Mid-Cities Worship | The Songs We Sing
15895
single,single-post,postid-15895,single-format-standard,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,qode-theme-ver-7.2,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-4.5.1,vc_responsive

The Songs We Sing

Blog from Mid-Cities Worship

11 Jan The Songs We Sing

Worship. When you hear the word, what do you think of? If you’re like me, you may be picturing something like this:

worship serviceMany times, I automatically think of the part of a church service where we stand up, and a leader or a band sings and plays songs, and the congregation sings along. Usually, when I begin this train of thought, the next stop involves recalling a good message about how worship is more than that. It’s a lifestyle devoted to Jesus; all our words and actions pointed to Him and His kingdom.

All of this I fully agree with! What good are the songs we’re singing if our hearts aren’t aligning with His? You’re probably familiar with this scripture-

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8 NLT)

It’s so important for our hearts to be in the right place, and I would challenge that if you’re just going through the motions in your relationship with God, that you would, as Matt Redman sang all those years ago, come “back to the heart of worship.”

But that’s not what this blog is about!

You see, sometimes when we begin to talk about the big picture of worship, I think we can begin to discount the importance of that part of the service where we stand up, and a leader or a band sings and plays songs, and the congregation sings along. Yes, let’s return to the heart of worship, but let’s let the songs we sing help us to get there! Because, while God knows the reason why, music and songs can have a powerful effect on us!

Have you ever heard “The Hand Song” by Nickel Creek? Well if not, click here and get the tissues out! Try listening to Pharrell’s “Happy” without tapping your foot and singing along. How many songs have you heard on the radio and thought, “They wrote that song about my life!?” How often have you been in conversation and a song lyric came up?

If songs like this can cause us to feel emotions, remember moments, and inspire us, then why can’t the songs we sing in a worship service do the same thing toward God?

I think David recognized this, because as we read the words to the songs he wrote in Psalms we see triumphant joy, outlandish praise, tremendous heartache, and extreme hopelessness. And, we see his trust in God through all of it.

Something happens when we sing songs to God. They become statements of truth about who God is and who we are in Him. Here are some examples of what singing songs to God can do in a believer’s life:

1. Put God in His rightful place 

God is God, and we are not. Sounds easy enough to say, but oh how often we forget! Our flesh naturally thinks things like, “I’m awesome and worthy of praise,” and “I’m so powerful and trustworthy!” As much as I might agree with you that you’re awesome, there’s nothing and no one that compares to God’s awesomeness!

kung fu panda awesomenessI’m preaching to the choir about that profound truth, but I bet you’ve forgotten that a time or two as well! When we sing phrases like “There is none like You,” and “You are Lord of all,” it puts all of that in a right perspective.

2. Put ourselves in our rightful place

That is a place not equal to or above God. In fact, it is a place of humility and acknowledgement that we can’t do anything apart from Him. “I’ll never know how much is costs to see my sin upon that cross,” is a line that admits our shortcomings and simultaneously honors God for His sacrifice. Sometimes we’ve got to be reminded that we don’t have it all together and can’t do it on our own. We need God in every area of our life.

3. Honor the King

When you think about kings and kingdoms, or even in our modern day presidents and prime ministers, have you ever wished that you could meet them, shake their hand, thank them for their leadership, and maybe even take a selfie? We are in a unique place as believers. We serve the King of Kings and He is close and personal all the time, everywhere! When you sing, “I Rejoice in You, mighty King,” God is present, He hears it, and He is honored directly by you! Every time!

4. Focus on what’s important

According to the Pew Research Center, 1 out of 5 Americans reports going online “almost constantly.” The average teenager spends 7.5 hours online, playing video games, watching TV, or listening to music every day. Technology alone keeps us quite occupied, not to mention all of our real life responsibilities with work and family. It’s easy to get caught up in distractions or in pursuits of worldly things, but singing songs of worship brings us back. Singing words like, “All I need is You, Lord,” and “All I’m after,” help us fix our thoughts on Jesus instead of all other things.

These are just a few of what could be a very long list of amazing things that happen when we sing songs of worship and praise to God.

One of the coolest moments I’ve been apart of was at the New Life Worship Conference in Colorado Springs this past year. The worship leader from Vertical Church Band asked the congregation to shout out worship songs that had ministered to them throughout their walk with God. Many came to my mind, and people all over the room began shouting out songs that had drawn them close to God at certain seasons in their lives. We had a sweet time of worship singing these songs-many of them long gone from our modern worship sets-that brought up memories of God’s faithfulness, power, and forgiveness!

Yes, worship is more than a song, but the songs we sing can play a crucial part in helping us refocus our hearts on the one thing that matters: Jesus!

Have you been inspired in your relationship with God through a song? Have you been comforted through tough times by the words you have sung to Him in a worship song? Share some of the songs and stories in the comments below!


About the Author

Dustin Hahn

Dustin Hahn is an Associate Worship Pastor over Children and Youth at Mid-Cities. Husband to Kara, and father of four beautiful children, he works with both students and adults to train them how to change the culture of a church by teaching children and youth how to worship God with their whole hearts.

 

3 Comments
  • Darlene Hahn
    Posted at 18:33h, 11 January Reply

    I remember the first time going back to church after a life altering car accident where my C2 ( neck) had been broken. The song was sang ” it’s your breath in my lungs, so I pour out my praise, pour out my praise” I choked up, maybe it was the neck brace but thru the tears offered up praise to the one who had given me life , saved my soul, and again had spared my life! He is worthy of all our praise and I will continue to praise him as long as he gives me the breath to praise him!! Thanks for reminding HE is worthy of our praise.

  • Karen Hicks
    Posted at 01:11h, 12 January Reply

    I can only imagine really touches my heart and got me through a very hard time in life when I lost my grandmother. The youth pastor agreed to sing at her funeral for me when I asked him and he told me about this song. When I heard the song it made me feel so much better knowing my grandmother would be seeing all these things and she would be at His feet for she loved the Lord with all she had. Then months later we went with the youth from our church to see Mercy Me who was playing at a local church. When the lead singer began to explain why he wrote I can only imagine, and he explained he had written it for his grandmother , the most Godly woman he had known. When he said this our youth pastor turned and looked at me…it was like God had placed this song on his heart to sing at my grandmothers funeral and give me peace. I know God showed up for me and gave me so much comfort through that song and then hear it was written for a grandmother. God is so Awesome.

    There is another song called Take me to the King….I have sang it many times alone out loud and in my heart. It says what my heart needs to say but my mouth can not.

    I love to sing praise to the Father. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity to see God being praised and how these songs are even used to lead so many and help us tell the One who loves us most how much we love Him.

  • Jami Stotts
    Posted at 12:28h, 13 January Reply

    So many songs have ministered to me and helped me to connect with God in moments where I felt far away. Music is so powerful.! It can lift your spirit or on the other side, fill your mind wth worldly thoughts that lead you away from God.

    Two songs that stand out to me that have been huge in my life recently are Out of Hiding by Steffany Gretzinger, and O’Lord by Lauren Daigle. And the list could go on and on!!!

Post A Comment