Prayer Dance is known as a powerful statement for celebrating the Father and the love that He has for all of humanity. Most of the worship dancers are known as Marathi Christians. This form of dance is a way of expressing thankfulness by worshipping and celebrating the Lord. The Marathi dance in prayer, which is an expression of faith that can move a nation towards God. These citizens of Maharashtra base their form of dance out of the book of Psalms in the Bible.
What is Christian Prayer Dance? Christian Prayer Dance is a form of prophetic movement that originates from the small state of Maharashtra, on the west side of India. This form of dance is a way of expressing thankfulness.
“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!
Psalm 150:1,4
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!”
Who are The Marathi Christians?
The Marathi Christians are a religious community of the state Maharashtra in India. The majority of Marathi Christians are Roman Catholic though there are some Protestants among them. There are only two districts in this little state that contain the majority of Protestant Christians as compared to Catholics. These two districts are known as Ahmednagar and Solapur.
The two providences commonly speak the Marathi language, but they also speak English for communication. Christianity in Maharashtra has a long history. It spread in the early 1800s by American and British Missionaries. Since 1947, a union of Presbyterians was reformed as Congregational, Methodist, and Anglican.
What are The Origins of Marathi Christians?
Narayan Wamanrao Tilak, (known as The Great Marathi poet), realized that a Hindu-Christian synthesis was simply not possible unless the Christian religion had deep roots in the Indian culture. He started training the Marathi Christians to worship and sing and also showed his Christian faith in a genuinely Indian cultural way.
Tilak was born in Mumbai, India in 1862 and was raised Islamic. He then became a follower of Christ in 1985. This great poet wrote poems and hymns constantly and produced over 700 writings to inspire the Marathi Christians. Tilak also published an open letter stating that he no longer wishes to be associated with any human religious institutions. Thus, spread Christianity to the Marathi.
What Is Prayer Dance?
Dance, like a prayer, is an expression. The stage that is danced on is transformed from a solemn sanctuary to a festive celebration of God. The love from the Lord empowers and motivates the dancers through captivating movements. In this prayerful dance, expect nothing but the most intense and most rousing choreography performed and worshipped by the dancers.
Dance is to be about the universe. Dancers express their feelings, thoughts, and actions through creative movement. People dance to process their mentality to display honor, worship, healing, and to reveal the divinity through dance creation. Dancers perform to help themselves and others around them.
A prayer dance gives the dancers a one-on-one intentional time with the Lord and they will perform through their creative movements for revelation for the Lord and reconciliation from their sins.
What are The Different Types of Prayer Dance?
There are two different types of Intercessors for Prayer Dance. These types of intercessors are are Spiritual Labor intercessors and Warfare Dancing intercessors.
Intercessors must be willing to bear in their bodies that the Lord is trying to release. Rather, this is a message, a vision, or a type of inspiration to tell someone from the Lord, Himself. They are known as the ‘vessels’ because of a verse written in the book of Matthew.
“His Kingdom comes, and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven”.
Matthew 6:10
The intercessors for Spiritual Labor will find themselves in depths of pain. Warfare intercessors use dance hand-in-hand with warfare praise and intercession to drive away and push back the enemy.
Prayer dance is specifically important because worshipping is ordaining. This means that the dancers invest in the Lord while worshipping. One of the greatest and most effective ways that the Lord uses man is to bring everybody to a place in which all are to wait, trust, and rest. To have all of humanity learn that worship remains critical importance to the church today.
God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth.
John 4:24
What Is Prophetic Dancing?
Prophetic dancing is a ritual dance in which its purpose is to obtain communication from or to God. Some dancers receive a type of word, vision or scripture in return to show their gratitude for the Lord.
Something that is very interesting about prophetic dancing, is that worshippers can also dance with worship flags. These flags are waved through the air during the dance to signify praise. Prophetic dancing is a versatile type of style. Some dancers worship in a group where they pray in sync. Others, who dance individually, can improvise their movements and ‘go with the flow.’
Christians worship to express how elated they are for being created. Dancers show their thankfulness to the Lord for revealing His heart to them.
Is Dancing Biblical?
There is a lot of controversy about the subject of dancing being a sin. However, dancing is known as excitement and blessings. In 2 Samuel 6:14 “David danced before the Lord with all of his might…” David danced before the Lord rejoicing in the goodness of God.
The Lord created dance and music so that He would be glorified by all of humanity. Psalm 149:3 quotes “Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre!”
The Lord created all of humanity and their bodies to praise Him. In Ecclesiastes 3:4 it’s written “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” So yes, dancing is indeed biblical.
Marathi Prophetic Dancing Today
Christian Prophetic Dancing’s created in Dopadi for new followers of Christ to show their appreciation. The Marathi thank the Lord for forgiving and accepting them. The Marathi Christians worship in different celebratory colors that are vibrant to symbolize happiness.
This little providence in west India, known as Maharashtra, has grown into a minority religion and Christian Prayer Dancing has become high in population. They now have annual festivals to dance and sing before the Lord. The Marathi Christians dance either individually or in a group. They ask for healing, reconciliation, and liberation from sin. Prophetic dancing is an intimate connection with the Lord.
Each individual dancer can receive some type of inspiration or motivation by using creative movements to praise and worship in full thankfulness.
“Praise the Lord our God;
Psalm 99:5
Worship before his throne!
Holy is he!”