Keith Getty, cowriter of the classic modern hymn “In Christ Alone,” says that believers in Jesus “want to sing deep things about God.” He would like to see local churches using a rich repertoire of both traditional and new songs—music that can truly carry us through life and its challenges. Getty encourages pastors to select forty to fifty songs they want their people to grow old singing, then make sure they sing them at least twice each year.
We pray when we’re in trouble. But when we’re in deep trouble, either depressed or physically weak, it can be hard to muster the energy to pray. So God gave us songs.
Paul and Silas knew when to lift a tune. They’d been “severely beaten” by a mob armed with “wooden rods.” They were then thrown into “the inner dungeon” and had their feet clamped “in the stocks” (Acts 16:22-24). Their bruised bodies slumped against the wall in the damp darkness while blood trickled from gashes they couldn’t see. Yet, praise for God filled their hearts and they began to sing.
There’s a reason why athletes pump themselves up with music. Music touches our heart and lifts our spirits. It’s a boost for the soul. Though the bodies of Paul and Silas were shackled in a cold dungeon, their souls grabbed hold of a melody and were lifted above the pit of despair. And so, “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening” (Acts 16:25).
What are your favorite worship songs? We should choose our songs carefully, for they’re essentially sung prayers. We should sing only what we would pray, because that’s exactly what we’re doing. May God lift us as we lift a tune to Him today!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Exodus 5:1-23
More:
Read Ephesians 5:18-20 and ponder the role music should play in your life.
Next:
What’s your favorite worship song? Sing it now, worshiping our great God!
dneate on February 4, 2017 at 1:41 am
What Paul Getty says is so true. What we sing will stay with us much longer than what we read. It’s a shown blessing to elderly people with dementia to play the music of their younger life to them, and if that music is filled with a Christian message it will be a double blessing.
Unfortunately though, the “40 or 50 songs” idea has become a mantra in churches. The thought of limiting our cache of shared worship songs to 50 would have been ridiculous to our grandparents, who had the riches of hymnbooks with up to 900 hymns in them, and would probably have known up to 200 of them off by heart. Are we one qurter of the intelligence of our forebears? We sell ourselves short, insult our memories, and limit the range of situations, life experiences, and facets of the Christian life of which we sing if we limit ourselves in this way.
Somehow too, I don’t think the “popular” songs with musically disconnected bridges and “pre-choruses” will stay in my head into my dotage. “In Christ alone” will though.
thank you for the blessing that this post provides. My first response.
DN
gagirllive on February 4, 2017 at 8:53 am
Welcome, dneate! Glad to hear from you and hope you’ll join us again. Your post made me recall a story I read about Isaac Watts who gave us so many beautiful hymns. Even in his day, he complained about singing from the “old psalter” that had been around for over a hundred years. His father, who was a minister, told him that if he didn’t like those hymns, write better ones. And to our joy, I’m glad he did! I guess in every generation the “young’uns” are looking for a fresh expression of their worship to God. (I just wish it wasn’t so loud sometimes. 🙂 )
hsnpoor on February 4, 2017 at 8:07 pm
I welcome you to the forum also, DN! Great maiden voyage! For what it’s worth, I agree in essence with your viewpoint. My pet peeve is keeping all of the songs sung in church in just one genre. A good hymn is a good hymn, a good gospel song, is a good gospel song, a good contemporary praise/worship song…you get my drift. Most churches are not one dimensional and their P&W songs shouldn’t be either. Especially when there is such a rich and abundant source of material to chose from.
samgaskill on February 4, 2017 at 5:37 am
I cannot imagine a songless world. How great is the joy and comfort in “singing prayers” when we become overwhelmed or weary in this world. I sadly do miss in my home church the classics hymns or rich lyrical songs that deeply humble me and remind me of God’s greatness. I’m not sure why praise and worship has changed so much, especially in the last 5 years. Used to be a rare thing to not tear up in awe and humility as I sang along, or perhaps only listened, overcome by God’s holiness and goodness. Music has the ability to expose our hearts, to tear down our walls of self-protection, individually and corporately and to unite the family of God. “Just give me Jesus” and a tune that is easy for everyone to follow. God bless everyone with a song in their hearts today.
gagirllive on February 4, 2017 at 9:04 am
I so agree with you, Mary. I feel that the Spirit is often grieved in our corporate worship times. He wants to do more in us. The songs we sing have the opportunity to be a gateway for His work, unearthing the soil of our hearts for transformation. Bless you, dear sister.
Gary Shultz on February 4, 2017 at 5:48 am
Hi Mike: Music is one of God’s great blessings. Just being in ambient christian music does something to the soul and atmosphere. Strangely enough, my hearing is limited and I do not often understand the words, but my spirit is lifted and comes to a more relaxed and refreshing place. Christian music is much the same through each generation as it seeks to worship God in the culture and environment it comes from. Guessing that’s why each generation clings to certain songs through their growth. I can’t say I disagree with Getty’s suggestions either. I can say we need to cut some slack to younger folks as they seek to express their hearts to the Lord. Myself, I like the latest stuff, I like Chain Breaker, I like Rise, and much of what is heard on CC stations. I admit that today music has been taken from the church pew and put into everyday song to be enjoyed any time, any where; I like that, somehow I perceive, God does too. Thanks Mike
gagirllive on February 4, 2017 at 9:09 am
Gary, I just love “Chain Breaker”. It’s one of those songs that is so catchy. Once I hear it, I keep singing it throughout the day. It’s a little on the country side though, which is okay for this gagirl. 🙂
don777 on February 4, 2017 at 6:53 am
Amen Amen Amen
gagirllive on February 4, 2017 at 8:38 am
This is beautiful, Mike. I am especially blessed by your last paragraph. “We should sing only what we would pray…” That’s very powerful. To think of our worship songs as “sung prayers” can really transform our personal worship as well as the music ministry in our churches. I know we all have our preferences—and that’s exactly what they are—but it’s so important that our souls connect to the words we are singing to God. He is seeking true worshipers to worship Him in spirit AND in truth. I guess that’s why I like songs that are scripturally rich in lyric—both old and new. Some of my favorites are “Who Is This King of Glory?” (Third Day), “Before the Throne of God Above” (Selah), “How Great is Our God” (Chris Tomlin), “Still” (Hillsong), and of course, SO many of the classic hymns like “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood”, and “What Wondrous Love is This”. I like songs that are vertical, lifting my soul to behold the beauty, glory, and majesty of our great God. There is a beautiful song by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir called “I Bless Your Name” that is all about the account in today’s scripture reading. One of the lines in it goes, “Some midnight hour if you should find you’re in a prison in your mind–sing out in praise defy the chains and they will fall in Jesus’ name…I bless Your name–I bless Your name–I give You honor–give You praise–You are the life, the truth, the way–I bless Your name–I bless Your name.” May we all bless His glorious name today! Thanks for blessing us with this reading, Mike. Happy weekend, sojourners.
BearPair on February 7, 2017 at 7:23 pm
Amen!
BearPair on February 7, 2017 at 7:27 pm
Thanks for the vivid reminder Mike! 7:00 am Greek lessons, 4 days/week, at seminary were grueling, to say the least. Motivation as I walked from car to class was found in singing the marvelous praise chorus, “Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart.” Sort of like the little train engine climbing the mountain, repeating to himself, “I think I can… I KNOW I can”