Imagine if spies were able to plant listening devices in your brain. What would they hear? Wouldn’t it be horrifying to know that someone could eavesdrop on everything you are thinking? Great spiritual battles are often won or lost in our minds, without a word audibly spoken or any action taken. So much goes on in our mind. And much of our success depends on how well we steward our thoughts. As Pastor Wayne once said: a mark of maturity is the ability to encourage yourself.

As worship leaders, we speak exhortations before songs to encourage others. What I would like to suggest to you today, is that we also need to encourage ourselves. When I examine my own life, I know I am frequently unprepared to worship God in spirit and in truth. Just like the congregations we lead, we need someone to encourage us to lift up our eyes to the Lord. I need that kind of exhortation all the time. But alas! I don’t have a personal worship leader to give me a timely “verbal” every five minutes. That’s why I need to learn to worship lead myself.

“How do I do that?” Let’s start with Ephesians 4:29.

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (New Living Translation)

That verse was written in regards to your words toward others, but apply it to yourself as well. Only say to yourself what will be helpful to build you up. You know that bitterness, fear, lust, envy and self-hatred only serve to tear you down. So nix those thoughts. Stop using “foul language” to abuse yourself. Be kind to yourself. Next, learn how to encourage and exhort yourself in the Lord. Self-talk may sound silly, but you should try it; I’ve found it to really help. Here is an example:

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5, NLT)

The Psalms are full of ways to worship lead yourself: Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever. The Lord has done amazing things for you. Praise the name of the Lord! Praise Him, you who serve the Lord. Meditate on His majestic, glorious splendor and His wonderful miracles.

There are so many ways to encourage yourself. Be your own prophet. If you’re going through a difficult situation, think about what scriptures you would use to encourage someone else if they were going through the same trial. Then exhort yourself. Perhaps write them down and read them aloud to yourself. Speaking it to yourself in the mirror can be very powerful and anointed (once you get over the initial strangeness of it).

Sometimes we don’t need a scripture to teach us what to think. We just need encouragement. Be your own cheer leader! God did it to Himself! Three separate times, the a voice from heaven said about Jesus while he was there: “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.” When you do a good job, give yourself some credit. Don’t get a big head over it. But let yourself rejoice and be glad with the Lord for the blessings He gives. Cheer on!

We all need encouragement all throughout the day. Circumstances, our own bad thought patterns and the enemy will often bring us down. But we need to learn how to encourage ourselves in the Lord. If we can do this, we will be stable in our faith and trust in the Lord. Then we will be ready in season and out of season. And we will always be ready not only to lead ourselves in worship, but also lead others, too.

Dear Lord, You are an awesome God. Praise Your holy name. Equip us with weapons of spiritual warfare to destroy lies and promote the truth … even within our own minds. Those whose eyes are stayed on You have perfect peace. Teach us how to exhort ourselves and others to keep our eyes on You, Lord Jesus.