Dancing in the Spirit

 I remember one day many of us were gathered in our friend's lounge room, with one of our pastors, talking, praying and soaking in the Holy Spirit.

Some time before, one of our friends had shown us a video of a Kenneth E. Hagin meeting in which a multitude of people were filled with the Spirit and many began to dance.

I sensed in my spirit that an anointing to dance was to be released among us.

Suddenly one of the guys jumped up and began to dance before the Lord.

It wasn't something he was used to doing. He was just visiting us from out of town, and as far as I know he wasn't very much accustomed to a Holy Ghost atmosphere quite like that.

Then I knew in my spirit that one of our other friends, a young lady, was to dance in the Spirit also. In the spirit, I felt like telling her, in the Name of the Lord, "Get up and dance".

While I was musing about it, perhaps hesitating a bit, one of our friends said, "I feel we should pray for _______'s feet" - mentioning the very same young lady.

So we put our hands on her feet and prayed.

Suddenly, she jumped up and danced before the Lord.

Then she sat back in her seat, laughing in the Spirit.

It was out of character for her to do any such thing. She was a former Baptist, and we all knew she wasn't the most comfortable among us with such things, by any stretch.

It was the anointing.

The fact that the anointing to dance came upon the unlikeliest among us, was a sign and wonder to all.

There is such a thing as DANCING IN THE SPIRIT.

What I'm describing wasn't a mosh pit at a concert playing contemporary Christian music. It was dancing in the Spirit, supernaturally, if I can use that word.

Another time in a midweek meeting at the church, near the end of the meeting, after everyone had been 'soaking' in the Holy Spirit, we all stood around in a large circle and, unplanned, one by one different ones went to the centre and danced.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝟏𝟑:𝟓𝟐
𝟓𝟐 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐨𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭.

During my teens, in churches in Charismatic Renewal days, ladies played with tambourines at the front, while everyone sang and many among the congregation danced.

𝐉𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐀𝐇 𝟑𝟏:𝟒
𝟒 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭, 𝐎 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥: 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲.

I was in a meeting in a church some six months ago. In the middle of songs, they had praise-breaks where the whole congregation danced spontaneously. Without singing, only the musicians kept playing - everybody danced, for around seven minutes, before they resumed singing the song again. And then the same pattern was repeated, with song after song. Just everybody, young and old, dancing together before the Lord. Communal dancing before the Lord. That was around 7pm - the meeting had started around 10am I think.

I've also seen revival meetings where, after three hours of the Holy Spirit filling everyone and working in different ways, all the people danced together and sang for half an hour or longer, praising the Lord for all that had just taken place in the meeting.

And there is such a thing as LAUGHTER IN THE SPIRIT.

𝐏𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐌 𝟏𝟐𝟔:𝟐,𝟑
𝟐 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.
𝟑 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬; 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝.

But that's Old Testament, some might say.

As brother Hagin explained, David danced before the Lord - and the Old Testament was types and shadows - if David could dance in the shadow, we can dance in the light!

There is also SINGING IN THE SPIRIT.

𝐈 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝟏𝟒:𝟏𝟓
𝟏𝟓 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨.

Singing with the spirit is contrasted with singing with the understanding. Singing in tongues is singing in the Spirit.

𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝟓:𝟏𝟖-𝟐𝟎
𝟏𝟖 ...𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭;
𝟏𝟗 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝;
𝟐𝟎 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭;

So, not only psalms and hymns, but also spiritual songs. Spontaneous songs, including singing in tongues.

Singing, laughter and dancing are each expressions of joy, thanksgiving, praise, hope, faith and the Holy Spirit.

It really makes a difference, being in that type of atmosphere - both to us, and to pre-saved visitors.

Remember in II Chronicles 20, as they did nothing, just praised the Lord and sang, placing musicians ahead of the army, the Lord Himself defeated their enemies and made them rejoice.

In Psalm 149, praising His Name in the dance, and singing unto Him with timbrel and harp, came before victory over the enemies.

"𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱" (𝘗𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘮 149:3).

Dancing, and praise are spiritually effective.

Smith Wigglesworth reportedly took communion by himself and danced before the Lord, every morning.

𝐈 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝟏𝟒:𝟐𝟔
𝟐𝟔 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐧? 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦, 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠.

In Bible times, it was normal to see and hear congregations filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit, dancing, laughing, falling to the floor seeing visions and prophesying, and speaking, praying and singing in tongues and interpreting.

Could we admit that sometimes we can drift away from being Holy Ghost minded and become a bit natural minded, in our approach to church services?

Let the river of God sweep you off your feet again! Total submersion.

I desire to see normalised again, in contemporary churches, the things the Holy Spirit always anointed His saints to do in Bible times and in renewals and revivals since.