Worship Leaders Need Regular Silence
As worship leaders, it’s imperative that we regularly spend time in silence.
Seems strange?
Let me explain.
Our job is worship. We live in music and spend a good amount of time pouring ourselves out in words during worship services, in discipleship, and sowing into our teams. We are surrounded by noise (except for in libraries and of course, Target stores). Not to mention the noise experienced via the small handheld supercomputer you’re probably holding in your hand right now reading this.
Silence and solitude are imperative for connecting with the Holy Spirit because they create an atmosphere in which we’re least likely to be stirred up (Psalm 46:10). I love the words of Jesus in Matthew 6, “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place.” The point is not that you need to literally be in a closed room, but that you need to find a quiet place without the noise and traffic of the world pressing in on you.
Henri Nouwen explains in a powerful book on this topic that the solitude we need is not simply being alone but being alone with God, and that the silence we need is not simply listening to nothing but listening to God. When understood in this light, it is not always absolute silence that we require, but a quietness of the heart that comes from regularly resting in His presence.
You don’t just want to have the memory of having once had a life of prayer; you want to have a fresh vibrant relationship with Him today and to receive His daily bread (Matthew 6:11). This won’t happen on the run, and it won’t happen mostly on a platform or sitting in church once or twice a week. It takes an intentional act of your will to sit down, quiet your spirit, and commune with God on a daily basis.
The best definition I’ve heard of fellowshiping with the Holy Spirit is simply talking to Him, turning your thoughts into prayer. This fellowship is best done in quietness, away from the traffic of our busy days. However, the beautiful reality of a relationship with God is that you can fellowship with the Holy Spirit no matter where you are or what you’re doing, because it is the stillness of our hearts that matters more than the literal silence to our ears.
I know CEOs and businessmen who’d probably give some ministries a run for their money by how frequently they turn their focused attention to God in prayer. It is not always the length of time spent in quietness that matters as much as it is the frequency with which we make those quiet connections. This is part of what it means to pray without ceasing.
Steal away those moments of silence while you’re at work, school, or at home with your kids. Tell God you love Him, ask Him questions about what He’s thinking or feeling about you, share with Him honestly how you’re feeling. And then take a few moments to listen.
One of my favorite things to do is to take a few minutes before I lead a worship set, and get completely alone in (relative) silence and ask God what He’s thinking and feeling about me and the worship set I’m about to lead. Every time I slow down and make this connection, I feel a difference.
Maybe you feel like your devotional time with God is lacking, or maybe you even feel like you’re failing. But don’t count yourself out. Let me tell you clearly that the fact that you have a desire for a greater, more intimate relationship with God shows that you are sincere in your devotion. That’s actually a working of the Holy Spirit.
I would never tell you to not reach for more, but I would encourage you not to be so hard on yourself. It’s not too late to begin to cultivate quiet connections throughout your day. Start today to look for and capitalize on moments of silence no matter where you are. As you feel the refreshing power of stillness before Him, you’ll begin to find yourself looking with renewed eagerness for silent moments throughout your day. Ask God to show you the power of silence to keep your mind and heart ever connected to His.
What helps you quiet your heart with God in those daily moments of silence?
Bishop Bill Hamon: New beginnings in 2019 for the global Church
This year, I felt the Lord wanted me to prophesy regarding the new beginnings in 2019 for the global Church. I have some words concerning the president and some nations, etc., but I am also leaving that to some of my prophet friends – like Lance Wallnau who has the Word of the Lord for the US president.
Here are a few of the major purposes God is igniting worldwide in 2019:
• This year the light, glory and power of the Kingdom of God are arising like a great tsunami, marked by miracles and extremely accurate prophecies, like never before.
• God wants us to really know what era we are in and stop looking back at the old moves of God. It’s not in the First Reformation, nor the 1000-year Dark Age, nor the Second Reformation of the Church. We are in the Third Reformation where the finalizing of all things will take place. We have to catch up our theology to fit into the time of the Lord and be “established in the present truth” or we will not fulfill our role in this season (2 Peter 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Ephesians 1:10).
