In a previous post I talked about how important practice is. But not just practice…deliberate practice – practicing those things that will make you more effective at what you do.

When we think practicing we typically think of pianists and football players. But what about something like worship leading? How do we practice that? Yea, I could try to lead worship more often but what about those times when I’m by myself?

What are some deliberate things I can do to become a better worship leader?

1. Listen Deeply

If you are a worship leader you should be listening to other worship leaders. But you are not just a casual listener. You must become a listening nerd 🙂 This is not just background noise. Listen deeply. Analyze it. Write down what different worship leaders do: How they interact with a congregation, what songs they do, how they arrange, how they navigate spontaneous moments, how they interact with the band, etc.

2. Read

In a previous post I recommended my favorite books on worship leading. Go read. It’s important to not only learn the practicalities of worship leading but also expand your view of God. Shameless plug: also, reading blogs like this one will help you gain knowledge and stay focused. This is a fantastic resource as well.

3. Sing all the time

if you are a vocal worship leader, don’t save all your singing for rehearsal and Sunday morning. You need to exercise that muscle. I’ve heard it said that leading worship is one of the toughest things on your voice. You sing, shout, and talk, all while pushing hard. Seek to daily strengthen your voice by singing in the car, at home, & on airplanes (maybe not that one).

4. Look for places to lead

Don’t wait for pastors to come to you, asking to lead worship. Make it happen in ‘smaller places’. Grab your friends and worship. Strong Christians love to worship. So go do it. Often.

5. Practice continual prayer

How do you expect to hear God’s voice when your leading worship if you’re not listening in the everyday? Live a continual posture of, “God, what are you doing? How can I accomplish your purpose today?” You’ll be surprised what opportunities and divine appointments will arise because of this.

6. Practice loving people

If you don’t like people, worship leading will be frustrating for you. It’s all about people. It’s all about connecting. It’s all about a journey with others. This may seem abstract but it’s definitely something you can practice. Engage in conversation. Smile. Pray for others. Connect. You’ll see a huge difference on stage if you’re living this everyday.

7. Listen to your pastor

When your pastor preaches, listen to what he says. Write it down. Internalize the DNA of your church. Make it yours. Even if he’s not a musician and doesn’t know as much as you do, respect the vision God has given him and implement it with all you’ve got. Practice it.

Anything that I missed? Help me out. How can I practice as a worship leader?

I’m curious to know what your thoughts are on corporate worship. What is the primary purpose of us gathering together to sing?

Do we gather primarily to sing and align our hearts with truth?

Do we gather primarily to experience the breakthrough power of the Holy Spirit?

Do we gather primarily to sing well performed worship songs?

Do we gather primarily because we like the worship leader?

Do we gather primarily to give our praise to God?

Do we gather primarily to receive blessings from God?

I’d love some comments here. Where do you stand when it comes to corporate worship?

Part of what makes a time of congregational worship alive and fresh is the spontaneous. It’s the moments in a service where we don’t just ‘read the script’ but actually engage with God in the moment.

Imagine a guy taking a girl on a first date. They both get dressed up and hit up the nicest restaurant in town. This guy is even wearing a bow tie. Come on people…a flippin’ bow tie. They sit down at the table ready to engage in romantic conversations and the guy pulls out his new iPad. Instead of gazing in her eyes and speaking from his heart, he proceeds to read a script he’s written. He never looks up to hear her heart, listen to her speak, or veer from the ‘plan’.

Seems ridiculous, right?

Without spontaneous aspects to our worship services, our worship of God can seem like this. We don’t stop to listen to what He has to say. We don’t allow a fresh song to arise from our hearts in the moment. We just read the script.

In this post I’d like to offer some suggestions on how you as a worship leader can improve how you lead in the spontaneous.

• Know your congregation – before you take the dive into spontaneous waters it’s wise to know who you’re leading. Are they new believers who will have no idea what’s going on? If so, do it in such a way that they’ll understand and stay with you. If it’s a group of seasoned worshipers, you could probably get away with long stretches of spontaneous worship & intercession. Takeaway: always make sure the people are with you.
• Know the proper timing – unless God audibly gives you direction, it’s probably not wise to open a service with a spontaneous tribal chant in tongues or a prophetic rebuke. Utilize good songs to engage people and listen and look for the right time (you probably never want to utilize the prophetic rebuke :))
• Practice by yourself – don’t expect to just be good at this right away. There are two ways you can practice by yourself: practice listening to the Holy Spirit and practice singing spontaneous songs. I am personally always singing my prayers. Constantly. I probably sing prayers more than I speak them. Also, the more you get accustomed to the Holy Spirit’s voice in your personal life, the more likely you will hear Him as you lead worship. Listen as your praying at home, at the grocery store, walking through the mall, in a restaurant. Always tune your antennae.
• Practice in a small group – after you practice by yourself, find a small group and practice there. There’s less at stake if you mess up by yourself or in a small group of trusted friends.
• Just say it – sometimes all you need to do is just step out. Just say what you feel God is saying. Just lead where you feel God is leading. Don’t cue up the shofar lady and shout ‘thus saith the Lord Christ Almighty’. Just be yourself. Gently say and lead where God is moving and wait. This can lead to breakthrough in worship.

Worship Leaders: did I cover everything here? What would you add to the list?