We sing because….
S = Surrender.
Singing is an expression of worship and true worship is a surrendered heart and life. Romans 12 :1 says “and so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all that He has done for you. Let them be a living and Holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him” Worship through music can help to bring us to a place of surrender by softening our hearts and quieting our minds so we can receive God’s love and peace and submit to His leading in our lives.
I = Interaction…..
….with God and each other. Our God is relational!! When we sing together as a church family it is an opportunity to encourage and bless each other and collectively praise God. It provides a sense of unity and oneness, all praising God our Father as his precious children together. Psalm 95 says “Come let us sing praises to the Lord, Let us shout praises to the one who saves us. Come and worship Him with songs of thanks”.
N = Natural response….
…to knowing and loving God. Psalm 100 says “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come into His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God, and we are His!” AMEN!! However, this doesn’t only mean singing to God when we are feeling happy or full of praise. It means coming to God our Father in all circumstances….i.e. ‘just as we are’! Being genuine in our worship whether that be full of joy and praise or coming full of despair and confusion. There’s no pretence needed. Singing is one way that helps us to express what is in our heart. Sometimes it is in those difficult times, in our moments of despair, that surrendering to God and coming to Him through song can provide a powerful ‘meeting place’ for the Holy Spirit to speak directly into our situation.
G = Grow.
There are many worship songs that are full of spiritual truths and bible verses. We are creative beings with different personalities and for some, singing a worship song helps to embed biblical truths / verses in our minds and hearts, making it easier to understand and recall them.