The Power of Worship to Touch Families

Music is one of the most powerful influencers in the world. Music has the power to transport its listeners to another place; it evokes deep emotion, celebration, or mourning, and music can be a conduit of healing, comfort, and peace. Music also has the ability to instill a value system, a message, and a belief system in its listeners.

Growing up, my worldview was shaped by MTV and the radio. I learned about love, sexuality, male and female roles, and morality through the power of music. This can be a scary thing, especially if you consider a child to be like a sponge, soaking up everything around. I ended up living a life that mirrored the music that I listened to. This resulted in a lot of pain in my life.

When I was introduced to worship music in my teen years, I felt moments of absolute freedom and peace. It was unexplainable and incredible at the same time. Worship music gave me a sense of freedom to dance and move without a care in the world. It was also through worship music that I received a lot of healing in my heart. Little did I know, it was the influence of the Holy Spirit that I was experiencing.

It was years later that I finally gave my life to the Lord in the context of worship at the International House of Prayer. I truly believe that it was the constant influence of Spirit-led worship music that led to my radical conversion and birth as a worship leader.

Fast-forward to over eleven years later, and I am now a mother of two and have had the privilege of raising my children in the context of 24/7 worship.

Since my children were in my womb, they have both been constantly in the midst of 24/7 worship and prayer. I remember singing on an intercession set at the prayer room, and as we were praying for the ending of abortion, my son would kick and move like crazy. It was such an awesome experience to have my kids responding to worship even in the womb.

As they were born and began to grow in their awareness, songs would constantly be in their mouths. I noticed that if they were feeling fussy, sick, or were scared at night, a lot of the times, turning on some worship music would calm them right down or put them fast to sleep.

As a mother, I’ve always wanted to guard my children’s freedom to dance, sing, worship, and express themselves without shame or fear of man. I believe that it’s the freedom of worship and expression that brings God so much glory and obliterates the enemy. In my efforts to keep them in this vein of free worship, we as a family often have dance parties in our living room!

I’ve also realized that the more my children see my husband and me worshiping in our own personal times or with each other, the more they get excited to do the same.

It brings me the greatest joy when I catch my son singing about the Holy Spirit or when he asks me about a lyric in one of the songs I’ve written. It’s an instant on-ramp into sharing about God’s heart!

Worship songs have also become one of the greatest teachers of the Word to my kids. Often they will ask me questions like, “What does it mean Jesus is coming back soon?” or, “What’s the resurrection?” And I treasure every one of these precious questions that are sparked simply by a lyric in a song. Worship songs have acted as a glorious on-ramp into deep conversations about God and His nature, the end times, heaven, sin, and righteousness.

It is becoming quite the norm for me to overhear my little ones singing worship songs as they’re playing throughout the house, in the car, in the grocery store, or at church. Little do they know, they are offering up songs of worship and praise to God, and in doing so, are opening up their hearts to the movement and leadership of the Lord in their lives. It’s incredible!

I think that the most powerful thing we can do as parents is to create a context where worship is a normal part of life. It’s not so complicated, really. They don’t have to be in the prayer room 24/7 or constantly consumed in listening to worship music. The one thing that is key to cultivating a culture of worship is simply “consistency.” For example, maintaining consistency in listening to worship music as you drop them off at school, while you’re cleaning the house, or cooking their meals will affect your children more than you know. Like I said earlier, children are like sponges, soaking in and learning from the consistency around them. I think you will be surprised by how much the Lord will begin to awaken and raise up little worshipers through the power of His Spirit and the power of your consistency.

This summer your children can grow in love for Jesus as they worship with other children from across the nations during our Signs & Wonders summer camps. Find out more information, here! 

Click here to purchase Christina’s latest album

Christina Reynolds

position

• IHOPKC Worship Leader

Christina Reynolds has been a soul/jazz songwriter and worship leader at the International House of Prayer of Kansas City for over 10 years. Christina has been featured on a number of albums and her debut album, Songs for the Journey, was released in July 2013 to international acclaim. Christina’s sophomore album, On The Other Side, was released in 2016. Christina is passionate about creating not only honest and moving music, but also music that brings healing to the soul and gives glory to Jesus. Christina lives in Kansas City with her husband, C.J., and two children, Joshua and Nikki.