Engaging and Wrestling in Intercession and Worship

God is raising up a worship movement in the earth today based on night and day prayer and fasting.  These groups of people are arising around the earth in metropolitan areas as well as tribal areas.  No continent is left out, except perhaps Antarctica.  Here is a video that introduces this movement called Awaken the Watchmen:

 

I wanted to encourage believers to pray, fast, and worship.  Not for the sake of earning brownie points before God but because it transforms us and gives us revelation of what God is like and what his will is.  I recommend meditating on the word of God, reading it, speaking it back to him, praying in tongues over it while you sing, play a musical instrument or dance.  

Using music, singing, and dance in worship and meditation upon the word allows the word of God to penetrate our being at a deeper level.

Not all would agree upon what I am about to say, but I want to propose that most of the western world already worships using music, dance, and song.  They do so not from a clear religious stance, yet they do allow the message of the spirit of this age to saturate their being.  What I mean is that even though many are not religious, whenever multitudes attend concerts, nightclubs, raves, sing along with their iPods, they are allowing the message and attitudes of the world (secular humanism) to saturate their perceptions.  

Brainwashing

Our views are bent by this music, singing, dancing culture whether it is religious or not.  The music bends our perceptions and emotions to go along with the songs.  The Bible tells us to renew our minds by the washing of the word, but this sounds creepily like brainwashing.  I think that whenever someone is bending your perceptions to theirs, it is like brainwashing.  If your perceptions are twisted away from the word of God and love for God, then you have been brainwashed or rather brain-polluted.  In worship and intercession, we can align ourselves with the word of God and be brain-washed to align with the word of God.  I know that last sentence can be misquoted out of context.  I'm just saying that some of us could use a good ol' brain wash because of all the garbage we have been made to believe.  Let long hours of worship, singing, dancing, and prayer meditating on the word of God, dialoging with God about his word, renew your mind.  

So many things want the attention of your mind.  Musicians want you to spend the .99 on their song, the TV wants you to watch that program for ratings, the video game industry wants you to buy their new game, and if they can hook you, that means big money for them.  Give your attention and affection to God.  Unplug and be like John the Baptist who got rid of distractions to focus on encountering the reality of a transcendent God.

Put on some worship music, listen to the free live prayer room, get out your djembe or other drum, play the piano or guitar, dance in your room or at church do this while you talk to God about your life and God's words in Scripture.  Let is change you.  He will also begin to speak to you.  Yes, speak to you.  Jesus said his sheep know his voice. 

(Tangent about hearing God's voice)  Most have been hearing God's voice and not recognized it almost like young Samuel didn't know it was God speakin to him at first.  If you want to grow in recognizing God's voice, I recommend the book, You May All Prophesy by Steve Thompson from Morningstar Ministries in Fort Mills, SC.  It is short, profoundly deep, but amazingly simple to read.  

Engage and wrestle in prayer and worship because it changes you, and God will respond to your cry.  The answers usually don't come the way we expect or in the timing we expect but God is wise and to be trusted in his administration of things. 

I recommend Misty Edward's talk on prophetic musicians that she gave at the Fascinate Conference at IHOP-KC in July 2011.  She describes how God is raising up musicians for this worship movement around the globe.  The world is raising up a worship movement and so is God.  It's an exciting time when the wheat and the tares are maturing.  May God be merciful and gentle in his dealings with the world that he loves.  I know his wisdom is beyound understanding and he will do whatever it takes to get the most people in love with him at the deepest level without violating anyones free will.  He is wisdom itself.  May he give us revelation of his love so that we will not be offended in the persecution and shaking of the earth.  He is the bridegroom lover of our souls seeking the affection of his bride.