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Flowing in the Spirit

Although I believe I still don’t know enough about this to write a comprehensive article, I will gladly offer what I do know on a preliminary basis, and keep improving this article as I gain more experience. I thank Rev. James Cheong for valuable advice in the preparation of this article.

You might want to read about an experience of "flowing in the spirit" that I had before.

What is flowing in the Spirit?

Generally defined, it means recognizing that God wants to use the worship to minister to the worshippers and being sensitive to the guidance of the Spirit to facilitate that.

The broad definition implies that a worship leader, music team or congregation can be "flowing in the Spirit" throughout the entire worship - in fact, throughout the entire service. A narrower definition postulates that there is a specific time during the worship which the presence of the Spirit is especially strong and that is when God chooses to minister to his Body. Both are correct, though for the rest of this article I will use the narrower definition.

When does it occur?
It can occur anytime, though usually it may occur during the "intimate worship" (inner courts) portion of a worship. That’s the part of the worship when the worshippers are most sensitive to God. And it can occur in both small group or large group worship.
Can it be planned?
Yes and no. On one hand God cannot be made to do a "guest appearance" as one pleases. Planning the whole worship second by second will not be conducive to flowing in the Spirit. On the other hand, if during the planning for the worship, the leader remains sensitive to God’s will, it’s conceivable that he may have been guided to lead a worship conducive to flowing in the Spirit.
How important is the leader for "flowing in the spirit"?
Quite important. He is God’s chosen instrument to help lead the worshippers into God's presence. God uses the worship leader to guide the worship during the flowing of the spirit. Whether in deciding to sing a chorus another time, to pause for prayer or ministry, to break into spontaneous song, to speak ministering words, or to have a silent moment of enjoying God’s presence, the worship leader plays the key role in discerning the timing.
Does one have to be an experienced worship leader?
No. God can use anyone; I speak from experience as a young worship leader. The only fallacy young worship leaders tend to believe is that they can "plan" for flowing in the Spirit to occur. It cannot be planned.
Does one need to have a mature congregation for flowing in the spirit to occur?
No; again, I speak from experience. No denomination is excluded per se either. But you do need worshippers who are sincere and who are expecting to meet God in the worship.
What is the good of flowing in the Spirit?
It is not a cool worship technique. It is a practical example of recognizing the Lordship of Christ in all of our worship and church activities. It is the discipline and stewardship of giving time to the Spirit to use it as He wants it to be used in the worship. It always gives adequate time for us as worshippers to feel the Father’s love and respond to it, worshipping "in spirit and in truth".
How do I know if or when I should allow "flowing in the spirit"?
As a leader, you should be sensitive to God’s guidance throughout the worship. If you suddenly feel that something in your spirit is prompting you to say something or sing something or do something particular, and you get this sense that you know it is from God, then that is the exact time.
How do I know whether what I feel prompted to do is really from God?
The more mature you are as a child of God, the more sensitive you will be to God’s will. Generally anything that contradicts Biblical principles is not from God. As you practise doing God’s will, you will know more and more what is really from God and what is not.
What should I do when I feel prompted to let the Spirit flow?
Your human intellect may have a tendency to say all kinds of things and start waxing philosophical. Don’t. Say only what you feel is from your spirit and what is absolutely necessary. "Get out of the way" – it’s usually the time for the whole congregation to express their feelings freely. Continue as long as you feel God is directing you; end when you feel directed to end.
Does flowing in the Spirit imply a suspension of the intellect?
No. We worship God both in Spirit and in Truth. Truth means that we have to know and be directed by the word of God in our worship. Therefore it is Biblically incorrect to worship God without the use of our mental faculty. Suspension of the intellect often implies extremist views emphasizing the ecstatic and mystical nature of worship eg. trances, hysteria, rolling on the ground while shouting and screaming, etc. Flowing in the Spirit should involve both our spirit and intellect (the total inner man) responding to God's guidance and leading in the worship.
Anything I should avoid, so that flowing in the Spirit will not be hindered?
As I mentioned above; talking too much out of our human intellect; planning a rigid worship schedule; expecting God to flow at such and such a time, singing such and such a song. Don’t think that chucking some "power songs" into your worship will make the Spirit flow either. There is one more thing, which, having heard of but never experienced, I find hard to explain. I will state it as "drifting into heaven and leaving your worshippers behind on earth".

I have included some illustrative examples of "spontaneous song", one aspect of "flowing in the Spirit". Neither imply each other, but they are often associated. You need a Realaudio® Player G2 to hear these clips. These are provided as samples only and not for redistribution. They are not indicative of the quality of the original CD releases.
 


* Sound recording reproduced with kind permission of Hillsong Publishing.

© Copyright Wesley Cheong 1999

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