Music as a Ministry of Helps Not of Hindrances

I'm convinced that we'd see a greater manifestation of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in some of our meetings if we'd sometimes momentarily turn the music off and perhaps turn the lights up.

Certainly music can help bring the anointing. We see this in the life of Elisha where the Scripture says, "But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him" (II Kings 3:15).

Once the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha - once the anointing of the Holy Spirit came upon him - Elisha didn't just sit there focusing on the musician. No, he flowed with the anointing brought by the music - he prophesied. If he'd allowed the song played by the musician to continue to be his dominant focus instead of flowing with the anointing that came upon him, Elisha would never have prophesied, and the whole purpose for calling the musician in the first place would have been nullified.

We often do that in our meetings. Like Elisha, we give time in our services for a CD to be played or for a band to play - but then, once the anointing starts to come upon the congregation, unlike Elisha we continue to allow the music to dominate, rather than moving on and flowing with the anointing.

Learn to flow with the anointing when it comes into a meeting - make room for it. Music can hold people's attention, rather than allowing them to focus on flowing with the anointing.

Once the anointing comes into a Holy Ghost meeting (as a result of the music), I think we'll see a greater manifestation of the anointing if we help the congregation to focus more on what the anointing is actually doing instead of forcing them to continue focusing on the music itself. Sometimes in order to help a congregation do that, it might be necessary to completely stop the music.

While music is playing, it often remains a dominant focus. This is because people tend to sing along, or they assume a mode of waiting - as if they're expecting the music itself to be the thing that's going to accomplish what God wants to do in the meeting. God used the music at the start of the meeting - but maybe there comes a point where the music's role in a meeting ends and now it's the anointing on the people that's meant to become the focus. Now the Spirit Himself is moving directly on the people rather than through the music.

If we allow a period of time in the meeting where the congregation's undivided focus can be on what the anointing is doing directly on the congregation, there will come a moment later on where the music will once again have an appropriately strong role again. After everyone's been touched by an unhindered manifestation of the Spirit, the congregation will once again really have something to sing about! There's a right time for everything.

I've seen this done with great results. Often after singing for a while and the anointing began to fall on people in the congregation, I'd ask the band to stop playing - and most often the manifestation of the Spirit immediately intensified and increased as a result. People might begin to cry, laugh, or be filled with the Spirit in increasing numbers. More were heard speaking with tongues.

Have you ever tried drinking a glass of water while singing at the same time? It's not easy! It's a whole lot easier for a congregation to receive from the Holy Spirit and to manifest His moving when they're not trying to sing at the same time! And if someone is meant to interpret tongues, or prophesy, or share a vision with the congregation, it's a whole lot easier for the congregation to hear him if the music isn't already dominating. Putting the music aside is sometimes what's needed in order to allow the Spirit to be the Lord of the meeting. After He's had His way, as I said we'll really have something to sing and dance about!

So - when the anointing starts to come on the people, turn the music off and let the congregation flow with the anointing rather than with the songs.

There comes a point in a Holy Ghost meeting where the people ought to become less conscious of the music and more conscious of what the Spirit has begun to doin and on individuals in the congregation - and more conscious of what He might want to do through anointed individuals in the congregation.

Music starts out a meeting with a function of a ministry of "...helps..." (I Cor.12:28), but thereafter music can become a ministry of hindrances if we let it dominate.

The Holy Spirit is in the music to begin with - but once His anointing gets on the congregation there is a moment in the meeting when the anointing on the congregation, rather than the music, ought to be allowed to become the dominant expression in the meeting. Then later the music can start up again.

Music is a ministry of helps. A helper's role must change as the helped person gets stronger. The stronger the helped person becomes, the weaker the helper's role must become - or else the helper actually becomes a hindrance. It's the same with music. Music may start out helping a meeting, but once the anointing of the Holy Spirit has become stronger on people, the music may need to be backed off so that other expressions of the Spirit can become the focus. And there is a moment in a meeting where those other expressions of the Spirit come on and through the congregation rather than through the music. If at that point the music is allowed to continue to dominate, then the music which was meant to be a helper becomes a hindrance.

If the music is no longer helping people focus on what God is doing, then it might be better to temporarily stop the music. You can't drink a glass of water and sing at the same time. There's a right time for both.

Let me tell you - this works! I've seen a crescendo of the Spirit's manifestations take place in a meeting once we stop the music. Then, after everyone has enjoyed the fullness of the Spirit, they really have something to sing about - and that's the point in the meeting where music once again has a role to play as helper.

The anointing is to be the focus, never the music itself. While the highest work of the Spirit that God is doing in the meeting is being done through the music, then music is helping. But when the highest thing that God is doing is instead on the congregation, then the music needs to take a less dominant role. Otherwise it hinders.

Believe it or not, music isn't one of the nine spiritual gifts (I Cor.12). The Music Director is not a sixth ascension gift ministry (Eph.4:11). And God didn't set some in the church firstly Music Directors, secondly apostles, thirdly prophets, after that teachers, etc. He set some in the church firstly apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers...and helps is quite a bit further down the list (I Cor.12:28).

Music is a ministry of helps. But our focus at any given moment in a meeting ought to be on the particular vehicle and type of manifestation that God wants to bring at that moment in the meeting - and His chosen vehicle isn't always the music team. His chosen manifestation isn't always singing. What about getting filled? What about getting healed? What about speaking with tongues? What about being filled with joy and laughter? What about seeing visions? There's tongues, interpretations, prophesying, and singing a spontaneous new song. A CD or a band playing can certainly hinder the congregation from receiving and moving into these other expressions and working of the Spirit.

So be sensitive to use music as an assistant to the anointing, rather than as a blockage to the anointing. And sometimes this involves stopping it completely, if you find the congregation is being unavoidably dominated by it instead of being enabled to freely receive and manifest the Spirit in others ways which He may will.