The Power of Singing
Have you ever wondered why we sing in church? To some, it may seem as a waste of time, but to others, it is one of the most intimate ways of worshiping God. Ephesians 5:19 says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” I think that sometimes I forget how powerful the experience that comes with worshiping God can be, because occasionally I find myself distracted or not in the mood to sing, which is kind of upsetting because I am then missing out on a great opportunity to feel connected with the Holy Spirit. I also think that sometimes I tend to be more distracted depending on who is around me during worship, or I get these silly thoughts in my head like “what will this person think of me if they see me lift up my hands during worship?” I have found that some of the best worship experiences in my life have been times when I’m at vespers alone or somewhere without people to distract me.
1 Corinthians 14:15 says, “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” I think this is a good verse for me to reflect back on because it reminds me to be not just singing with my mouth, but to actually have meaning behind it. A problem that I have sometimes is that I like songs for their beat or lyrics, but I fail to actually pay attention to the meaning behind them and that means I’m missing out on the whole purpose in worshiping. Psalm 95:2 says “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” I think this verse helps summarize the ultimate purpose behind worshiping and it encourages me to strive to be worshiping the way God intended it to be.
