There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is.” ~ William P. Merrill
Music surrounds us. Shopping, driving, dining, working- almost every establishment has some kind of music present in the background. Do you notice it and hum along? Maybe it simply fades into the background of the hustle and bustle of your daily life. I have a few questions for you to reflect on as you read: What kind of music do you enjoy listening to, and why do you choose it?
Every Sunday morning as a child, I woke to the smell of fresh coffee and soft melodies of hymns on the piano as my parents prepared for the worship service. It became a comfort for me; there was stillness and peace where through the week there was anxiety and stress. As I grew older and began to understand the meaning of those hymns, I began to grow spiritually. Suddenly I could connect the words on the pages of the hymnal to the Bible verses we studied in our youth group, and the music took on a deeper meaning.
Have you thought about my first question? We all listen to music based on what we grew up hearing, but our musical tastes are also shaped by the seasons of life we live. In high school I always had an 80s rock CD ready to go- Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Journey, Van Halen, and a thousand others. But I listened to rock when I was feeling good; when the sky was sunny and all my ducks were in a row. It was in these formative years that I realized my musical choices had a direct impact on my spiritual life.
Do you notice that you pray more often when life becomes difficult? I’ve heard that said from the pulpit a hundred times, and yet, it still hits me like a ton of bricks. The 46th Psalm says, “God is our strength and refuge, an ever-present help in trouble,” so I know I can rest assured that He will be with me. But why do I so easily cast Him from our minds when all is well? Shouldn’t it be my nature to praise Him? For me, the answer was in the music I was consuming.
The quote at the top of this article is very dear to me. I was never the best Bible scholar; I can’t quote you the book, chapter, or verse you’re looking for, but I can give you a song. Before I learned to read, before I learned to study God’s word, I learned to sing. And in singing- in worshiping- I am able to draw near to Him, allowing Him to focus and refine my spirit. In my adolescence, worship music was something I took in like many people: once a week on Sunday morning. As I began to answer God’s call on my life to ministry, I struggled to “get into” the old hymns again. Why are churches in the 21st century still singing songs from the 1700s, when Christian radio is filled with great songwriters like Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, and Lauren Daigel?
Well… “I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered.” (Trust in God by Elevation Worship). The Bible says that in Matthew 7:7. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” For the first time since I was young, I began to listen to all kinds of worship music. Old hymns, remade hymns, new Christian music, alternative Christian music; and I began to pray fervently. It was then that God asked me the second question I posed to you at the beginning of this: Why do you listen to music?
Well, Lord… I listen to music to hear you speak. I sing songs of repentance and songs of praise. Music is how I worship. And there it was- music is how I worship. God has called me to lead His people in worship, not dictate how they should worship. God’s people are too diverse for one book, but that doesn’t mean the book is meaningless.
So now, if you ask me what music I’m listening to, you’ll still get a wide range of answers, but they are all the same genre – worship. Don’t get me wrong, I will always enjoy the latest Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, and Hozier albums, but that music is just a whistle in the wind next to songs of glory I sing for my King.