• From now on, prophets who go to the nations will not just prophecy information but release a word that causes nations to become either sheep nations or goat nations, depending on their response. This is in preparation for Jesus, the Mighty Man of War, to come back and judge the nations according to Matthew 25:31 and Revelation 21:24.
• This year we have won a victory, so like David after Ziklag, we are receiving the same word of the Lord that David then received. In other words, this is the action we, the Church, are to take against our spiritual enemy—ATTACK, TAKE BACK, AND RECOVER ALL (1 Samuel 30:8; 17-20)!
• We are in “Level 3” of overcoming. We have been overcoming by (1) the Blood of the Lamb, (2) the word of our testimony, and now we must (3) love not our lives unto death. That means complete death to self, life in the spirit, and conformity to the character of Christ (Revelation 12:11; Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11).
• In 2019, we have already entered the second wave of the prophetic, which means we are commanded to prophesy again until resurrection life is activated. Don’t wait. Prophesy to the issue you already heard the Lord on, and see yourself rise up along with the global Church as an exceeding great army (Ezekiel 37:10).
• In 2019, the Holy Spirit is beginning an intensified work to purify and perfect us to Christ’s likeness and maturity. The final and most important thing to know is this: God’s highest calling and purpose for every saint and minister is for them to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is why it is intense. Our responsibility is to choose to be conformed.
Dream: I Saw the Devil’s Digital Dossier
I saw the devil’s digital dossier with my name and mug shot splashed across the screen It was a highly organized computer file that ticked down a list of accusations with bullet points.
The first points were milder words I recognized. Silly accusations about drinking coffee or mannerisms or the use of words. I’ve seen these types of accusations come from people who launched via social media and email.
Another classification of accusations came from people close to me. These allegations were of a more serious nature but they were not public, not entirely. These false jabs were not released directly at me. They were whispered behind in closed doors and then spread from one person to another until a false perception of who I am was forged in the minds of compromised, jealous preachers who thrive in atmospheres of gossip.
Moving further down the bullet-pointed list was more serious false accusations. I did not see them, but I knew they were there.I don’t know what they were. I know the enemy has vain imaginations and comes to kill, steal and destroy (see John 10:10).
Seeing the Enemy’s Strategy
The Holy Spirit shows us things to come (see John 16:13). In this encounter, I saw the enemy’s strategy, in part. Now I know in part and I see in part (see 1 Corinthians 13:9) and can respond accordingly. Accusations against me are nothing new and false accusations are almost as old as the world itself. I am sure you can relate.
Paul told Timothy: “Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted [because of their faith].” (1 Timothy 3:12). And Christ said in Matthew 5:11-12:
“Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account. Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Responding to Enemy Slander
Slander is not pretty. It means “to defame someone; to harm their reputation; to disgrace; or to accuse.” Slander is a tool of the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). Consider this: the word slanderer in 1 Timothy 3:11 is the same word for “devil.” When we slander someone, we are acting like devils. We are mirroring the character of Satan. We can’t walk in the anointing God has for us and mirror the character of Satan at the same time. We just can’t.
No one likes to be slandered. I don’t enjoy it. It makes me sorrow for the one who’s committing the sin. The Bible says, “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy” (Ps. 101:5, NKJV). And Romans 1:30-32 suggests backbiters are worthy of death. Paul told us not to keep company with a believer who has “a foul tongue [railing, abusing, reviling, slandering]” (1 Cor. 5:11, AMP)—Scripture actually lists the slanderer among the sexually immoral, the covetous, idolaters, drunkards and extortioners. The point is, God hates slander.
With regard to my encounter, my first response is to pray against the slander manifesting. These bullet-pointed accusations were like bullets in the enemy’s gun. Some of them he had fired. I feel confident the accusations I did not see were bullets the enemy has not yet released. So I bind the accusations and I examine my heart to make sure I am walking circumspectly and worth of my calling so I can claim 1 Peter 3:17, “For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong.”
Next, I determine in my heart that if and when slander manifests,I won’t be overcome with evil, but I will overcome evil with good (v. 21). I will rejoice when I am persecuted because I know that when I respond the right way, I am blessed. My first response is to pray for those who persecute me. And pray. And pray. And pray some more. It keeps my heart clean. And the God who gave me a heads up in this encounter is the God of my vindication.
