I said there would be a part 2 about worship, and unfortunately I haven't been able to get back to this sooner. I have been preparing it, but had some things come up that distracted me. The most recent being 3 deaths this past week. Anyway, I will get around to posting another part as soon as I have a moment to reflect on it all. For now, I just want to share some things that have occurred during worship services in my past.

There was a service many years ago where I was singing with a friend of mine and my husband was playing drums. The music was playing and the presence of God felt so strong. My friend who was leading stopped singing and it was just music playing. I looked out toward the congregation and saw a woman weeping in the back. She was calling out as if in prayer. All of a sudden I felt a prompting to sing. I battled that feeling because I was afraid it was just my flesh. So this argument was going on inside of me. Eventually I came to a place of believing that it was God and even though I had just one line to sing, I had to do it. So I opened my mouth and sang the words that were flooding my thoughts. Immediately after that line another line came, and another, and another. After service the woman who had been standing at the back weeping came up to me and thanked me for listening to God and singing those words. It was an answer to her prayer.

At another service I was going to sing a solo after the praise team went down. I was on the praise team so I stayed up front when it was time to go down. As I stood there waiting to sing I felt like God wanted me to say something. The pastor was speaking something to the congregation and I was looking out and saw this clock on the back wall. Worship had went pretty long and now the pastor was speaking a fairly long time while I waited. After the pastor was finished I walked up to the platform to sing my special. Being that so much time had passed I was worried about speaking the entire message that had been laid upon my heart so I just spoke a portion of it. I then sang my song and went and sat down. The pastor preached the message and at the very end of her message said that she felt a strong prompting to say something in closing. As she spoke the words I had this horrible feeling come over me when I realized they were the very words I had felt I was supposed to say earlier.

At one service the praise team was up leading when the pastor decided to call those going to youth camp up front for prayer. The music was still playing, but the team had stopped singing. Since I was one of the adults going with those teens I was also called to come forward for prayer. Standing in this line across the room waiting for the pastor to walk by and lay hands on each of us, I kept thinking about me wearing this pink dress. I didn't want to fall out as many had done. So I said a little prayer in my head, "Lord, don't let me fall out." The pastor came up to me, laid hands on me and prayed, then moved onto the next person. I was relieved that I didn't fall out. All of a sudden I felt a hand on my head and a power so strong I fell to the floor. I don't know if that was God's way of showing me who was in control, but it was indeed a lesson for me. Never assume to tell God how you want things to happen during a service.

During one of the worst storms ever we were at a church revival. We had an amazing guest worship leader that year. He was also going to be our speaker. As we were singing the lights went out. But that didn't stop him from continuing with worship. After the music was over he started speaking his message (yes, the power was still off at this point. We were running on generators.) When he got to a part that talked about letting there be light, the power flicked back on, almost as if on cue. As he was concluding he asked for those with a specific need to come forward for prayer. My husband wanted to go up but felt a little uneasy about that kind of stuff so he asked me to go with him. He wrapped his arm around mine and we went up. This was one of those lines where the minister walks down the line laying hands on people and many times they may fall out. My husband is not generally one who falls out when someone prays over him. He doesn't get overly emotional and isn't one whose hyped into acting like everyone else around him. Anyway, as the minister walked over to pray for us he raised his hand toward us. Without ever touching either of us we both fell to the ground, arm in arm. I tell you this, not because I think every time someone prays you are going to fall out, but to reinforce the fact that we are not in control. God can and will move however he sees fit.

These are just a few of the many incidents that I've experienced over the years. In one service I stepped out in faith and did what I felt God was leading me to do. In another, I missed it. But even though I missed it, God still got the message out. When we are worshiping and attentive to the leading of the Spirit, we may be used in ways that seem uncomfortable or out of the ordinary. It takes faith to trust that voice. We have the potential of missing it if we do or missing it if we don't. The latter is by far the worst option, I'd say. If we miss it when we step out, there is always a pastor or worship leader there to correct it. But let me say this: In both instances where I felt led to do something I had the full authority of the pastors and worship leaders to follow wherever I felt God leading me. Had I not been given that freedom, I would not have just assumed I could step out and say something without first clearing it with those in leadership.

All that being said, let me add this: I have been to many services where nothing "spectacular" happened to me. But you know, those things don't really matter. Worship is not about what I may or may not experience. Anytime I am in God's presence expressing my devotion to him, and worshiping him for who he is, it's a good day.