King David is one of the most famous and most loved people in the bible. He undoubtedly is one of the greatest leaders in all of Israel’s history. Yet David never wrote a book on leadership. David wrote worship.

David wrote poetry, prayer, praise, thanksgiving, and worship.

Of all the things this successful warrior king could write about: his military campaigns, conquests, the building of a great army, the cities and towns he fortified, the stability and leadership he brought to the nation, David writes worship songs. And we are still singing them today!

David knew where his strength came from and he wrote from the overflow of a heart filled with affectionate praise and gratitude to God. 

Someone might say, “Ahh, but there is so much leadership in the Psalms!” Yes. True. But it all came through worship. Everything David learned was through worship. His life and ministry began and ended with worship, including everything in the middle.

David wrote profoundly and prolifically about His affection for God, his own brokenness and vulnerability, his utter dependence on God, and how God forgives, heals, restores, delivers, strengthens, gives victory…

David did not pen his own success, he penned God’s.

I am for leadership. I have books and favorite author’s. But the Church has made far too much of leadership and far too little of worship. Leadership books abound in the church world. Worship books are few. One telling reason for this is, leadership books tend to be people-centric, while worship books, the good ones, are God-centric. Telling, isn’t it…

Worship of the One True God must eclipse everything else in our lives if we want to lead God’s people the way He wants us to lead.

True spiritual leadership is primarily about turning people into passionate worshippers and lovers of God. God’s original intention for our lives: live in close intimate relationship with Him, and that the greatest affections of our heart would belong to Him. This happens as we worship.

We should never trust a leader who does not worship. God doesn’t. God seeks worshippers, John 4:13. 

Worship was the theme of David’s life and all he wrote about. Everything else was secondary. It is why God said, “I have found David… a man after my own heart, He will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22.

God trusted David with leadership of an earthly throne because God was the Sovereign King ruling on the throne of David’s heart…