Music has always had a unique way of communicating to the heart and soul of a person where mere words alone cannot. Music inspires, motivates, gets our blood pumping before a big game and allows us to focus and calm down. It has a great power over our emotions and state of being. I believe this to be one reason that people have sang songs of worship and praise to God! Going back to the Old Testament we can see the lyrics of songs that Moses, David, Solomon, and others sang to God. I wish we knew the tune and had sheet music to go along with it, but I believe we have the most important part; the lyrics.

Don’t get me wrong, I love music! I was in band through middle and high school, I play a little guitar, and I absolutely love music!! When it comes down to the most important part though it must be the words we sing to God. How often at church or in the car have you thought about the words you’re saying to God as you sing along? Do they really come from your heart as an offering to God, or merely words coming out of your mouth as something to do as your drive or supposed to do at church?

I could go on talking about music and worship for a while, but the point of this is to mention my song for 2016. I know, that may sound odd, but I heard this song a few weeks ago and as I listened to the lyrics, and finally looked them up, this is what I want my song, my prayer, to be to God this year. (You can find the song on YouTube at the bottom)

In Lauren Daigle’s song First, she talks about bringing who we are to God first before our cares and worries and needs. She talks about listening to God before we speak, knowing his joy in times of pain, and more than anything simply wanting God and to know him. Seeking and keeping God first more than anything because he is our great treasure and reward, not what he does for us, not his blessings, but he himself, God is our treasure and reward. That is the attitude I want to have this year. I want my needs before God in prayer to be an afterthought. I simply want to know and be known to God. I don’t want anything, yes, ANYTHING, to come before that. There are so many other things going on in life with work, school, relationships with family and friends, and daily needs that it is so easy to get distracted from the simple, most important, only consistent aspect of my life, God. This year, more than just merely keeping God first, I want my needs and wants to come secondary to knowing him and being known by him. That is the part the needs to be first for me. What about you?

For me, it means that I am going to make a special effort to simply be silent before I pray and listen. That daily time in the Word must take a priority and hopefully becomes something that happens more than just once a day. It means prayers begin with honoring and admiring who God is and what he has done for me and my family. It means that I will pray thanking God for thing people and things in my life instead of asking for anything except wisdom and his direction in my life. What does it mean for you?