Ever wonder why we spend so much time singing in our church services?  Here are five reasons why singing is so essential...

1. It is an act of unity

It is the one time in a service when the congregation is not just simply listening, but are actively participating in worship. And not only that, it is the one time when the whole congregation is acting in unity, as one body, harmonious to each other. Why is this important?  Because the people of God acting in unity somehow multiplies the releasing of God's power and Spirit and anointing amongst His people (Matthew 18:20). Here we are all focused on the same message, the same lyrics. Our minds are not prone to wander. A friend of mine once said that her most powerful memories of God's voice and moving, were during times of corporate worship. I can relate to that. How many powerful appeal/reflection times have you experienced in church during your lifetime? Perhaps you even first gave your heart to the Lord in one of those moments. And I know that singing and the sound of music was a part of that experience.

It is interesting how music is so much a part of what defines each country, and each culture. When we sing our national anthem at sporting events, it is an act that unites all who participate. It sends the message of who we are, the country we represent, and that we are united in loyalty to it. That is exactly what should happen in our church services, too.


 2. It is an act for eternity

Did you know that music is one of the few things from this earth, that will carry over into heaven and the next earth?  (See Revelation 5:11-13). Our singing here is a rehearsal for what is to come. If you are bored singing here, heaven will probably not interest you!


3. It is an act of warfare

Music is actually a means of fighting Satan and demonic activity. In Psalm 8:2 scripture tells us that the praises of children silence the enemies of God. In 1 Samuel 16 we see that by David simply playing his harp, the evil spirit that had been tormenting King Saul would leave him. In 2 Chronicles 20, we find that as the choir led the Hebrew soldiers into the battlefield, the Lord defeated their attackers.

Two of my favourite movies illustrate the power of music in warfare very well. In the movie Casablanca, Victor Lazlo begins singing the French National Anthem in Rick's café, right in front of Nazi soldiers. Slowly all the patrons begin to join him. Jointly they thus send a message to the Nazi captors that although they may be imprisoned bodily, the Nazis could never have their souls.  This scenario is repeated in the movie "The Sound of Music", when Captain Von Trapp sings the song "Edelweiss" in the music competition. He is sending a clear message to the Nazis that his heart is with Austria (the Edelweiss flower was actually on the lapel of the Austrian soldier's uniform), and he would never be a Nazi, no matter how much they tried to force it on him. 

Our singing lets demons know that our hearts belong to God, and not to them. They have already lost the battle for our souls, and both we and they know it. 


4. It is an act of faith

Ever wonder why it says in scripture "Let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His Name"? (Hebrews 13:15)  This verse tells us to praise God whether we feel like it or not, so much so that it will actually be a natural act of discipline that takes place in the life of a believer. So why is this important?

Because our singing is representative of our faith that God is greater than our circumstances, and that our eyes are focused on Him, and not on the earthly difficulties that surround us (Colossians 3:1-4). In the 2 Chronicles 20 passage referred to earlier, King Jehoshaphat put the choir in front of the soldiers as his tangible act of unwavering faith in God's promise to bring them victory over their enemies. And It is because of this faith that God answered Him so quickly.

In Acts 16:25-26 we find that Paul and Silas sang hymns even though they were chained and in prison. They didn't know how long they would be there, or even if God was calling them to martyrdom in the days ahead, but their trust in God was so great that they were able to continue to joyfully praise Him for all His profidence, come what may, both present and future. And what was God's response to their faithfulness? To bring about an earthquake that not only released them from jail, but gave them an opportunity to lead their jailor's whole family to the Lord. 


5. It is an act of thanksgiving

I recently took CPR courses. The first thing we learned is that we only perform CPR on dead people! And how do we know someone is dead? We check for a pulse, and for breathing. If that is absent, then CPR is simply a means of breathing for them, of keeping oxygen flowing to the brain until a defibulator is available to try to restart the heart. Breathing is the way we get oxygen to all parts of our body, and that is how we live!

William Arthur Ward wrote "God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say 'thank you'?"  Anyone who has taken singing lessons know that singing is all about breathing, being conscious of your breath and how you do it. And how do we know we are alive?  Because we are breathing! 

Genesis 2:7 tells us that it is God who breathed into us this breath of life --- our presence here on earth is a direct result of God purposing us to be here. Everytime I sing, I am conscious that it is the breath of God that has given me this gift of life, and I am so grateful for it.

Psalm 150 commands us to praise God by saying "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."  In other words, if you are alive, praise Him!  Don't take for granted this gift of existence, this gift of opportunity God has given you to spend all of eternity with Him, who loved you enough to give His own life in sacrifice for yours.


And so we sing, together, in faith, in thanksgiving, in hope, in power. Amen!