Podcast Summary: Lead Worship Well – Revival and Repentance with William McDowell

Host: Chris Baker (MultiTracks.com)
Guest: Pastor William McDowell (Deeper Fellowship Church, Orlando)
Date: September 25, 2023

Episode Overview

In this powerful episode, host Chris Baker sits down with Pastor, worship leader, and songwriter William McDowell for an in-depth conversation on the intertwined themes of revival and repentance in the life of the church and the believer. Pastor William unpacks the intentionality behind hosting God's presence, dispels common misconceptions about revival, explores the crucial role of repentance (especially from idolatry), and shares how these spiritual realities shape his life, ministry, and new song “The Promise.” The discussion is practical, biblical, and deeply challenging for worship leaders and believers alike.

Intentional Hosting of God’s Presence

([02:00]–[07:00])

• Intentional Posture: At Deeper Fellowship Church, everything is carefully crafted to honor and host God’s presence, recognizing “He’s not in our presence—we’re in His.”

  "He stays where He’s hosted ... He’s the one that’s in charge. We’re done when He’s done." — William McDowell [04:45]

• Practical Rhythms:

  • Continuous worship is played throughout their building 24/7 for nine and a half years.
  • Prayer is foundational: the church has prayed by phone twice daily (7am & 9pm) for seven and a half years.

• Core Value: A non-negotiable culture of honoring God’s presence, shaping every meeting and service.

Redefining Revival: Invitation, Not Event

([07:06]–[12:00])

• Debunking Misconceptions: Revival is commonly regarded as a calendar event, but McDowell asserts:

  “Revival is not an event, it’s an invitation.” — William McDowell [07:06]

• God as Initiator:
  Revival is not about “reviving God”; it’s God, through His Spirit, inviting His people to return to life and passion for Him.

  “Revival is initiated by the Spirit and sustained by the Spirit.” — William McDowell [08:10]

• Revival vs. Awakening:

  • The church needs revival (being made alive again).
  • The world needs awakening (being made alive for the first time).

  “A revived church leads to an awakened world.” — William McDowell [09:23]

The Importance and Prerequisites of Revival

([12:35]–[17:07])

• Essence of Revival: An unrevived church negatively impacts everything around it; conversely, revival brings Kingdom reality to earth, changing systems and culture.

  “A revived church becomes the physical representation of the invisible Kingdom of God.” — William McDowell [11:40]

• Prerequisites:

  • The Cry: Revival follows a cry of desperation from God’s people—which itself is divinely provoked.

  “No cry, no revival. ... Only awakened people will do so.” — William McDowell [14:41]

  • Repentance: The essential, God-given response attached to a promise:

  “If you return to me, I will return to you. ... Repentance is a gift from God.” — William McDowell [15:40]

• Continuous Posture: Repentance is not a one-time act, but a perpetual turning away from anything that takes God’s place in our hearts (idolatry) and turning toward Him.

The Often-Overlooked Issue: Idolatry

([18:02]–[26:55])

• Modern Idolatry:

  • Anything that takes God’s place in your heart, not just “bowing to idols.”
  • The world offers only three empty things (1 John 2:16): cravings for pleasure, everything we see, and pride in achievements/possessions.

• God’s Loving Provocation:

  • Sometimes, God allows or sends difficult circumstances (as shown in Amos 4) to get His people’s attention and steer them away from destruction.

  “Whenever we are not intentionally doing something, we’re drifting.” — William McDowell [21:40]

  • Even calamity is an act of love:

  “Everything was to get the attention of His people because of His promise: if you return to me, I will return to you.” — William McDowell [24:30]

  • The parable of the prodigal son reframed as prophecy of the loving Father.

Practical Steps for Repentance

([31:43]–[36:46])

• Confess Known Wrongs: Quickly acknowledge and agree with God about areas of known sin or compromise—don’t try to hide (no “fig leaves”).