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How Do I Know If It’s God’s Voice Or Just My Thoughts?
Practical wisdom for daily Christian living from Jon Jorgenson
How Do I Know If It’s God’s Voice Or Just My Thoughts?
This is one of the most asked questions especially from people trying to determine God’s will for their lives. It’s an intriguing question that most millennials want answered. But can you be 100% sure that you have heard God’s voice or not? The answer may surprise you…
“You can’t!” says Christian vlogger, Jon Jorgenson who says there is no exact way for us to know completely that we are hearing the voice of God, however he shares three key resources to help people discern God’s voice more clearly:
1. God’s Word
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Word of God is the light that will guide us on what to do. It is there for us to be reminded about His love and His will for us. When something comes into your mind, always ask yourself if it aligns to God’s Word.
The Bible may not specifically tell you about the exact thing that you need to do in your life, but it is an incredible source of wisdom. Reading the Bible is the perfect way to start searching for God’s voice.
2. Wise mentors, counselors or pastors
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22)
God has provided you with people who can help you in your spiritual journey. People who are much older and wiser than you. People who already experienced and have learnt a great deal in life. People who have wisdom in discerning God’s voice. They may be your counselor, spiritual mentor or pastor.
Go to those people and ask for their guidance. Ask them to pray for you and help you in discerning what to do specifically. God placed them in your life for a purpose. You need to listen to them and humbly accept their correction if there is any.
3. Pray
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 6-7)
We can humbly come to God and ask Him for discernment and clarity. God is faithful to give us what we pray for. Develop a lifestyle of seeking and talk to God first before doing anything else. Make Him your number one priority. The more you develop your relationship with God, the more you will know His desires for you.
So if you are struggling to recognize God’s voice, never forget to study His Word, listen to your spiritual mentors and most of all check everything in prayer. Watch as Jon Jorgenson profoundly explains further:
Beni Johnson Reverses Witchcraft Curse This Way
We are at war. We never want to concentrate on anything the devil is doing. We know he’s already been defeated! But, there is a war constantly going on all around us. I share a story in my book, The Happy Intercessor, about traveling with a team up to Mt. Shasta. This beautiful mountain, just north of Redding, is considered to be a place of power and worship for many satanic or occult belief systems. So, I thought, That sounds like the perfect place to bring some godly influence!
I felt that we were to go up the mountain and take Communion, pray, and blow the shofar. I had around 150 people as a team that day, so it was a power-charged group, and they were ready to see God. We spent some time walking around the meadow praying, and then we gathered around the spring and took Communion together. Then I had a friend blow her shofar. After the third blow on the shofar, we all shouted out praise to God. We thought we were the only ones on the mountain that day. We were wrong. As we left the meadow and began to walk out, a few of us walked out the lower trail. As we walked out, we passed a tree, and we could hear someone hissing. All of a sudden, a young man jumped out from under the tree and ran as fast as he could past us and down the meadow. No sooner did this happen then we came upon a lady sitting lotus style (meditation form) trying to channel. When they channel, they use a coming noise, like a shh, shh, shh, repeating it slowly and softly. One of my friends who was with us had used this practice before she got saved, so she knew what was going on. This lady’s air space had been so disrupted by our prayers that she was yelling her shh, shh, shh. My friend looked at me and said, “Well, she won’t be getting anywhere today.”2
We never need to be distracted by the activity of the enemy. But we can be aware of the battle that is going on all around us for our minds, for our authority, for our health, and for our peace. We have the winning hand every time! Every time we take Communion, we remind ourselves that the devil has been defeated. The cross had the final word. But I think everyone has experienced being attacked. I’ll share about this more in Chapter 4, but this past year I have dealt with health issues, and there are moments when I’ve been slammed spiritually. I have had to really lay hold of God’s promises of peace. I’ve always considered myself a peaceful person, but I have had to honestly ask myself, “Do I really believe that I can walk in peace when there are so many things attacking that very thing?”
When I’m taking the bread and the wine in a moment like that, I am in a spiritual battle for my health—spirit, soul, and body. Especially when there’s something going on in my world that is threatening my wholeness, it’s important for me to take Communion more than once a month. It allows me to continually remind myself who I am, who Jesus is, and what He did. Through Communion, I am brought back to the realization of reality: His world is my true reality, not this one.
