Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day—“I am Helped”  

I want to thank You Lord that You are my strength and shield.  Thank You for helping me in my spiritual walk with You from day to day.  I also want to thank You Lord for giving me special help with my musicing this very week!  Help me to not forget that is You that have brought truth and joy to my life.  I want to take time right now to say “Thank You, thank You, thank You.”  Now Satan knows exactly where I stand today!  These things I pray in Your Strong and mighty and wonderful name.  Amen.   

Song for the Day “Spirit of the Living God” by Daniel Iverson   

Thought for the Day    

If you really want to “practice the presence of God” in your life, you might try meditating on the Decalogue “day and night”.

"I am Helped"

“I Am Helped”   

Psalm 12:7 states, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusteth in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” 

       The psalmist David expressed that his shield is the self existent eternal God who is.  He also acknowledged that he received his strength from Jehovah.  Sometimes church musicians only think of the struggles of public music ministry.  They forget to remember and say “I am helped”.  They also often forget just who it is that has helped them.  Practice the presence of God”.  When we receive help in our musicing unto God we need to practice saying out loud “Thank You Lord for helping me”.   It will help you and Satan will not like it because he will know that you have your head on straight. 

       The psalmist David acknowledged that God helped him and, since Jehovah was working in his life, he said, “My heart greatly rejoiceth”.  Do you rejoice when God helps you in your musicing?  Do you greatly rejoice?  Do you really praise God like David with your “song’? 

 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day—Paul’s Thorn   

Lord You know what is best for my life.   When something continually perplexes me, I want You to solve it as soon as I bring it to you.  Help me to be aware that You working in my life even when I do not understand why this trial has come into my life.  Help me to believe that Your grace is sufficient for me at this time.  This I am praying in Your name.  Amen.   

Song for the Day “Make Me a Servant” by K. Willard.   

Thought for the Day     

We are often ashamed of our areas of weakness.   God uses these “thorns” to cause us to realize that we need Him.

Paul's Thorn in the Flesh

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh     

II Corinthians 12:7 states, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”   

       For centuries Bible expositors have postulated on just what St. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was.  However, no one really knows what this “thorn” was.  If he had been a choral director, I think I know what this “thorn in the flesh” would have been.  It would doubtless have been a choir member who did not sing quite on pitch.  

       Paul prayed for the removal of this problem but the Lord, in His great wisdom, did not remove it.  Do you have something or someone that troubles you incessantly?  Are you perplexed that this “thorn in the flesh” has not been removed?  

       St. Paul believed that the Lord did not remove this problem so that he would not be “exalted above measure”.  In the midst of this perplexity Paul could see a loving God at work in his life.  In verse nine Paul recorded that the Lord promised him that “my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  This precious Bible promise is still available for all those who have some problems that just won’t go away.  God’s grace is still sufficient for every need that a Christian musician has in the twenty-first century.

 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day—Submit and Resist 
   Lord I am asking You to help me to submit to Your will and accept your protection from Satan.  Help me to draw near to You so that I can hear your voice and be able to resist Satan’s temptations, accusations, deceptions, and powers.  Help me to recognize that You have promised to draw near to me if I will draw near to You.  Help me to claim Your promise that when I resist Satan  in Your wonderful and powerful name that he will have to flee from me.  Thank you Lord for your constant protection.  These things I pray in Your name.  Amen. 

 Song for the Day, “I Surrender All” by Judson  Van Denter   

Thought for the Day     

If you have trouble submitting to the Lord, try getting out of the driver’s seat.

 

 

Submit and Resist

Submit and Resist
   James 4:7-8B states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”  
       The answer is to resist and submit at the same time.  However, you cannot resist until you submit.  When you submit it is easier to resist.  God will give you the power to resist Satan, but He will only give you that power if you submit to Him.    
       Submitting every situation TO God is many times a difficult task.  Many Christian musicians are energetic self-starters who are not often of a mind  to let someone else solve their problems.  They know that God is able to each life situation but they still try to deal without their problems without fully submitting Gods will and wisdom.  
       How should we then submit?  The answer is found in verse eight.  Draw near to God!  The closer that a Christian musician gets to the great heart of God, the easier it becomes to submit to His will and way.  The closer a Christian draws to God the closer He comes to us.  When He is close to a musician the more clear and real the relationship becomes.  The closer a Christian comes to God the more he or she is able to take advantage of God’s wisdom and protection.  Satan doesn’t like to be in the presence of God, so as we draw near to God, Saran will flee from us. 

 

 

Prayer, Song and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day-How Should We then Sing?   

Lord, I am asking you to sing in the Holy Spirit so that I may understand how to music unto You and Your church.  Please give me the power of the Holy Amen.  Spirit so that my musicing will truly be with Spirit and with understanding.  This I pray in Your name.   Amen.   

Song for the Day “Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart” by G. Croly    

Thought for the Day    

If our musicing unto God is going to maximize the spiritual, it will require maximizing the sensual. 

How Should We then Sing?

How Should We then Sing?    

I Corinthians 14:15 states, “So what shall I do?  I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with the spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” (NIV)  

       How should we then pray and sing unto God?  It seems that Christian musicians tend to identify more with singing and praying with the Spirit than praying and singing with the intellect.  It doesn’t have to be either or, because, if praying and musicing is to have the proper balance, they must utilize both Spirit and intellect.  Our musicing must have both Spirit (pneuma 4551) and intellect (nous 3563). 

       If our musicing is going to be effectual we need the anointing or the Holy Spirit.  However, it is difficult for the Holy Spirit to bless and anoint our musicing unless we engage our mind.  Our musical offering must include thought, feeling, vitality, believability, and mental understanding if it is to have very much real meaning.

       Remember that “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits” (II Timothy 2:6).  Christian musicians must be fed spiritually before they are able to feed others with their musical offerings.  It is only when the Christian musician’s soul is fed that he or she will have true spiritual understanding of the spiritual message of the music being presented to God.  So, efficacious musicing requires the aid and anointing of the Holy Spirit on the musician’s musical offering. 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the day—If any Lack Wisdom   

Lord I am confessing that I do lack wisdom.  I feel like Solomon of old who prayed, “I know not how to go out or come in” (I Kings 3:7B).  Lord help me to believe and trust You that You really will give me the necessary wisdom to work with others and to be a good and faithful music minister.  These things I pray in Your name.  Amen.  

Song for the day—“I need Thee every Hour”  by Annie S. Hawks    

Thought for the Day    

It is not  show of inferiority or ineptness when a Chief Musician admits to God that He or she lacks wisdom to handle a certain situation.

 

If Any Lack Wisdom

If Any Lack Wisdom  
James 1:5-6 states, “ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, not wavering, For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” 
       Music ministry would be a perfect calling if we just didn’t have to work with people.  Of course without people we couldn’t have corporate worship, congregational singing, choirs, church orchestras, vocal ensembles, or even a simple vocal or instrumental duet. 
       So we all can see that people are the heart and soul of music ministry.  Music ministry is not about the chief musician’s plan, performance, position, or even his or her problems.  Music ministry is about people giving praise unto the blessed Trinity. 
       Most of life’s huge problems stem from working with people.  Many of these problems require more wisdom than most of us have.  So, what should we do?  Ask God.  He will supply the needed wisdom and he won’t chide, belittle, or make a joke of your asking for that wisdom. 
       There is one very important fact to remember when you ask God for wisdom.  You must “…believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6B).