Assuming you have been trying this approach to scripture meditation out for yourself, you have now reached the point where you are getting some revelation from God and things are beginning to flow for you. Your journal is filling up with amazing ideas and you feel like you are hearing God through His written word. Good for you!Now, we are going to try something that can be both wonderfully fulfilling and intimidating all at once. Step 4 is to take the phrases you are jotting down in your journal, particularly the ones that have lots of "life" on them for you right now and begin to sing them out. Yes, I said sing them :) Let me suggest some reasons why and then a practical way or two that you can go about doing this.
Singing, whether it be the scriptures or any written phrase, will do something for you on the inside that no other mechanic will accomplish. We have all had the experience of getting a song stuck in our head, but rarely does the same happen with a spoken phrase. Music has a way of staying with us, of making the ideas more familiar and much more memorable. Music can touch our emotions quickly. It can cause us to feel the idea and well as understand the content. It can be used for evil and it can be used for good. Most of all, it can be a vehicle into greater understanding of God and His word.
Incidently, there is much singing going on in heaven. A complete reading of the book of Revelation will show that singing was happening as the events of the end-times were unfolding. It was happening as they gazed on God and who He was in His complexity. They declared in song the goodness of God and the brilliance of His leadership, even as judgements were being poured out on the earth and many people were dying. It is the future, frankly...those who can see Him and the wisdom of His leadership will sing as the day of His appearing draws closer. Clearly, God both enjoys and sanctions the use of singing in the activity of prayer and searching for understanding.
Even more powerful than hearing music, however, is the act of actually singing it out yourself. Somehow, this step, when done with an engaged heart in prayer (in its simplest form, this is talking to God), causes us to connect in a way that involves deeper parts of who we are. Our emotions are touched. Our rational thoughts connect with the feeling side of our soul. We hear ourselves singing truth, with the Spirit interacting with our efforts, and it takes us deeper into knowing God for ourselves.
Doing this, however, is often a challenge for a few reasons. Unless you have a house of prayer that engages in corporate worship for hours on end, you may have trouble engaging in this step in a "live music" setting. Most Sunday morning worship times are designed for you to actually sing what the leader is singing and not go off on your own themes. The folks sitting nearby will not appreciate your sung efforts at Psalm 27:4 or anything else if that is not what is happening in the room.
The next best thing to a live worship setting is a recording of your favourite worship music. I suggest something slower and more devotional in content to begin as you are going to feel you need space at first. This step will be difficult if the band is rocking and the theme is celebrative. Look for something that moves your heart when you listen to it or when you sing it in a church setting. Here is what it could look like:
-for a start, take your ipod or favourite worship cd in the car with you for a long drive
-pick your song and begin to sing along with it...this will get you used to hearing yourself sing out, usually one of the biggest obstacles for most people.
-assuming your are engaging your heart with God via the song, launch out with some spontaneous phrases of your own in the spaces or even over top of what is being sung. Again, a good choice of song will allow for more space and easier entry points here.
-Be real in this! It is too easy to fall into cliches and not really say what is in your heart. Anyone can sing "blessed be the name of the Lord" over and over, but if it is not real to you it is best to avoid it as the central theme of your singing.
-Now what about the written phrases in your journal, you say?? Now would be a bad time to get the journal out and search for a good phrase (you are driving, after all). Instead, be free and spontaneous this first time. It will cause you to see quickly that you will run out of language to express your heart. When you arrive home, take out the journal and begin to get some of your favourite phrases into your thinking. Prepare yourself for your next singing time.
-If you are alone in your home, you can join all of this together easily. With the music on and your heart engaged, you can go through steps 1-4 with a natural flow that will allow this to be an expression of love and not a structured mechanism that restricts your efforts.
It may sound awkward, but give it a try anyway. You will be surprised at how the truth of the word will stay with you and how much you will feel what moves you as you sing it out before the Lord.
One step to go....
Blessings,
Brian Creary
Ministry Director
