Praise and worship music is a powerful force in today's Christian world.  The praise and worship format has become the standard practice in our local churches, and the music of praise and worship is beginning to dominate the Christian and Gospel music charts.  Many major churches are even inviting well-known artists to bring their worship services to a new level of excellence.

All of that is wonderful and exciting.  But has the true purpose of praise and worship been lost?

As Believers, we attend church services in order to connect with God in a corporate setting.  That forum is the perfect opportunity for us to receive direction about matters that affect us both individually and as the Body of Christ.  We are able to grow by further searching the things that we've learned there.  Believe it or not, praise and worship is a vital part of that exchange.

We must understand the importance of praise and worship so that we can view that segment of the service a little differently.  Praise and worship is a bridge built to carry the congregation from their earthly surroundings into the Presence of God.  During that important time in the service, the Holy Spirit is able to move among the people, preparing their hearts to receive the Word of God.

The Word has the ability to produce radical change in the lives of those who receive it. Due to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit many times you see people close their eyes and even cry.  God is reaching under all the hard layers and touching their hearts by the worship experience.

It's great to have an amazing band and singers. It's awesome to have the best choir in the city and the best worship leader in the region. Unfortunately, none of those things guarantee that God will come into the room during the praise and worship service.

God's Presence must be the primary focus of that time.

Let's take a look at the life of King David.  In I Samuel 16:18, the Bible says, David was skillful in playing and the Lord was with him.  David was a skillful musician. He was so excellent that he was brought before King Saul during a very important season.  We can never forget, however, that David's skillful playing was even more impressive because the Lord was with him. The Presence of God in His music and over His life is what really set David apart from everyone else.

As a worship leader, I know that musicians and singers often place a lot of importance on being excellent creatively, but tend to neglect the Presence of the Lord. It is important to excel in our gifts and talents. We should know all the latest worship songs and the correct chords to those songs. We should take care of our voices and give God our absolute best.

I encourage all worship leaders and musicians (as well as those who are not): let's be like David.  Let us seek to have the Lord present in our lives and during our worship services. Let's pray and ask the Holy Spirit to tell us what songs to sing. Ask God to open your ears to hear His direction during the praise and worship portion of your service.

Our hearts must be focused on Him and worship must become our lifestyle.  That attitude will open the way for God's Presence to take over.  That's when Praise and Worship will truly become a life-changing experience.