• Ask and Wait:

  • Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas unknown to you.
  • Practice solitude and silence: stop talking long enough for God to reveal what’s hidden.

  “If you’ll sit with Him long enough … you’ll begin to recognize other areas you did not readily know.” — William McDowell [34:18]

• Treasure Christ Above All:

  • The real “reward” is God Himself, not just what He can give.
  • Repentance isn’t about loss but about gaining Christ.

Worship: Relational, Not Transactional

([36:46]–[40:11])

• Avoid Transactional Worship:

  • Worship and ministry must not be about “doing to get from God.”
  • The focus is not on “the blessing,” but on God as the reward.

  “He is the end, not a means to an end.” — William McDowell [39:02]

• Practical Ministry Advice:

  • The mark of effective worship leaders and pastors is deep, personal love for Jesus.

  “Be completely in love with Jesus and Jesus alone. … If you’re not in love with Jesus, you’re not leading them anywhere.” — William McDowell [39:40]

How This Theology Informs Songwriting

([40:55]–[51:43])

• From Prayer to Song:

  • McDowell’s songs often begin as his own prayers, seeking to give the church a vocabulary for intimate relationship with God.
  • 2016–2020: Songs moved from longing for revival to testifying of experiencing and hosting the move of God.
  • In 2020 (amidst pandemic), the message became more urgent: God allows global challenges (pestilence) as divine attention-getters calling for repentance.

• Repentance as the Key to Revival:

  “Prior to 2020, all the verbiage was ‘revival … revival,’ and God said, great—I want you to have it. But there’s a prerequisite. … Because the invitation came, and outside of the envelope said ‘repentance,’ most people didn’t want to open it.” — William McDowell [47:24]

“The Promise” – A New Song for This Season

([49:17]–[52:35])

• Purpose:

  • Written to express the link between repentance, revival, and God’s unbreakable promise: “Return to me and I will return to you.”
  • “The Promise” walks listeners from the humility of repentance, through prayer, to the joy and reality of revival.

  “When you return to me, it comes with the promise … you will revive us.” — William McDowell [50:08]

  • Released as a stand-alone single with an exhortation video, to give context and deepen impact.

  • Features Dunsin Oyekan, Nicole Binion, and Pastor William’s wife.

Pastor William’s Greatest Desire for Worship Leaders

([53:24]–[54:43])

• Simplicity and Depth:

  • “Really know God and be known by God.”
  • The highest privilege is not the platform but intimacy with God.

• Warning:

  • Modern worship culture is in danger of seeking fame instead of simply ministering to God.

  “We are never more Luciferian than when we desire to have fame while pointing to Him.” — William McDowell [54:13]

  • Worship leaders must value God’s pleasure more than platform, seeking Him whether anyone else is watching or not.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Revival is not an event, it’s an invitation.”
  [07:06] — William McDowell

• “A revived church leads to an awakened world.”
  [09:23] — William McDowell

• “Repentance is a gift from God that comes with a Promise attached: If you return to me, I will return to you.”
  [15:40] — William McDowell

• “We are never more Luciferian than when we desire to have fame while pointing to Him.”
  [54:13] — William McDowell

• “He is the reward. … The reward of worship is God.”
  [36:25] — William McDowell

Conclusion

This conversation is a deeply biblical, practical, and prophetic call to the Church—especially worship leaders—to pursue true revival through repentance and intentional pursuit of God’s presence. William McDowell’s insights challenge listeners to treasure Christ above all, embrace the perpetual posture of repentance, and lead worship out of overflow, not transaction. The episode concludes with the reminder that the real privilege—and effectiveness—in worship ministry flows from personal intimacy with God, not performance or platform.

For further impact:

• Listen to “The Promise” (by William McDowell ft. Dunsin Oyekan & Nicole Binion) and the accompanying exhortation.
• Apply the practices outlined: perpetual repentance, honoring God’s presence, and prioritizing intimacy with God above ministry success.