Several months ago, I had a young woman contact me through text, asking if we could talk. She was sick and had been sick for a while. In fact, for over seven months she had taken three different rounds of antibiotics, but was still not getting well, and no one could figure out what was making her so sick. I began to ask her questions. Whenever I pray for people, many times I’ll ask them questions so that I can figure out why and how a problem started. It’s like a little spiritual detective work that empowers me to pray as effectively and specifically as possible.
In speaking with this young friend, I soon learned that the young man she was dating had previously been married to a woman who was now a practicing witch. Now it made sense. She was being cursed. So I gave her a little homework. I told her that once she got off the phone with me, she was to take Communion and continue to take it every day. While she took Communion, she was to apply the blood of Jesus over her own life and send every curse meant to harm her back to where it came from.
As soon as she got off of the phone, she took Communion and did exactly what I had told her to do. Around midnight, she texted me to say that she was already feeling a little better. She took ahold of the power of the cross, prophesied to her body, and the healing began. By morning, she was completely well. A few days later, she told me that her boyfriend’s ex-wife—the very woman who had been cursing her—had come down with the exact same symptoms that she’d been experiencing for the past seven months. Several months later, our young friend texted me to say, “I’m still taking Communion, and I’m doing great.”
There’s an old hymn I remember singing as a girl, and the words still ring true. “There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.”3 There is enough power in His blood to cancel any curse, to save us from our sins, and to heal our bodies. And that power has not waned in 2,000 years; it is very much alive and well.
Prophetic Prayer: There’s Encounters In The Floodgates
This is a prayer into the 40 days of the floodgates prophecy. Get in on this! You can visit Jennifer's website online at https://jenniferleclaire.org or get equipped at https://www.schoolofthespirit.tv. Sow at https://jenniferleclaire.org/give.
Prophetic Prayer: There Are Spies In The Floodgates
This is a prayer into the 40 days of the floodgates prophecy. Get in on this! You can visit Jennifer's website online at https://jenniferleclaire.org or get equipped at https://www.schoolofthespirit.tv. Sow at https://jenniferleclaire.org/give.
Prophetic Dream Inspires Blake Shelton’s Latest Song
God loves when we use music to sing songs of praise to him! Many of the artists in today’s secular music industry have used this beautiful gift to sing about things that are, frankly, less than beautiful. So, that’s why it’s always nice to see a popular secular musician bring the themes of faith into their songs!
Blake Shelton is a talented country singer that has won the hearts of so many all over the world. His soulful voice and smooth guitar playing make all the ladies swoon and all the gentlemen sing along. Now, the hit musician has another chart-topping album on his hands, but this one has a specific song that blatantly talks about his faith. The song is titled “Savior’s Shadow” and it is the final track on his album “If I’m Honest”. The song is also being referred to a 21st-century hymn. Warner Music Nashville had released the song to both country and Christian radio on April 11, 2016, and it’s been turning heads ever since. This song is about more than just faith, it’s about Shelton’s story. He wasn’t sure if this particular song would be a hit, but he wanted to release it anyway. “I’m not trying to get a No. 1 song out of this,” says Shelton. “I just feel like it needs to be shared with everybody. I feel like people need to be aware of this song for whatever it might mean to them.”
This song is a reflection on some of the hardest times of Shelton’s life. The singer’s relationship with his then-wife Miranda Lambert was crumbling, and he said that the words “I feel the rain, I hear the thunder/As He cries for me” became a powerful source of strength. “That’s when it became apparent that, you know, things weren’t going to work out with my marriage,” he says. “We both knew that it wasn’t going to work out, and I was walking around, randomly singing that song to myself, and somehow it would make me feel better. At first, I thought it was that I’m so sad and pitiful that even God feels sorry for me and He’s crying for me. And then I thought, ‘No, it’s just that He’s on this journey with me and He’s walking with me.’”
Tim Hamon Prophesies A New Level of Prophetic Partnership
Welcome to Christian International’s Word of the Lord for 2019. We first began declaring an annual Word of the Lord in 1988. At that time, it was only Bishop Bill Hamon giving the word. Since then, we have continued the annual Word of the Lord and have included more and more prophetic voices. Of course, we don’t mean that these words are only for January 1 through December 31. Rather it is a time when we seek the Lord for insight into the coming days.
