Radical Worshippers -- part 4

Today we will continue our discussion of the theme of “radical worshippers” by looking at another quality that appears to be characteristic of such believers.

The Radical Worshipper is a CONFRONTIVE Worshipper.

The dictionary definitions I found when I was looking up the word RADICAL often included “confrontive” types of phrases such as these.

• showing a willingness to take risks or to offend people
• fearless, especially in challenging assumptions or conventions
• contemptuous of law, religion, or decorum

My goodness! What does this have to do with our worship lifestyle? Actually, it has A LOT to do with it! Many times we have to confront our flesh, our soul realm, or even the devil to press through to experiencing the Presence of the Lord. Until we learn to even be confrontive in our worship journey, we will miss precious, powerful, significant times of release, refreshment, and liberating freedom in God’s Presence.

For example, in confronting our flesh we learn that we each must bring our OWN sacrifice of praise to the Lord. As we confront our soul, our mind/will/emotions, we learn to deal a deathblow to our feelings and our emotions regarding our worship experiences. And in confronting the enemy of our soul, we experience the power of spiritual warfare that is released through praise and worship.

Let me share with you one of my own experiences where I can now say that “I know that I know that I know” there is power and victory through the confrontive aspect of worship.

Many years ago I was going through a profoundly serious personal challenge. My whole life had been shaken to the core and I was numb from shock. As I awoke one morning, I immediately knew that a spirit of fear was standing next to my bed. I did not see it, but by the Holy Spirit, I discerned that fear was standing there ready to pull me into its paralyzing clutches. As frozen and stunned as I was from my life circumstances, I knew I could NOT entertain fear for even one moment. I asked my husband to take our daughter to her gymnastics class and I was going to our family room to wrestle and confront the enemy.

I laid face down on the carpet, feeling so weak and defeated from the trial I was going through. My mind was telling me, "You teach worship principles. You know what to do." But I felt nothing inside of me, no desire to worship, no power to even open my mouth. But I knew I must worship God NOW if I wanted deliverance and victory that morning and in the future.

I laid on that floor and cried out, trying to sing praises to my God with tears streaming down my face and fear standing right next to me. I knew that the sound of what was coming out of my mouth was not pretty, but it was still heartfelt sacrificial worship. After maybe ten to fifteen minutes of continuous crying out (literally) in song, I felt I had enough strength to stand. I began to pace back and forth across our family room, praising and worshipping now with all my heart.

It was probably thirty or forty minutes after I had started this unusual worship session that I sensed the spirit of fear retreat from my side and then leave my home as well, never to return to torment me again. That morning I learned firsthand the power that confrontive praise and worship carries to bring deliverance to our personal lives.

The Holy Spirit has taught me how to worship the Lord both in private and in public settings. When I received my “call” to lead worship, the Lord told me that He would teach me at home during the process of a year’s time. In that process I would experience things that later I would find in the Word regarding various expressions of praise and worship.

The first several years I led worship my radical freedom and boldness was regularly challenged by the enemy. Then the enemy took advantage of circumstances of my Pastor’s death and my “demotion” of position which brought great bondage to my worship experience. But the gifts and callings of the Lord are without repentance! The Lord healed and delivered me through worship experiences in His Presence, unwinding the worship grave clothes that held me in bondage until I once again could lift my hands and dance.

Mothers of Nations, I learned and earned through confronting the enemy with praise and worship, the power of liberated, radical worship of my Lord! I’ve been bound and I’ve been free in my worship lifestyle and I highly prefer liberty! I also realize and know that even my own praise and worship lifestyle has been customized by the Lord to fit my specific calling.

Let me close today’s entry with these thoughts. Our daily victorious living is sustained by developing a powerful worshipping lifestyle. Through praise and worship, spiritual weapons are launched to pull down spiritual strongholds. This is Scripture.

2 Corinthians 10:4  “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…”

When needed, confrontive bold worship takes territory and changes spiritual climates -- over our lives, over our loved ones, over cities, nations, and more. Radical worship is a weapon and each of us must know how it works and use it! I guess we could say that bold, radical, confrontive worshippers are “armed and dangerous!”

My mission statement could be stated as such regarding radical worship: Be free in your worship – NOT weird! Walk and experience ALL God has provided for us through our experiences of praise and worship.

Next week we will conclude our discussion of “radical worshippers.”  Most likely I have shared some things this week that give you “food for thought” regarding experiences that are possible through praise and worship.

Be bold, be strong, for the Lord your God is with you!

Rev. Nola Beintema