In the Old Testament, the musicians spent all day worshiping God—it was their job, and they received a share of the offerings given.
Today there should be a real effort by the church to encourage musicians by giving not only honor but also support to those chosen and appointed by God. As they are lifted up in the Spirit and before the body of Christ by God, others will dedicate themselves in the same way.
This is not to suggest all who play instruments are called of God. If the church doesn’t hire the musicians anointed of God or encourage them to follow after God with their talents, then Satan will be there with opportunities and invitations that look really good and even very spiritual.
His alternatives don’t look like they would hurt at all. But then the musician finds himself out on a limb, and if he gets into playing worldly music again, he may even doubt his salvation.
One reason there aren’t many good orchestras in churches today, or good temple musicians or psalmists, is that churches are too tight with their money.
In the Old Testament, the priests were given the best, and the musicians were right in there with them. Today many have to go out to a secular job and come in at night totally unspiritual. They have had to work all day hassling the world. They’ve tried to keep their minds on God, but they just aren’t ready to minister in the Spirit.
Commitment on Both Sides
Musicians should be in the Spirit for three or more hours, worshiping, getting instructions and playing to the Lord, before they minister. Then you’d see what an anointed music ministry could be.
Temple musicians in the local church who have devoted themselves to the call God has on their lives should be paid by that church once they have been recognized and appointed by their pastors.
When someone comes to a pastor and says, “I want to serve God. I want to play for God,” that pastor should pray earnestly about it. Let them come. Tell them, “If you want to play for God, come in around 3 p.m. this afternoon. Nobody will be here then. Just express yourself toward God.”
If they come in and worship God, let them do it.
Don’t bother them anymore about doing anything else until they are ready or until God tells you to appoint them, if He does.
A lot of musicians don’t want to do that because they just want to sing to people. That’s how you know what’s really in the person’s heart. They think, What good is it to sing if you can’t sing in front of somebody? Well, who is God? He is somebody. He is the one you are supposed to be singing to anyway.
Many times before we go to minister some place, I’ll go ahead and sit at the piano for two or three hours and just minister to the Lord and get the atmosphere ready.
I like to charge the air with praise. I’ll just keep singing, as the people come in. When they hear me playing and singing, they feel the presence of God and come in to worship and praise God.
Creating An Atmosphere
Right there they are already with the Spirit of God. It doesn’t take two or three hours to get them ready to receive the Word. They can worship and enjoy the presence of God, enjoy being in fellowship with one another.
The problems of the day will just go away. If you’re not prepared to do that, how can you lead somebody else into doing it?
I was not usually prepared. I would just hang around and talk to everybody before the services and visit. I loved to be with people and hear things that God was doing. Then I would get up and start singing, and it would take me half the service to flow into any kind of anointing at all.
God told me that I had to spend time before the service with Him—at least two or three hours —either in prayer or in ministering to Him in song. He told me to get away from everybody before the service, because I wouldn’t do Him any good if I didn’t.
You know, during those periods of time prior to a service I have received some outstanding songs from God. “By His Word,” and “Build Your House on the Rock” are among them. He shows me people who have needs that will be there and how to minister to them.
Making A Difference
It is a wonderful and intimate time with great rewards. Sometimes the time prior to the meeting is as exciting as the meeting!
If we want a continual flow of the Holy Spirit, we are going to have to set it up like God commanded us to set it up.
The day is coming when the temple musicians are going to come into the temple (yes, you are the temple, but there is a place of worship called the temple) and worship God all day long. That will be their job. They’ll worship God all day long. Then when people come in there will be such a difference.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Janny is dancing on the streets of gold. She ran her race and has now obtained the ultimate victory.
For more than 23 years, Janny Grein had toured the United States and the world sharing her story with millions of listeners. Her dynamic abilities had been unleashed into the needs of Eastern Europe and Africa. Traveling with her anointed band and playing various types of venues, Janny and her Concert Crusades had stormed many nations from 1984 until she passed. She uses her candid personality and gift of song to communicate God's love to people of all race, gender, economic status and denominational background.
Janny believed music was a universal language that transcended all barriers and captivated the heart of the listener. She also believeed that when you fully prepare to be a vessel for God's anointing, you will move moment by moment in God's glory and the power of God will be with all that you do.
In fact, Janny had wrote a book with breakthrough keys on preparation for the calling of God. The book is entitled, "Called, Appointed, Anointed." Since 1993, Janny and her husband Bill had been spreading revival fires to churches throughout America, with some meetings lasting a long as four weeks.
Janny and Bill saw God change His people into the image of Christ, and were excited to be part of God's awesome movement. Janny was an ordained minister. But more than that, she was a willing vessel that God used to bring a message of hope for the brokenhearted, healing for the sick, joy for the depressed, and increase for the financially strained.