My word from the Lord for 2019 builds from the word I got for 2018. In 2018, the word I received came from Ezekiel 37 about the Valley of Dry Bones. The main point was that our past prophetic understanding had to be spoken to again even after it appeared to fail. We must speak (naba) to those revelations (ruach) that we have received, so that they are renewed and so a second wind may infuse them to raise the Army of the Lord.
This year I felt Lord speak to me about a new level of partnership with him in this “second wind of the prophetic.” We know that according to Jewish tradition, Jesus undoubtedly received a Jewish education, perhaps along these lines: “At 5 years of age” He would be “ready for the study of the written Torah, at 10 years of age for the study of the Oral Torah, … at 20 for pursuing a vocation, at 30 for entering one’s full vigor.” [1]
Jesus did just that, entering His ministry at about 30 years of age . Also, at 30 a Jewish father might publicly declare his son to be the inheritor of all that he had or an adopted son in his place. The voice that spoke out of heaven at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3.22) was God declaring Jesus to be His true son and inheritor.[2]
Just as Jesus became a full partner in His father’s business at age 30, so I feel God the Father is asking us to become full partners in His prophetic move that is now 30 years old. (At CI, we mark the beginning of the modern prophetic movement from October 1988.)
I sense that 2019 will be a year of greater authority, greater opportunity and greater impact through the voice of God in the church and in the culture to see transformation. This is the year when we will achieve a significant inheritance of what the Father has for us through the power of His voice.
January 20: A ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon’ Will Cross Over America On The 2nd Anniversary Of Donald Trump’s Inauguration
On the evening of the
20th of January, a very strange phenomenon will happen. A total lunar
eclipse that has been dubbed a “super blood wolf moon” will appear in the sky
above America. The entire eclipse from beginning to end will be
visible from every single location in the continental United States,
but much of the rest of the world will miss out on this experience
completely. For example, the eclipse will not be visible at all anywhere
in China. Some would argue that it is just a coincidence, but it is
almost as if somebody arranged the timing of this “super blood wolf moon” so
that it would be seen specifically by people living in the United States.
And it just so happens that this “super blood wolf moon” will occur precisely
on the second anniversary of the inauguration of Donald Trump.
Of course some of you
may have never even heard of a “super blood wolf moon”. Basically, what
that term means is that a “super moon”, a “blood moon” and a “wolf moon” will
all be happening simultaneously.
A “blood moon” happens
during a lunar eclipse when some of the sun’s light is still able to reach the
moon. The following comes from USA Today…
Ana Werner: 2019 is the Year of Illumination
I have sat now with this word for a while, carefully praying
through what I sense the Lord share with me that is coming to us all for the
year of 2019. Know that every prophetic word I release, I bring before other
prophetic voices I trust, respect and who bear good fruit.
Recently, I was brought up into the throne room of God. I saw
before me the most beautiful, exquisite bride. She was wearing her wedding
gown, all dressed up for her special day. I could sense the anticipation and
joy in the air.
What captivated my attention the most out of this encounter, was
the bride’s gown. Light radiated from within it, spreading out into the room.
The beams of light seemed to brighten the entire room and were difficult to
look at directly.
When Tears Become A Language
“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) This is the shortest verse in the Bible, and the one that, in 2 simple words, shows the heart of Jesus. He cries. Not just cries but He weeps! This speaks to me about the humanness in the God man. This makes my heart feel accepted and...
Prophetic Prayer: There’s Accelerated Acceleration In The Floodgates
This is a prayer into the 40 days of the floodgates prophecy. Get in on this! You can visit Jennifer's website online at https://jenniferleclaire.org or get equipped at https://www.schoolofthespirit.tv. Sow at https://jenniferleclaire.org/give.
Prophetic Prayer: There Are Weapons On The Floodgates!
This is a prayer into the 40 days of the floodgates prophecy. Get in on this! You can visit Jennifer's website online at https://jenniferleclaire.org or get equipped at https://www.schoolofthespirit.tv. Sow at https://jenniferleclaire.org/give.