What does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit?
Over the years many of my conversations with worship leaders would lead me to believe that most of us think being led by the Spirit equates to one thing: spontaneity in the corporate gathering. Now, I am not against spontaneity. I have led worship making subtle and significant changes to songs, or the way that I am communicating because of the Spirit’s prompting and leading at that moment. We never want to be so rigid that we tune out the still small voice of the Spirit. But we also need to stop blaming our lack of preparation and intention behind our choices and calling it being led by the Spirit.
I believe that before we can be led by the Spirit in the corporate gathering, we must be led by the Spirit in our preparation. And our preparation should always begin with prayer. Prayerfully reading the text for that service. Spending time reading the Spirit-inspired Word of God. Asking God to speak to you and lead you in your preparation. Pray these three prayers of preparation.
Another way that we can be led by the Spirit in our preparation is by playing through the setlist. Spend time singing to God through the songs that you have been led to select for the gathering. Not just during rehearsal with the team, not just to make sure you know all of the parts, but for you to be able to be present with God and to God as you sing. What does your heart want to say in those moments? What moments of the songs, or movement throughout the setlist do you need to lean into? How can you fill out the songs with Scripture, prayer, silence, or speaking to continue to lead and guide people as you yourself are being led by the Spirit?
Be attentive to the movements of the Spirit in your own walk with the Lord. The more we learn to listen and obey the voice of the Spirit in our daily lives, the more we will be able to identify His voice and leading in the way we prepare to lead and serve His people. Jesus says that His sheep know His voice. We cannot know His voice in our leading if we do not know His voice in our private lives. Cultivate hears to hear, minds to know, hearts to understand, and lives to obey His voice and leading and it will flow into the way that you prepare - in the Spirit - to lead His people.