clcgh.org Building The Capacity Of Christian Leaders, Equipping The Saints For The Work Of Ministry, Redirecting Straying Christians To The Sound Knowledge Of Christ
Christian singers and instrumentalists minister songs, especially during church services. Gospel song ministration invokes God’s presence, inspires prophesy, stimulates prayer and plays other important roles in the lives of believers.
Now, everyone can sing gospel songs, but not everyone’s song ministration pleases God. A song that is ministered according to the will or requirement of God is what pleases God. It manifests His presence. It is, therefore, required that those who minister before the Lord, first, be filled with the Holy Spirit.
“…but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, addressing one another in psalms and SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY TO THE LORD WITH YOUR HEART…” (Ephesians 5:18 –19).
Dear singer or instrumentalist, are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Dear church leader, are your praise and worship team really filled with the Spirit of God? We serve in vain unless we are genuinely born again and filled with the Spirit.
The verse above teaches us that we should first be filled with the Spirit. This means we should be born again, and have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, dominating our inner being, thereby influencing and controlling our thoughts and conducts.
Then, we are to sing spiritual songs or make music to the Lord with our hearts (spirits) where the Holy Spirit dwells. True Christians should be mindful of the kind of songs they sing or listen to. Music can help build you or destroy you depending upon its source – evil spirit-inspired songs or Holy Spirit-inspired ones.
God’s Word beseeches us to sing Holy Spirit-inspired songs. Songs that are sung to God and people ought to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Remember, God is a Spirit and so His true worshippers must worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Spirit-inspired music releases anointing and brings the manifest presence of God. It drives out evil spirits. We are told of a biblical account in which David played music and the evil spirit that was tormenting King Saul left him (1 Samuel 16:22–23).
The evil spirit did not leave Saul because it heard about the sound of the lyre David was playing. No, that could not have been the secret. The evil spirit departed from King Saul because David ministered by the anointing of the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13).
Remember that David possessed the Spirit of God before he started ministering music to Saul. Music is important in Christian worship, but there is a big question to ask. Are the singers and the instrumentalists in our churches today Holy Spirit-filled?
It is not the melody that matters in Christian music. It is also not just about the loudness of the music or its tunefulness that matters.
What really matters is the spiritual state of the players of the music. Do they truly have the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts or upon them to minister before the Lord? Are they even born again?
The absence of the inspiration of the Spirit is the reason why music in most churches today is nothing but A COMPLETE PIECE OF ENTERTAINMENT. It is for this reason people only dance, but they are not healed, delivered and blessed.
I believe you do not disagree with me that most Christian music today is just noise without the Spirit power backing it. A pure Christian music should not entertain people and just move them to dance to show off.
Our music should not lead ‘baby and child Christians’ into temptation, lead believers to dance before their girlfriends and boyfriends or spouses. It must inspire people to prophesy, pray in the Spirit and glorify God.
To be continued….
By James Quansah
