Thinking About Music

I've been thinking recently about what motivates my interest in music and musicianship. I have to admit that my journey as a musician has been very long one. I started when I was 12 years old and I've played off and on until I joined IHOP where I really started playing regularly 5 years ago. I'm not all that skilled, although sometimes I surprise myself, there are a lot of musicians at IHOP that blow my mind.

I've been thinking about what motivates my music. Why do I even play guitar at all? What is the purpose behind it? It wasn't until I joined IHOP and met Seth Yates that I heard of Biblical prophetic musicianship or anointed music. I didn't even have a grid for the false worship movements of the earth. In fact I thought I was doing God a favor by using my special musical talent to worship him. I thought music was music for music's own sake. Now I realize that couldn't be further from the truth.

My motivation for music has been wrecked ever since I discovered the passage in Scripture related to God's purpose for prophetic musicianship. I can't settle for music for music's sake anymore. No amount of skill is enough for me. I am only interested in music that moves the heavens, touches God's heart and sets people free. So much of today's music is self-centered, God-hating and enslaving! But Scripture speaks of music that literally changes the spiritual atmosphere over a region, music that dispatches angels into battle and that no demon can stand against. Who would have thought music could do that? God did.

Scripture makes this so clear through the lives of many musicians such as David, Elisha and the Levites. David's music drove demons away from Saul. Elisha needed the music of an anointed musician to receive a prophetic word, and the Levites played their instruments on the front lines of battle while thousands were slain by angels at the sound of their music. WHAT IS THAT?! What kind of music is that?! Psalm 149 speaks of the church having the praises of God on their lips and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute judgement on the nations! Isaiah 30 says that every judgement that is released against the Antichrist in Revelation is actually to the sound of the church's music! How could the defeat of the Antichrist and our music be related?!

We have so little understanding of our calling as worshipers, or of God's intention for music. Suddenly skill level doesn't matter at all and all that matters is heart-posture before the Lord. God designed the power of music to be accessible not to those who have the skill, but to those who have the hunger. I'm wrecked. As a musician, I care about skill only so that I can express what I feel in my spirit (and cooperate with a team). All the skill in the world means nothing without the right heart-posture.

So, honestly, what motivates my music? Skill doesn't, and maybe that's bad because I don't practice enough. But I have a vision and a calling for something greater than skilled musicianship - to drive out darkness with a single note. I honestly don't care that much about how fast my fingers are or how well I understand music theory, although those things do have their place and importance. I can't be satisfied by any music that doesn't encounter God's heart. I just can't.

So, that's what I'm thinking about music right now. I'm a mess until I have all that God will give me as a musician. This is my public statement of my ache to play music that brings heaven and earth together, to encounter God's heart every time I pick up a guitar, and to commit my musicianship to music that sets people free.