Day 5: Drawing Closer to God (Find Him in the Music)

I have this thing about music and especially love all contemporary Christian music. I have found myself singing lyrics to a song when I am feeling down, worried or in a state that my thoughts just can't seem to form coherently thanks to hormonal influences. I have often felt bad about my lack of being able to formulate those thoughts in prayer to God. My brain can get so fried from my two jobs, counseling, studying for counseling and managing my family and personal life that I just can't get any more thinking going. Music can be a form of prayer. The Psalms are all really songs that were sung as a way of helping the Israelites memorize them. Music and memory go hand in hand. So, as I was listening to the song We Believe by The News Boys this morning as I exercised, I felt the Spirit stirring within me and raised my hands to the Lord. But towards the end of the song I realized how there were some lyrics that I just couldn't grasp which is just the way my auditory processing is. So, I looked up the lyrics to the song and found a video with the lyrics and am so glad I did. (underlined parts in song were the parts I couldn't discern by hearing them) The song means that much more now as I sing it to the Lord. Do you have a song where some of the lyrics are a mystery? Find out what they are so you can sing the full song to God.

WE BELIEVE by THE NEWS BOYS

In this time of desperation

When all we know is doubt and fear

There is only One Foundation

We believe, We believe

In this broken generation

When all is dark, You help us see

There is only One Salvation

We believe, We believe

We believe in God the Father

We believe in Jesus Christ

We believe in the Holy Spirit

And He's given us new life

We believe in the crucifixion

We believe that He conquered death

We believe in the resurrection

And He's comin' back again, we believe

So, let our faith be more than anthems

Greater than the songs we sing

And in our weakness and temptations

We believe, We believe!

We believe in God the Father!

We believe in Jesus Christ!

We believe in the Holy Spirit!

And He's given us new life!

We believe in the crucifixion!

We believe that He conquered death!

We believe in the resurrection!

And He's comin' back again!

Let the lost be found and the dead be raised!

In the here and now, let love invade!

Let the church live loud, our God we'll say

We believe, We believe!

And the gates of hell will not prevail!

For the power of God Has torn the veil!

Now we know Your love will never fail!

We believe, We believe!

We believe in God the Father

We believe in Jesus Christ

We believe in the Holy Spirit

And He's given us new life!

We believe in the crucifixion!

We believe that He conquered death!

We believe in the resurrection!

And He's comin' back,

He's comin' back again!

He's comin' back again!

We believe!

We believe

Here is a very powerful video with the words in the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtPmX7e_Rpw

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 106

Unfortunately, my brain is not engaging. I read something but nothing wants to sink in. It is a time in my cycle that I feel the furthest from God. My brain just doesn’t want to focus. I know it is a temporary thing but it is pulling at my heart now because I want my brain to cooperate but I read scripture and I can’t engage. Well, no one is perfect, least of all, me. The sermon yesterday went in one ear and out the other. This is one of those monthly struggles that I am sure most women go through. My prayer is this no brain function issue will end soon.

James: 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 103

As I walked into my office building yesterday, I ran into our office manager who was waiting for the elevator. She greeted me and asked how I was feeling and than I asked her how her daughter was doing. I had heard thru the office grapevine that she had had a second seizure within a month. I decided to ride up the elevator with her instead of taking the stairs which is my normal routine. She said that her daughter who was a preemie has had this place in her brain that may not have gotten enough oxygen and now the doctors are saying that it is a degenerative thing and that symptoms will worsen, etc. She ended up in tears telling me how she just needed to stay home yesterday to just be with her daughter and how she started a diet program to lose her excess weight so she can be healthy and take care of her daughter as she grows older. The interaction I had with her has stayed with me. I don’t know our office manager outside of office stuff so this was on a personal level that I had not gone to with her before now. It is amazing to me how little we know about the hearts of others. I got a good look at her heart yesterday after working there for almost 4 years but God knows our hearts inside and out, through and through, completely. He knows what we need and how we are feeling and will answer those needs and comfort those feelings. Lord, I ask you to give comfort, peace and strength to this woman whose heart is breaking for her daughter and heal her daughter. With you all things are possible. Amen.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 187

Hallelujah! I know we have all been there and done that. Been in a funk where you just aren't motivated or can't focus or think. I am in a bit of a funk this morning... I have a few random thoughts about things but nothing enough to inspire me. With my Christian radio station on in the background, my mind went to the song and singing it rather than thinking about what to write. Our brains are not perfect either. Sometimes they don't want to work the way we would like. Today is a brain-malfunctioning kind of day and that's okay. On days like this and in moments I have had where I can't even speak the words to pray, God hears me anyways. He hears me in my heart or in the song that is currently stuck in my head and it's all I can think of. My stuck song is now from Aaron Shust... Savior please, keep savin' me...Praising God for his heart hearing ability and hoping to be out of the funk tomorrow morning.

Psalm 95:2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!