Churches all over the world have been told by governments that they must not sing together to stop the pandemic spreading. So churches must play our part in supporting governments and praying for all in authority as they struggle to protect the health of nations. But we must take great care as Christians that the church as a people does not lose its song. No government or virus must stop us praising God.
Whether we sing on our own in the shower or sing keeping all the rules of social distancing, each one of us needs to keep singing. We need to find a way through every obstacle that would shut our mouths and rob us of our joy. Singing of God’s goodness and greatness is central to Christianity. Praising God is part of who we are as the people of God. Rejoicing in the midst of hard times brings healing and hope.
Singing has tremendous power, both spiritually and physically. Academic studies have shown that when people sing, sound runs through the body, giving rise to positive emotions. It acts as a natural antidepressant by releasing endorphins, the feel-good chemical. Studies have also linked singing with improved mental alertness, memory and concentration through increased oxygenated blood to the brain. Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg found that changes in the brain during worship make people “nicer, more forgiving, and trustful.” The Israelites found great release when they sang with Moses and Miriam of their great deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The Psalms of the great King David are full of praises to God which frequently lifted him from great despair to great victories. No matter how much trouble you have faced or are facing, God wants you to sing with confidence of the best future He has for you (Isaiah 54:1).
Learning to sing praises to God, no matter how tuneful you may or may not be, is one of the great secrets of winning in life. There is such power, when we open our mouths, to declare the goodness of God when so much seems dark and depressing. A spirit of heaviness goes, and we are flooded with the light and presence of the Lord.
In the Bible the great apostle Paul and his colleague Silas also discovered the power of praise in the most difficult of circumstances. Acts 16 tells how they were violently and wrongfully put in prison when a mob attacked them. By any standards this was a rough and tough experience but they reacted by 'praying and singing hymns to God'. We learn some important lessons from this story about how we can overcome oppression and win in life through praising God:
1. Praise God in your prison (Acts 5:41; Psalm 34:1)
2. Praise God to see your prison changed (Acts 16:25)
3. Praise God to see your prison doors opened (Acts 16:26-34; 2 Chronicles 20:22)
Apply
Is your praise dependent on your circumstances? Do you continue to praise God in the midst of the challenges you are currently facing? Paul and Silas had every reason not to praise God. They had obeyed the Holy Spirit and seen God work powerfully through their ministry, but now they had been mobbed, stripped, brutally beaten, thrown into prison and their feet were locked down. But although they were bruised and bleeding, they were determined that no jailor, no prison, no negative circumstance would stop them expressing their inner joy. They knew Jesus had suffered too and that now He was right with them in their suffering, just as Peter and the apostles had before them (Acts 5:41). Their attitude was ‘Lord even here in this prison you’re with us and you know what you’re doing. Lord we trust you.' And so they began to freely sing their hymns of praise in their prison. We too need to praise God in all circumstances, especially difficult circumstances (Psalm 34:1). Whatever prison you are in right now, however much you may be restricted, decide to praise God. Sing of the great love and faithfulness of God. Make your prison a place of praise.
Are you ready to see your prison and the atmosphere around you change as you praise? Praise doesn’t just affect us; it also affects others near to us. Instead of the normal atmosphere within the prison of curses, shouting and bitter words, the prisoners heard songs of hope and joy (Acts 16:25). A very different spirit was being released as Paul and Silas sang their hymns. Our praises can change the atmosphere of our homes, our workplaces, our communities and our world. In the USA, Martin Luther King Jnr. witnessed the power of songs of faith when racist politicians and vicious police threw him and his fellow freedom marchers into prison in Birmingham, Alabama. There’s such spiritual power in praise that affects us and others, and which can totally change the situations in which we find ourselves.
Will you praise God until see your prison doors opened? The joyful singing of Paul and Silas paved the way for a violent earthquake, and their praises were accompanied by a great release of everyone’s chains, including the spiritual chains of the jailor who ended up getting baptised with all his family (Acts 16:26-34). Spiritually the powers of darkness are shaken when we refuse to sit in gloom and declare our praises to the Lord God of heaven and earth. In 2 Chronicles 20 there is a remarkable story of how Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, was hugely outnumbered by a ‘vast army’ that was coming to attack. Jehoshaphat and the people prayed and believed the prophets who told them that God would deliver them. And then, instead of being fearful as they saw their powerful enemies, they started singing and praising God. And that changed everything. 2 Chronicles 20: 22 says: ‘As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men on Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, who were invading Judah and they were defeated’. Every enemy you face will be defeated when you learn to praise the Lord in all circumstances. When you open your mouth to sing your praises to God, all kinds of wrong spirits will lift off you and the anointing of the Holy Spirit will be all over you. You may be locked up by circumstances and held fast in a prison of hurt, fear, depression and grief. But praising God will set you free. So today and every day, win by rejoicing in the goodness and greatness of God.
