4 Powerful Things To Do When Praying With Music

Over the last month, I have found that praying with music is one powerful way to make your requests and feelings known to God.

I want to share with you not only why this is such an incredible way to pray but teach you how you can pray with music when times are tough. 

Why You Should Pray with Music

1. Praying with Music Makes Things Personal

Music can be both our prayer to God as well to show our affection to him.  In fact, St. Augustine once stated that “in praise there is speaking forth of one confession; in singing, the affection of one loving”.   Now days, people simply shorten this quote by saying that to “sing is to pray twice”. 

Music has a way of getting us deeply involved with prayer in mind, body, and soul.  It helps us to become more involved with prayer than we could if we simply recited words. 

2. Praying with Music Sparks Creativity

Praying with music gets our creativity flowing.  When this happens, we can begin to grow in the knowledge of God as our creator.   

We can enjoy the creative experience of praying with music instead of being worried about what we should pray about.

3. Using Music can Help Us Pray When We Don’t Have the Words to Say

Over the last month, I have been through some very difficult circumstances I never thought I would find myself in.  Sometimes, I didn’t even have the words to express my thoughts or feelings.  

More often than not, all I could do was turn on a good worship song like Chain breaker or See a Victory and cry.  

Music is a great way to pray to God when you don’t have the words to say.  

Speaking of praying without words, do you ever feel like you must talk to God for him to understand? This is not the case. The Bible says that when we don’t have the words to say, the Holy Spirit will pray to God for us. How cool is that?

How to Use Music for Worship

1. Sing Along to the Song

To pray with music, simply turn on your favorite worship song and sing along to it. Allow your heart to praise the Lord as you sing the lyrics out loud.

2. Read the Lyrics

How many times have you been in church and sung along with the hymn out of habit or obligation? I don’t know about you, but I have heard hymns so many times that I don’t even think about the words.

Instead of just singing along to your favorite hymn, print out the words and mull over them. Read them out loud, think about why these words are so important to you and what they are teaching you about God. One of my favorite hymns to do this with is Great Is Thy Faithfulness.

3. Write Out the Song Lyrics

Who here keeps a Bible journal or a prayer journal and writes out what the Lord is teaching you? Why not write out some of your favorite song lyrics and why they speak to you or what how they have helped you get through hard times.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Suppose you start out by singing along to the music. You begin to just worship as the lyrics come across your lips. Don’t be afraid to put the worship song on repeat and just begin to praise.

Before you know it, you may find yourself so lost in worship you are unaware that music is even in the background.

Resources for You

Looking for some good worship songs that you can pray with? Here are a few of my favorites:

• Chain Breaker by Zach Williams
• Let My Words be Few by Phillips, Craig and Dean
• See a Victory by Elevation Worship
• Word of God Speak by Mercy Me
• Jesus Bring the Rain by Mercy Me
• Different by Micah Tyler

What are some of your favorite ways to use music as prayer? Got a worship song that you love to pray with? Let me know about how you use music as prayer or what songs you love in the comments below.