You know how you can be leading worship and simultaneously thinking about something completely different? What if you focused those thoughts on answering some questions that will help you lead better? In the process, you'll refocus on the task at hand AND lead worship better.

These questions are essential to being "in the moment" while you lead worship. They can help you move beyond the set and forget attitude of leading worship - where you pick songs, put them in a specific order, and plan all your transitions. That initial planning is actually a VERY GOOD thing. But, there is also room for spontaneity and leading in a way differently than you had planned coming into the service.

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself while you're leading worship:

1 | Where are the people at?

It's easy for worship leaders to plan assuming that people are already starting at a specific place spiritually. But, sometimes you show up on a Sunday morning and the people you're leading (and maybe even yourself) aren't at the starting point you thought they would be. Sometimes they're a little behind and need some extra encouragement. Sometimes they're way ahead and you can skip a few steps you had planned.

2 | What do I need to do differently?

Allow your answer to question 1 to affect how you lead people. What do you need to do differently than you already had planned? Do you need to encourage people to believe a certain truth? Do you need to give people a moment to reflect on the week so they can hand whatever happened over to God? Or did you have one of those moments already planned and you need to get rid of it because people are just ready to sing? Just because you had a plan coming into worship doesn't mean it can't change.

3 | Where is God leading us?

Finally, this process is all for naught if God isn't involved. This question isn't asked AFTER the other two questions - it's asked DURING them. Seek God's guidance through the practical process of figuring out where people are at and how you need to lead them accordingly.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.