He taught film dance for a living, then taught himself keyboard, guitar and drums

“I never accepted Him until a certain time”

5Talents: Hello Ricky, greetings from 5Talents. How are you?

I am doing well by the grace of God. Thank you!

5Talents: When and how did you come in faith in Christ Jesus as your personal saviour?

I have been born and brought up in a Christian family. Even though I know about Jesus Christ since my childhood, I never accepted Him as my personal saviour and Lord until a certain time. As I have been growing older, I have developed debating, feeling covetous, unfriendly to each and every person in the community I lived.

As Samson's weakness was anger, but still God used his negative actions into positive fashion — God has moulded my life too in a similar style, by speaking to me through His word and prayer. As I kept on meditating upon His word, the Holy Spirit talked to me and taught me to build a positive attitude for others. One day, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal saviour and my Lord, and since then I have been following Christ.

“I started to play without any knowledge of chords”

5Talents: Please share about the talents you have received from God.

I believe talents are a gift from God. I have been a dancer from my childhood and I used to teach young boys and girls to dance for film songs. Subsequently, knowing the truth and accepting Jesus as my saviour, I left teaching dance for film, and rather I started to teach dance for youth in church and also started a worship team.

There was a keyboard in my church which has attracted me towards it. I started to play without any knowledge of chords and combinations. Miraculously, God helped me to understand in stages, and whereas my father has also been teaching me basic concepts in keyboard. By practising regularly, I learned playing keyboard and then I started learning guitar too. Even I could gain knowledge regarding playing guitar by the grace of God. I used to wonder how God has gifted me with such talents — and yes, it is only by His grace.

As days passed, I learned playing drums too, and God has enabled me to lead the Sunday worship service, the youth worship service, and also to preach His word and to testify what He has done in my life amongst youth. Indeed, God has given me the privilege to set an example before youth and teach them how to play keyboard, guitar and drums.

“I just resolved to leave everything”

5Talents: When did you know you wanted to be a worship leader?

In 1999, I have been in an orchestra team where I was the team leader, singing secular songs and performing stage programs. Afterwards, I felt tired of all these things and came to know that I shouldn't be using my talent in such a way which I have been using till now.

Even everyone that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Isaiah 43:7

God talked to me with the verse from Isaiah 43:7. When I read this verse I just resolved to leave everything and live my whole life for what I'm made for.

And it's 1999 when I watched some Hillsong worship videos. Touched by it, I always wanted to do such a team in our church. Since then I started learning music and in the word of God, so that one day this type of team will be established and be a wonderful cause to make people glorify God.

Then I got an opportunity to go to Hyderabad, and there I led worship and learned new songs in a church. After one year I came back and continued with my team, the Elohim Worship Team. In this way the church anointed me as a worship leader.

“Worship is a lifestyle”

5Talents: What does a lifestyle of worship mean to you?

Worship is a lifestyle. First of all, worship means just not singing, dancing, modern looks etc, but presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. It's the lifestyle of a worshipper. God has forgiven us so that we can forgive others. We should worship God in spirit, truth, with all our mind, soul and strength.

As a worshipper, when we talk, everyone should feel the presence of God, and when people see our face then they should see Jesus, not us. As John the Baptist said in John 3:30, “I must be decreased and He must be increased.” Likewise we should be decreased and hide ourselves in Him and say like Paul, “…not I but Christ.” It's the lifestyle of a worshipper — not I but Christ. And second thing, “Love your neighbour”: we should be an example to the world by helping those in need as Christ did.

“I never felt that I should ask anything”

5Talents: How would you define your prayer life?

God is always faithful in everything and in every situation. He provides me abundantly before I ask or think, so I never felt that I should ask anything. Prayer means asking something. I close my eyes and praise and give thanks to God every time, and I take this habit as prayer.

I talk with God always. My friends left me in the year of 2002 and I became alone, and I started the habit of prayer from that year. Every day I sit before my best friend to tell everything to Him, and that is my prayer life. My best friend Jesus gives me everything whatever I think, even before asking in prayer. So I have only one job now — to praise and give thanks to Him.

“That was my first composition”

5Talents: How has Christ inspired you in composing music?

When I was in class 8th I wrote a song in a sad frame of mind, but not about God — that was about myself. All the words were there about my feelings and my thoughts about my life, and that was my first composition.

But after my matriculation, when I started to meditate on God's word, I found myself that what I am thinking about my life is totally different in the sight of God our Abba Father. When I knew that there is nothing that I should boast for, only one thing is there to boast, and that is I know Jesus Christ our saviour and the true God who gave His blood and bore everything for me. And one thing inspired me a lot, that He came so that I may have life ABUNDANTLY (John 10:10). Hallelujah!

I always listened to the words of the thief (Satan), but when I started listening to my saviour, redeemer, shelter, my greatest love, I forgot everything of my life and started writing about Him alone.

Being discouraged

5Talents: Being a teen leader, have you experienced others discouraging you? If yes, how do you manage the situation?

Yes, many times my heart and my soul fail to manage some critical situations, as I am a youth leader, but God gives me strength in my heart and soul to manage in a unique way in such situations. As it is written in the Bible (Matthew 18:15–20): “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” So I follow this rule of the Bible.

I was a big sinner and had done many things from which people could find some remarkable things to gossip and to backbite about me. Whenever I am facing such type of dispiriting situations, then I remember one thing: that Lord Jesus came for the sinners, not for the righteous people. Though I'm a sinner from my birth, I trust in God and His mighty power makes me clean every day. Only through the blood, through the word, through the Church, I'm a winner in Christ — and so whoever trusts in Jesus overcomes this world.

5Talents: What would you say to the one who is talented but is sad because they are not given an opportunity to use it, or the talent is not recognized by others?

Everything has its own time according to God's will, and talents should be used to glorify God in any ways. I mean to say that a worshipper should worship, adore and praise Him at all times. It's not important where he or she is — wherever he or she is taking breath, he or she should worship. And it is written in Psalms 37:4 that “Be glad in God and He will give you the desires of your heart.” So we should begin to be glad in God, and He will give us opportunities in a proper manner, and according to His will our talents will be shining to all.