If you are not engaging in the powerful ministry of instrumental prophecy it could be because you’re not quite sure of its purpose or role in the service.
Or, it could be that you’ve been listening to the lies of the enemy accusing you of being prideful and drawing attention to yourself. And that keeps your from releasing the impact of your anointing.
In this article we’re going give you three powerful keys to go beyond the solo and into playing prophetically.
These three keys are drawn from the prophetic worship framework where we combine scripture, skill, and spirit, into a powerful prophetic flow.
Plus we’ll have an activation at the end to help you gain confidence and sense the flow.
Communication Through Sound
Sound has always been a method of communication and instruments have always been tools of communication and ministry in the bible.
The trumpet has been used to sound warning, call to war, summoning for meeting, as well as celebration. The harp has always had a place in worship, warfare, and ministry.
With musical sound being so important in communication why is it that we don’t embrace this powerful ministry of instrumental prophecy more often?
I believe there are at least two reasons why we don’t. One is lack of understanding and the second is the lies of the enemy.
Lack of understanding causes us to honestly ask the question of why we would just listen to someone play a solo? When worship is a participatory event, doesn’t this cause disengagement? If it is overdone, it can. If it’s purpose has not been taught to the congregation, it can.
When we understand the purpose of instrumental prophecy, we ask this question instead. “What is this person releasing or saying through their playing right now?” It could healing, deliverance, victory, many other messages or ministry. Instrumental prophecy can minister to each believer in a different way and every believer can receive ministry if they are expecting it.
The lies of the devil are his ancient tools. The enemy knows the power of instrumental prophecy and wants to stop it. He tries to stop it through accusations of pride and drawing attention to yourself. Especially if you’re being really good at playing an instrument you were accused of showing off.
So, many people, for fear of being prideful and selfish, have diminished the power of their gift by not using it.
When I was a young man people used to tell me that my playing was so anointed. I didn’t quite understand it but I believed it. All knew is that I had a desire to play. Almost a burden to play.
As I was preparing for a service one evening, I began to practice the keyboard. Someone walked over to me and said, “Man I just feel the anointing.” I wondered to myself, “I’m just playing a few chords how can that be anointed?”
That was when I learned the anointing of the person and not the instrument. That was when I began to understand the anointing and power of instrumental prophecy.
Your desire to play a solo is God placing a demand on the gift he’s placed in you. Your desire to play well is wanting to represent God and his kingdom well.
It is not prideful or drawing attention to yourself so go ahead and play. Play with all your might as David did. Shut the mouth of the enemy with your playing. Play before the Lord.
Instrumental prophecy is using the sound of music to express the heart, mind, and ministry of God. There is a place and a time for it. Instrumental prophecy is one of the three expression of a psalmist. They are playing, singing, and writing.
Three Keys to Releasing Instrumental Prophecy
Three powerful keys to releasing instrumental prophecy are authority, delivery, and accuracy. Scripture gives us the authority. Skill give us the delivery, and the Spirt gives accuracy.
Prophetic songs can be likened unto arrows. We pull then from our quiver at the time we need them. The arrow head is like scripture which gives us sharpness and penetration. The feathers are like the Spirit which gives us the accuracy to hit the target. The shaft connects the arrow to the feathers and is like our skill. The ability to play.
We must link the word and spirit though our playing. Without playing the word or the spirit is not delivered. Faith without works is dead. Therefore play.
- Scripture Gives Authority
In 1. Chronicles 25.1-2, King David established priests who would prophesy on the instruments by the order of the king. The King calls for our playing.
According to 2 Kings 3:15 the Prophet Elisha needed prophetic music. The prophet calls for our playing.
In Ps. 49:4 King David instructed that playing unlocks revelation. We initiate prophetic flow when we play.
Scripture give us the authority to prophesy on the instruments.
- Skill Give Us Delivery
By what standard to we determine skill? I define skill as the ability to perform without causing distraction.
We develop our skill by learning, practicing, and playing. Develop your skill by becoming confident in chords and scales. Every key has a simple major scale. So learn the chords and scales for the most used keys.
Practice your skill. The reason we practice is so the congregation can worship without distraction. The reason we practice the prophetic is so we can flow without distraction.
Practice in several keys so you can launch from any song during your worship set.
Play with the power of simplicity. Trust the Holy Spirit to do His Job. If music is anointed from God, and it is, then over playing does not increase the anointing. Faith and obedience, along with purposeful playing releases the anointing.
By the way, if you find music theory confusing, if you have a hard time communicating with musicians, then I recommend you take my Music Theory Simplified Course. I clearly explain six topics that take the mystery out of music theory. It will help you understand chords and scales and move from intimidation to confidence.
- The Spirit Gives us Accuracy
Accuracy is timing and target of our instrumental prophesy. The when and where of playing prophetically.
Most often in a corporate worship setting you’ll respond to what God is doing through one of the pastors or leaders, or to what God is telling you.
Sometimes at the end of a song, I’ll begin to play on the keyboard. Our Pastors will later interpret what I am playing or they will follow the Holy Spirit in ministry that is being released and they call for altar ministry.
Sometimes I will tell the congregation what I believe God is doing during the flow. You’ll need to coordinator with your leadership for this to occur without chaos.
Trust the Holy Spirit. Trust the Voice of The Lord and partner with Him.
APPLY NOW FOR OUR PROPHETIC WORSHIP SCHOOL
Application is now open for our Summer and Fall semesters starting in June and September.
CI Prophetic Worship School is our six-week online certification program where you’ll be taught by Bishop Bill Hamon, Apostles Tom and Jane Hamon, and me.
We’ll spend six weeks on transformational training, powerful activations, and strategic coaching. This course will have you flowing in authority as a confident prophetic worship leader.
Text the word FLOW to 33777 or visit prophetic worship school.
This course is not only for worship leaders but pastors, prophets, songwriters, or team members who want to learn to flow as a powerful prophetic leadership team.
Activations
Here are four practices that you can do right away. They’ll help you activate your faith and increase your confidence to sense what God is doing.
- Play then pray. Take a moment and simply play your instrument. Once you play a few measures stop and ask the Lord what is happening.
- Pray then play. Before you play ask the Lord what you are releasing,
- Play then Ask. Ask someone to listen to you play.. Then ask them what they heard or receiving from your playing.
- Ask then play. Ask someone to tell you what God is releasing then play that release on your instrument. Learn to trust the Holy Spirit
Summary
So, in review, the three keys to releasing the anointing of instrumental prophecy are authority, delivery, and accuracy. Scripture gives us authority. Skill gives us delivery and the Spirit gives us accuracy,
Now you know the purpose and role of prophetic playing and how to shut the mouth of the devil by playing!
Play with all your might! Partner with God through music because every musician can experience being used by God.
