The vital role of worship—for revival and within revival—has been burning in my spirit these past days, and I have been wrestling with what it must look like in this epoch of waiting for the soon return of King Jesus.
Let me be honest here. The sentimental songs of self-focused longing, the shallow lyrics that presume to “give permission” to the Almighty Spirit of God, and the endless refrains circling around I, me, and myself are way passé. They are powerless to hasten the coming of the Day of God. (2 Peter 3:12)
Yes, there is a place for intimate songs of love, but they belong better in the secret place, in a small gathering of intercessors, or in personal devotion. They can be beautiful there.
But when the ekklesia gathers together as one body, something greater is required. Our songs must lift us from self to the throne, from longing to adoration, from the sentimental to the eternal.
It is not a concert to stir emotion but a holy convocation to exalt the King of Glory. Worship, when rightly offered, becomes the atmosphere where revival is birthed and sustained. If we truly desire the manifest presence of God—the cloud of His glory filling our midst—then our worship must shift from man-centered to God-centered. Earthly worship must reflect heaven’s worship.
Look at the pattern given in Revelation 4–5. Worship in heaven is vast, glorious, and entirely God-focused. Myriads of angels, the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, multitudes from every nation and tongue, and every creature in existence cry out in unison in declaring the holiness, majesty, and power of God.
Some cast their crowns. Others proclaim the Lamb’s victory and redemptive work. Everyone is participating. There are no spectators, no divided attention, no performance-driven distractions. The atmosphere is thick with light, fire, thunder, and ceaseless adoration, because God’s glory never ceases.
That is the pattern. That is what our gatherings are meant to shadow and rehearse. When Jesus taught us to pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), this is what He meant. Worship is meant to align earth with heaven until heaven’s atmosphere permeates the earth.
History tells us it has happened before. In times of revival, worship has often been the spark and the sustainer. Could it not happen again in our day?
I believe it can—and that it might just begin with three simple but profound shifts:
1. The church must come as participants, not consumers.
The writer of Hebrews exhorts us: “Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28–29).
The church must rediscover the fear of the Lord in worship. God does not accept any and every kind of worship—only that which aligns with His holiness, truth, and will.
Acceptable worship flows from reverence, preparation, and repentance. When the church comes hungry and ready to meet God, everything changes.
Reverence is not optional. Worship is holy ground.
Too often we treat the sanctuary lightly, chatting and laughing, coffee cup in hand until the music starts, then suddenly switching into “worship mode.” And, when time accorded for “worship” is almost the same as that for program announcements and sappy videos, that is a clear indication of where priorities lie.
2. Worship leaders must come as servants, not performers.
Worship leaders carry a sacred responsibility: to point people to God, not to themselves. Their role is weighty. They are ushers into the throne room, not entertainers.
If they carry humility, consecration, and a life lived in holiness, the atmosphere shifts and heaven draws near. If they choose songs rich in Scripture instead of lightweight emotional songs, heaven’s atmosphere kisses our very souls.
And when leaders are chosen for talent rather than anointing, or when the platform is treated as a stage for performance, the difference is felt immediately.
Worship that is shallow or ego-driven cannot usher in God’s glory. Worship that is Christ-centered and Spirit-led can.
3. Both must fix their eyes on the Throne.
When the church comes hungry and ready to exalt God, and when leaders point everyone to Christ, worship becomes Christ-centered, Spirit-led, and heaven-aligned.
When both church and leaders align their hearts with heaven’s pattern, worship shifts. It becomes less about style, preference, or performance and more about God Himself.
This is the kind of worship that prepares the way of the Lord. It is not sentimental or self-centered. It is epic. It is eternal. It is the worship that will carry us into revival and sustain us in His presence until we see Him face to face.
Then, and only then, will the Glory descend and remain, fulfilling the promise of Haggai 2:9: “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, says the Lord Almighty. And in this place I will grant peace.”
