Stephany Dailey is a wife, a mother, and teacher at the Academy for G.O.D. She and her husband Grant are committed to serving in India and this summer they helped facilitate summer internship in India. Stephany served as a worship leader both for the team’s daily Bible studies, and also as a guest artist in various churches around India's National Capital Region. She reflects on her experience here.
I have been leading worship since I was 16 years old. Worship connects us to God in a special way; we have the opportunity to know him and be known by him as we release ourselves in prayer and song. To this day I continue to serve as a worship leader, helping people engage in moments of intimacy with the Lord.
This summer, I was asked to go on short trip to India and serve with the team there. I was overjoyed! And I knew immediately how I wanted to help: a worship event for Indian believers in Delhi. I wanted to offer them a breath of spiritual rejuvenation, as well as an example of how to incorporate theology from the Bible in a way that enriches their times of worship.
Stephany and her husband Grant with a few of friends and fellow believers in India.
Too often in churches, worship stops when the music ends. There is little connection to God’s Word, and thus little direction on how to transfer those powerful moments into a life of service that is pleasing to God. I was eager to serve my Indian brothers and sisters by demonstrating how instruction from Scripture can actually enhance spiritual times of worship!
Arriving in Delhi in early July, I began rehearsing with my good friend and our cultural liaison Manohar Paul, a skilled drummer. Manohar was equally passionate about offering local believers a rich time of worship.
The evening itself was rich and the spirit of God was so near! The worship leading was shared between myself (with Manohar holding down the rhythm section on drums) and another highly skilled, passionate Indian worship-leader. Together, a congregation of Americans and Indians sang, clapped, lifted our hands and danced together! We worshipped in unity, filled with the spirit of God that transcends language and culture. I was able to incorporate Scripture as I led, and my husband Grant shared from Luke 10, encouraging people towards the kind of love of neighbor that Jesus emphasized.
I will never forget that experience. I felt so privileged to serve the Lord and the people of India with the skills that God has gifted me with. We are spiritual beings. Worship of God is not just entertainment, it is essential to engaging His presence. Through spirit-filled worship we obey the command of James, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”
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