1 Samuel 15-16

Luke 10:25-42

“I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.”        —1 Corinthians 14:15

During corporate worship service, we would typically sing a few worship songs but have we ever wondered why we sing? Some of us may say that we sing because we are giving praise to God. While this is true, even if we do not sing another song, He will be just as glorious; or, even if we sing for the rest of our life, He will be no more glorious. Believe it or not, part of why we sing is for us. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul writes, “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

The songs that we sing serve to teach us theology and help us worship God in spirit and truth. There are some songs that are songs of affirmation that declare who God is to us, such as God being our Shepherd, our Healer, our Saviour and our Protector. We need times in our life where we are able to say, “God is…” and complete that sentence with some sanity. But maybe some of us are in a rough place and cannot affirm who God is in our life, then we can turn these songs of affirmation into prayer, asking God to show us that He is our Good Father, our Defender, our Deliver and our Provider. 

There are songs of determination with verses that begin with “I will…” such as “Lord Jesus, I will go to the ends of the earth.” Are we ready to make this declaration that we are willing to go to the ends of the earth for Jesus? Some of us may not be able to sing it truthfully, so it would be a lie to say, “I am ready to go and lay down my life for You.” Like songs of affirmation, we may need to turn these songs of determination into prayer, saying, “Lord God, deepen my relationship with You so that I can have the confidence to say, ‘I will go to the ends of the earth for You.’ I want the whole world to know that You are the Saviour of the world.” God wants us to come close to Him with our heart and our mind in sync.

There are songs that are already prayers. Maybe we have not prayed all week and singing a prayer song in corporate worship is the first time we have had the chance to quiet and calm our hearts to pray. What a beautiful opportunity it is to be led into prayer through song!

Through the songs that we sing in worship, may our relationship with God be deepened.

Glorious God, thank You for the different types of songs to worship You. As I sing these truths, may You deepen my relationship with You. Amen!