, make them happier still!

 

2. Intimacy

Worship must create a longing in our hearts to draw closer to God and to adore Him deeply. Worship should be a catalyst precipitating people to pour out their hearts to Him. Take the example of Job in Job 29:4, ”Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house.” Wow! Isn’t that a great prayer for worship leaders to make: “Lord, please bless our worship sessions with Your intimate presence!”

 

God is the potter we are just the clay. It is all about "HIM" not us. We are His vessel, his oracle, his voice,... He is using us to minister to the people.

Live lives that are pleasing to HIM so we are vessels of honour fit and ready for his glory to shine out to others through us

 

3. Anointing

This is a tough one to write about – I mean how do we define ‘anointing’ objectively?! As difficult as it is to define, ‘anointing’ for me is the ‘X’ factor in worship. We can plan everything, create the best of set-lists, play songs with the greatest of skill etc. but without the ‘anointing’, all of it is vain!

 

During every worship session, we should experience of the ‘Presence of God’.  Jesus said "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 

 

Every worship leader must believe that every song has been ordained by God for that worship service.  Every song fast or slow must  catch fire as it is annointed by the Holy Spirit – . Normally passive people suddenly became comfortably expressive. Experiences of the annointing can range from prophetic words-of-knowledge/wisdom to people, some crying to speaking in tongues, bowing down, kneeling, laying flat, standing or sitting with raised hands, closed eyes, silence,  etc. Anointing is all of this and more!

 

We may not see such obvious outward signs of the moving of the Holy Spirit in every worship session. But we hold on to the promise that when we gather in the Name of Jesus, He is there (Matthew 18:20). Therefore, ‘Anointing’ for me is a sense of God’s presence that is better experienced than taught. It may be emotional for some, physical for others, but the end result is we somehow know that God is present at that moment.

 

The ultimate outcome of regular worship that we should be striving for is of course the change in our lives to better love our God and His people. We must experience true worship with God before we can truely lead others into worship.

 

How do you measure excellence in a praise and worship session?