Chapter One

The following is an excerpt from the book…

Prophetic singing is not for the faint of heart. I realize this more and more as I enjoy the pleasure of talking with singers in my ministry travels or as I participate in the International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC) community.

In these conversations, other singers and I inevitably find ourselves discussing the glories and pitfalls of the journey of prophetic singing. Amazingly, in nearly every conversation, a singer will share how he or she feels isolated, disheartened, or challenged at some level. We seem to face some of the very same issues, like the pain of being so hidden, the toil of the mundane, the temptation to compare ourselves with others, pride, demotion, fear, etc. Our circumstances may vary, but the root struggles we face are the same.

In my years of prophetic singing, I have been through many ups and downs. I have done well in some seasons and blundered my way through others. The testimonies of those who have walked this path and know well the way of the singer have buoyed my heart in times of trouble. In gleaning from the stories of those who have gone before, there has been one stabilizing factor, one constant. It both astonished and comforted my heart when I discovered it. I share it with you now to encourage you, no matter where you are in your journey as a singer in the Church: you are not alone.

You are not the first to taste the thrill of standing in worship as a vessel of the Lord. Neither are you the first to feel as though you can barely keep your head above the flood of discouragement that seems to rush in from every side. I now understand we all have experiences like these.

I was not born a naturally strong singer or confident leader. Each step of the journey for me has been a learned one. This is not how I would have written my story. I have often wished I did not have to work so hard in order to grow. I have wondered why the Lord has called me to function full-time as a prophetic singer without naturally equipping me with a high level of ability. However, I now look at the process of growing and stretching the Lord set me on as His kindness. And I am honored to have seen many of the angles of prophetic singing. I consider it my joy to look into the teary eyes of discouraged singers or feel the rush of the mountaintop zeal of those brand new to the calling, encouraging them all in their next step forward.

Please hear my heart. I do not mean to convey that I have some sort of fortitude in and of myself to share. On the contrary, I have seen the callow weakness of my own heart and abilities and have had to lean on the experienced coaching of those who have gone before me. I have asked the hard questions, made wrong decisions, and had to maneuver, in the grace of God, back to the path of faithfulness in the calling. The guidance and lessons I have gleaned are what I hope to impart to you in this book.

Anointing, Excellence, Endurance

Put in the simplest terms, the role of the prophetic singer is what I call “the reach” for anointing and excellence with endurance. Reaching for the anointing as a singer is the reach for the presence of God and the spirit of prophecy in worship. We long for the Lord’s presence and the spirit of prophecy that we may appropriately minister to His heart and the hearts of His people. The reach for excellence is an issue of stewardship; it is our faithful pursuit of the next ability level so that we may be increasingly effective messengers and see Jesus glorified. Endurance is the empowerment to persevere in every season— it is the strength not to quit, no matter what. With anointing, excellence, and endurance, the prophetic singer is equipped to ride the waves of adversity, stay faithful in the secret place of the heart in times of favor, and bring great glory to the Lord all along the way.

Each chapter in this book addresses an aspect of at least one of these three components. I have included practical help on how to grow in ability (the reach for excellence). I cover foundational instruction on how to grow in the Word, develop language, and demystify what it is to prophesy as a singer (the reach for anointing). Because, as I said earlier, prophetic singing is not for the faint of heart, I have included several chapters that are devoted to topics related to persevering (developing endurance).

I have found that the heart issues like pride, envy, and the fear of man have the greatest potential to cut short the fruitfulness of a prophetic singer, not to mention the enemy’s own devices meant to do the same. In exposing the things that may derail singers and in unveiling some of the truths of what the Lord sees in us, my aim is twofold: to both encourage and strengthen you. I have sought to be vulnerable with you about what I have been through in each of these subjects in hopes that you will learn from my failures and feel empowered by my breakthroughs in the midst of my weakness.

The exception to this pattern of topical instruction is the chapter immediately following this introduction: “Possessing a Biblical Vision for Prophetic Singing.” A guide for prophetic singers would be remiss without laying out the broad vision in God’s heart for music and singing in the earth. He is filled with zeal that His name would be praised in heaven and earth. The reason why any singer should bother to persevere at all finds its roots in His passionate plan for songs to arise worldwide. In the following chapter, I take the opportunity to paint the big picture of why we do what we do. It is from this perspective that we will zoom into the narrow focus of the remaining chapters.

Chapter Topics

In no way is this book comprehensive. Each chapter could easily be fleshed out into an entire book itself. I have not sought to cover the topics here in such a complete and exhaustive way. Rather, I attempt to provide a concentrated, approachable resource for prophetic singers in any setting, whether in a full-time prayer ministry or on a weekly church worship team. This book is meant to be a reference that can be returned to for insight and encouragement as the prophetic singer makes his or her way along the journey of our calling.

Because of this, I strongly encourage you to initially read the book in its entirety. Then it can be drawn upon topically in the future as you find yourself in one particular season or struggle. Though they strategically weave together in telling the story of a singer, each chapter can stand alone as a help in a particular area.

I do not take lightly the privilege to speak into your life as a prophetic singer. The Lord is intimately crafting your journey, and I am humbled to partner with His work in you. I count it a great honor to stand alongside you as a fellow singer. Each voice is valuable and necessary, and together we form a resplendent choir of praise to Jesus. He is worth our individually plunging wholeheartedly into our calling as prophetic singers. He is the reason for it all—He is worthy.

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