The Making of a Worship Leader. Lessons from the early life of David!
What does it mean to be a worship leader? What do worship leaders do? What must you do to become a worship leader?
A worship leader is a person who in a traditional church service, leads the congregation in songs of God and exhorts them to worship the Lord. They plan weekly worship services and lead the worship team and congregation in songs of praise and adoration unto the Lord.
In today’s culture, being a worship leader is demonstrated to us on social media as a super cool job. There’s a stage, concert lighting, a full band, video cameras capturing every moment, and a large audience singing the songs with the worship leader.
New and upcoming Christian singers see these images and desire the same results. They are enamored by the fanfare of this music environment. Deep inside we all have that child-like fascination of becoming a star! Being on stage, performing, and having everyone in the audience hear you sing and sing along with you feels like a dream job, right?
But if only it were that simple! What social media does not show you is the incredible amount of preparation time required behind the scenes to get to that place.
Preparation!
Just like being a pop artist is dedicated work, being a worship leader is also dedicated work. Both types of artists require preparation time. Time and dedication to understanding who you are and called to be are needed first before you spend time working on songwriting, performing, and stage presence.
Worship Leaders in the making go through a season of preparation. Preparation is the key before being given a platform to lead. A worship leader must prepare in the secret place before they can stand in a public place!
What does that look like? How does one prepare? To help answer this question, let’s take a brief look at King David!
David was a shepherd boy, working in the field caring for His Father’s sheep. It wasn’t the most exciting job in the world. Today’s technology didn’t exist at the time and so David didn’t have a mobile device to keep him entertained during those excruciating long days in the outdoors.
Yet, while he was tending sheep, he was developing other skills.
He learned how to protect his sheep from wild animals.
He learned how to lead sheep into pasture lands that were most beneficial to them.
He learned how to become a leader.
He learned how to use music as a form of entertainment.
He learned how to develop a relationship with His Heavenly Father.
He learned how to use music to communicate and maintain his relationship with His Heavenly Father.
David played the harp and writing and singing music for the Lord became his greatest activity during that season of preparation.
Eventually, he was given the message that God selected him to be the next King of Israel and the rest is history! Had he not had that preparation time in the field, he would not have been a successful King. God said of David that he was a man after His own heart.
How does David’s early experience relate to you?
Perhaps you’ve been called to become a worship leader and you’re not sure where to start.
What can you learn from David’s early life on how to become a worship leader? Here are a few things I want you to consider:
Before leading from the main stage, David’s stage was a field.
David developed his skills in a place of solitary confinement.
David was humble enough to accept this place; it became his training ground.
David wasn't pursuing popularity, acceptance, or recognition.
David sang when no one was listening and felt secure with his own voice.
David wrote songs when no other musician played for him; he learned to be musical.
David performed for an audience of one and treasured this relationship.
How do you apply this to your role in becoming a worship leader?
When you’re called to lead and others have confirmed this calling on your life, the next step is not to jump onto a platform immediately. Don’t assume that you must immediately become a worship leader. Don’t push doors open that are not meant for you yet.
Imagine how David must have felt when he was anointed by Samuel to be King. He probably was ready to jump into action and replace King Saul. Yet, God called him back to the field to continue tending to the sheep. His time had not yet come.
He wasn’t ready for primetime. He went back to doing what he knew to do until it was time for Him to become King. David had more personal work to do, he had more training and development so that he could be King. He had to come into a place of transformation. In order to lead thousands of people, he had to excel at leading sheep.
During this time, God was showing him his identity and purpose. While David took care of sheep, he was secure singing and writing for an audience of One. He didn’t depend on the applause and acceptance of an audience to do this job well.
What’s next for you?
While you prepare for your call learn to get alone before the Lord. Begin to build your relationship with Him in that secret place of solidarity. It is He who has called you and it is He who will give you your identity.
As you spend time alone with Him. You will discover who you are in Him and He will train you to hear His voice and understand His ways.
To become a worship leader, you must understand how to worship the Lord for yourself, in the privacy of your secret place where applause and affirmation from an audience are not a distraction.
As you spend time alone with the Lord, ministering to Him and understanding His ways, you will discover who you are and who you’re called to be. You are not to be like any other worship leader. Oftentimes, we emulate our heroes because they carry something that we admire and so they represent to us who we want to be and become.
Not so with you! As a worship leader, you must understand that you have been designed and called to a different purpose than your heroes. What God deposits in you, is for you. You are not meant to be a copycat of another.
Learn to hear and love the sound of your own voice and sing praises to His Name. Do not sing and attempt to sound like your favorite worship leader. How they sound is for them and how you sound is for you!
Your voice and your worship are meant for the community where you reside; if God wanted your favorite worship leader's voice to speak and sing into your community, He would have placed them there and not you. You’re there and you must bring your community your voice and your worship.
My friends, social media won’t teach you these things and so it's important to know that before you step into the role of worship leader, the preparation time you spend with the Lord is invaluable.
Your time will surely come!
The Father will release you when you’re ready. You will be more effective and your calling will be more secure when You come forth when He says it's time for you to come forth.
Wait on the Lord for His perfect timing. Build your relationship with Him first because ultimately He is your primary audience. As you sing to Him, you will discover many fascinating wonders of who He is.
“God is faithful who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus, Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9
God bless you as you endeavor to pursue this High and Honorable calling to lead God’s people!
Keep being amazing,
MRJ
PS. Click on the link below to hear our video blog on Psalm 23 - everyone’s beloved Psalm which David wrote.