Daily Archives: October 22, 2015

Keys in Antiphonal Singing

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“They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages” (Revelation 15:2b-3).

The following are keys in antiphonal singing:

  • Sing short – This is not the time for singing a whole song. Short phrases are the key and should be only a few words in length.
  • Stay on the same theme – Keep with the theme that is prayed in the Word.
  • Pay close attention to what is happening – Remember you are a team, and the Holy Spirit will give you a natural flow. It may take time but stay in tune with what is happening.
  • Sing one at a time – This will keep from confusion. Antiphonal singers alternate in their singing. The prayer meetings I have been involved with usually have three or four antiphonal singers who sing one at a time.
  • Echo phrase, paraphrase, repeat, or develop the phrase – The singer may want to sing exactly the same phrase as the last singer or what the intercessor prayed. A repeated phrase can be powerful. A singer may want to paraphrase or summarize the phrase. He may want to develop the phrase by expanding the same idea or repeat a phrase for impact.

Singing and praying the Word partners with God’s heart. Worship agrees with who God is—He is righteous, loving, kind, powerful, mighty, good, truthful, merciful, and more.  Praying agrees with what He has promised to do. The Word of God provides fuel for prayer and keeps it alive. His Word is His will. Praying the Word connects with the singers in singing the Word, and there is a powerful interaction that takes place.

I am an intercessor and when the singers sing what I have prayed, it moves me into a greater intensity and faith in my next prayer—and this goes on and on. The praying and singing together rise up to a new level. You will see it yourself as you begin. This is what happens in heaven (Revelation 4:8).

There is no greater strength than the power of the Church with one heart and one goal, united before the throne. The diversity of types of intercessors, the diversity of different musicians and different singers intensifies this oneness. I believe this is one of the most effective forms of spiritual warfare. It’s powerful—It’s dynamic—It inspires awe in God because He creates it, and it’s all for Him. Andrew Murray in his book, Andrew Murray on Prayer, emphasizes the power of agreement in prayer. He says:

“Christians cannot reach the full blessing God is ready to bestow through His Spirit until they seek and receive it in fellowship with one another. It was to the hundred and twenty praying together in full agreement under the same roof that the Spirit came from the throne of the glorified Lord. In the same way, it is in the union and fellowship of believers that the Spirit can manifest His full power.”

What happens when intercession and singing is combined?

When these two come together with the Word, then revelation increases. The intercession hits the mark, the body of Christ is encouraged and empowered, and evangelism takes place as one leaves the prayer room. Singing the Word together with intercession is definitely going to lead to dynamic evangelism, because the human heart will not be able nor want to contain what happens in the prayer room. It will spread through the entire world to every tribe, language, people, and nation.

“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests…” (Revelation 5:8-10a).

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Antiphonal Singing

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11390094_968828946513546_3817218908514737680_n-2God loves it when we make music in our hearts to the Lord. He wants us to speak and sing His Word. It’s a safeguard for our hearts because when we sing God’s Word, we are singing about who He is and who we are in Him.

When we corporately pray and sing the Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, He reveals His will and heart to us. This renews and transforms our minds. It touches our spirit and impacts our emotions. We begin to align our hearts and thoughts with God’s. Instead of talking about all the negative things in life (which is so easy to do), he teaches us to speak to one another in psalms and spiritual songs with a thankful heart. How easy it is to look on the dark side of life, but this is a much better way to live. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:19-20:

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

There is a powerful way to do this where singers interact back and forth with singing and the Word. This type of responsive singing is excellent for the prayer room. It’s called antiphonal singing. The singers interact with the intercessors and musicians in singing the Word. Day and night prayer is team ministry where the team works together. Nobody gets the spotlight except God Himself.

This is the beautiful thing that God is doing with his end-time Church. He is beginning to get all the glory. Everyone takes part in the House of Prayer, and nobody takes the spotlight. Everyone gives way to one another because there is the understanding that all of us in harmony are better than one of us alone.

This is a learning experience for some of us who like to be up front because we are good musicians or strong intercessors. We need to realize that we must give way to others. But if we do, in the end God brings a beautiful harmony that we couldn’t have done on our own. There is no more room for lengthy ten-minute prayers or a personal concert where we show off our musical talents. No! It is all for God and Him alone—an audience of one—and we all work together to bring about His will in the prayer room for His glory.

It is time that we join in unison as with one voice. In 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 we see how the musicians and singers were so united in song that they were as with one voice:

“The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: ‘He is good; his love endures forever.’ Then the temple was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.”

God wants to invade your prayer environment with His presence and power. This will eventually spill over into your city and nation. This team ministry is God’s end-time way. He uses musicians, antiphonal singers, spoken intercession, and proclamation to bring about this unity in prayer.

  • Worship and prayer becomes dynamic.
  • Worship and prayer becomes enjoyable and not boring.
  • Worship and prayer becomes intense but without exhaustion.

And revelation takes place right in the midst of it all. Instead of a labored, grueling experience, every meeting becomes a joyous occasion. I say this because I see it happening and personally experience it myself. I have seen worshippers and intercessors come in with the burdens of the week and leave with the joy of the Lord. Some find it hard to wait until the next prayer meeting. This also enhances our own prayer times during the week.

“Harp and bowl” prayer is not a burden. It is a gift of God for the end-time Church. 

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC

Harmony in Song and Intercession

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18795_990250177704756_4392992996688455638_n“In the unity of faith, love, and the Spirit, the power of the name and of the presence of Jesus acts more freely, and the answer comes more surely. The evidence that there has been true, united prayer is the fruit—the answer, the receiving of the thing for which we have asked. ‘I say unto you… it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” What an extraordinary privilege united prayer (and worship) is! What a potential power it has!'” Andrew Murray

Just as there is powerful unity that God is bringing in intercession, the same is true in song. The wonderful thing about this is the fact that you and I are part of it. This harmony that is beginning is powerful as 24/7 prayer spreads from city to city and nation to nation. And within the circle of prayer that you are involved in, creating this harmony is of extreme importance. The enemy loves to bring disharmony and disunity, but the new thing that God is creating is a beautiful song of unity that will break through tremendous spiritual strongholds of the enemy.

As you attempt harmony in your own prayer room, remember that you are part of a bigger whole that will bring tremendous effect in the spirit realm all throughout the earth. And in your city in particular, you are the ones called to bring the release and freedom of the Kingdom of God into your sphere of influence. This is absolutely exciting. There is tremendous power when you prayer together in agreement. Jesus says in Matthew 18:19-20:

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

God is a musical God, and He has created us as people who function best when there is a song in our heart. Music motivates us. The greatest entertainment in the world is music, because the human spirit is musical. There is power released in song. If you question this, for some of you in mid-life, think back to the songs you heard on the radio as a teenager. If the music comes on the radio now, you know the words to the songs just as if it were yesterday.

The devil wants to rule the domain of music because he knows that there is power in it. This is why intercession combined with music and the Word is a dynamic combination and is of utmost importance at this time. When the Word of Christ dwells in our hearts richly through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, nothing will stop us from God’s purposes in our lives both individually and corporately. Music combined with words of truth move us deeply into spheres of active commitment that we would never imagine otherwise. We read in Colossians 3:16:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC