He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be astounded.
They will put their trust in the LORD.
(Psalm 40:3 NLT)
I can hear some of you groaning, but Kel, "I don't have a good singing voice." Neither do I, but that doesn't keep me from relating to God through music or singing in order to celebrate His goodness. And besides, I am not encouraging you to join the choir or compare yourself to someone else. This is just another way to add some pizzazz and emotional depth to your personal time with God.
I won't go on and on about the benefits of music and singing, instead I will give you the list of ideas from 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time. Consider them to be springboards for your next musically inspired quiet-time!
Here are some ideas that Pam suggests to enhance your musical quiet-time :
- Pull out the lyric jacket out of a CD or cassette that you don't normally listen to. [Or find your favorite worship lyric online.] See if you can figure out what might have been going through the lyricist's mind or what was going on in his or her life when it was written.
- Find a hymnal. Try to sing as many hymns as you know. List your favorites. Choose ones you'd like sung at your wedding, your baptism, your funeral or other significant events in your life. Place the list in your Bible.
- Many hymns are based on a Scripture text. [Do a Scripture search based on words from the hymn and see how the Word might have inspired the song.]
- Sing a praise song until you have it memorized--especially one that is straight from Scripture.
- Try to put your favorite [Scripture] verse to a familiar tune.
- Put on a purely instrumental recording. Have a cup of coffee or tea ...while you meditate on God's goodness in your life.
- Read a book, such as A Hymn is Born by Clint Bonner...
©Pam Farrel from 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time (IVP).
For more devotional books by Pam www.Love-wise.com
Share a time when God used music
in your life to draw you closer to Him.
