1591451477
Hardcover
160 pages
Jan 2004
Integrity Publishers

Review  |   Author Bio  |  Read an Excerpt

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

THE LORD’S LEADING

P r e g na n t  w i t h  a  P u r p o s e

This book actually began with my latest project, Throne Room. As I chose the sixteen songs for that project, I could feel the Lord leading me to encourage the members of his body to worship. To make his Throne Room a part of their day, every day. The Lord seemed to be opening my eyes to the fact that the times we’re living in have created an urgent situation. He was showing me that this is a time when we need to worship in order to combat the evil all around us.He was so definite about it that I knew what direction the CD would have to take. I almost felt like I was pregnant with a purpose and he was calling it forth.

What was being birthed in me was a worship experience—not just one or two worship songs here and there, but a complete section of uninterrupted worship that would encourage people to sing directly to the Lord. I know how powerful that can be to God’s people and how our Father longs for our love and adoration.

Ta k i n g Wo r s h i p to t h e C h u r c h e s

As I have gone to different churches to share the mission the Lord has given me, it’s been wonderful. I’ve talked about worship, and I’ve shared the worship songs from the Throne Room project.

All of the churches have been a little bit different, but the Lord has definitely showed up in his own unique way at every place I’ve gone! It’s been so encouraging to feel the Holy Spirit move through huge groups of people as we worshiped together.

In doing the music, I have tried to make it very, very simple so that the focus would not be on some particular song or arrangement or on my voice. I wanted to make sure that the focus was on Jesus and being with him. Sometimes we can be so fickle without even realizing it.We can wait for a certain singer or instrumentalist or worship leader. But we should always be there simply to worship the Lord and for no other reason. I wanted to make absolutely no room for entertainment in these times of worship.

It was almost as if each group I met with had its own personality. In some places, the worshipers would be crying out, “Holy, holy, holy,” telling the Lord what he meant to them, and telling him in their own words how great he was.As they would draw closer to him, they would just forget about each other and forget about me. And then they would be lost in the Lord’s presence. It’s hard to describe how beautiful that was!

I remember one church in Tulsa. It was awesome. I could have just  packed up and left town, and I think they would have all stayed there loving the Lord, they were so into worshiping him! And the thought came to me, Wow! This is the Throne Room! This is what’s going on here! And in some other churches the evening would be quieter and the people would be more reserved. But that was precious, too. Because when it was over, several people would come up to me, one or two at a time, and they would say, “Thank you, CeCe. I don’t think I really understood worship before tonight.”Or, “I didn’t know how to worship, but now I do.”

That was when I would feel so grateful to be where God wanted me to be—in the center of his will—and so much joy would fill my heart.