Singing Your Prayers

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” —Ephesians 5:19-20

I remember two times in my life when I was at a total loss as to how to pray.

One time was when I was called to a friend’s house in the middle of the night. The circumstances that had brought that family to call for the help of a friend were so horrible—so beyond my control—that I was absolutely at a loss for what to say, or pray. So we bowed our heads, and I sang. I prayed in song, My Faith Looks up to Thee. We made it through the night.

The other time was when we were stationed overseas. Our extended family in the States was struggling with problems beyond anything I had ever heard of. Given the time difference and being an ocean apart, we never knew exactly from one day to the next what was happening as the situation unfolded. I would go for walks in the German countryside beside our village and sing. It was praying, God knows. I would sing the praise chorus, Oh how He loves you and me, but I would substitute the family names:

Oh how He loves John and Bob,
Oh how He loves John and Bob.
He gave His life,
What more could He give?
Oh how He loves John
Oh how He loves Bob
Oh how He loves John and Bob.

Although “John and Bob” are not their real names, I sang at the top of my lungs to the wheat fields! My words were sung in desperation. I am so grateful that scripture promises, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” —Psalm 34:17-18

Since those days, long past, I have had many other opportunities to sing prayers. I am not a great singer, but I have the hope that in heaven I will have a glorified singing voice. I love to sing scripture, as in Seek Ye First and Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet. I love to sing hymns like Great is Thy Faithfulness and Grace, Grace, God’s Grace. I sing them when my heart is full, and also when my heart is empty and needs filling. I sing when I’m happy, and also when I’m afraid and need to be reminded Who is sovereign.

1 Samuel 16:14-23 tells the story of King Saul being comforted by David as he would play his harp to soothe Saul’s troubled spirit. “Then relief would come to Saul, he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.” I can picture this scene, with David bringing comfort to Saul through the gift of music. Any parent of an infant knows the power of the lullaby to get their baby to calm down and go to sleep. And I believe that Christian music playing in the background of a home sets a tone of serenity.

Here are some more suggestions of songs that I have modified to name a person’s need in prayer:

“Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is calling. Calling for ____ and for me.”

“He is able, more than able to accomplish what concerns ____ today.”

“In _____’s life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified.”

What a blessing to be able to lift someone up in prayer and praise! Whether that “someone” is in the desert, or at home alone, God knows and God hears. Prayers for salvation, prayers for protection, prayers for strength, prayers for comfort, prayers for healing, prayers for forgiveness, prayers for provision, prayers for wisdom and guidance, prayers of adoration and thanksgiving, prayers of contemplation and examination—He hears and He answers all the prayers of His children (silent, spoken, or sung). On October 22^nd we shall post a devotional written by an Army wife whose husband is in Iraq. In it she tells the story of how she sang a hymn in prayer to a very unexpected audience. Stay tuned, and stay singing—if not out loud, then in your heart!

Questions to share:

1. Is there someone right now whom you want to pray for, but don’t know how?

2. Do you know the song, Jesus Loves Me? Could you sing that for them?