Praise and Worship Songs
Tom
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Song Writing Inspiration (Twitter Poll Results)
Feb 19th
Song Writing Inspiration
Sometimes as song writers we go through dry spells, where no matter how hard we try or how long we sit at our piano or guitar – nothing comes out. It is like we have run empty of creativity and can’t seem to find inspiration anywhere.
But then again, sometimes it is the complete opposite. I can go through times where I can write a new song each day for a whole week (not saying they are all good). This got me thinking about why this happens. Why do we seem to through these cycles of constant inspiration then no inspiration. Why can I sit down with my guitar and write the majority of a song in 20min, where everything seems to flow so easily, and then not be able to write anything new for a month?
It all comes back to inspiration, so I put the question out to the @IHeartWorship Twitter followers, to see where they drew they inspiration when it comes to song writing.
Where Do You Get Inspiration For A Song?
LaCyn@IHeartWorship anywhere and everywhere. God can inspire me no matter what I’m doing.
Alejadukes2006@IHeartWorship personal time with God, relationships, people, just people in the street.
ViMad@IHeartWorship the inspiration source is God but the nature, the society ,the situations inspires us to write songs with content to worship
emmanuelgee@iheartworship I get it from moments in my life, and/or what God has spoken to me. Just pray
The thing that I love about all these answers is that it always came back to two things, LIFE and GOD.
LIFE and GOD
Everywhere that we look, every moment of our day, we encounter people, problems, beauty, love, hope, despair, rejection, affliction, persecution, hope, justice, injustice, the joy of a new friendships, the loss as someone departs from our lives. Everyday we are given countless opportunities to see not only the result of man’s sin and the impact that it has had on our world, but also the beauty of seeing God’s grace, His mercy, His love and His hope shining into these situations as His people carry on the work that He started. There is inspiration for songs everywhere, but are you open to seeing them? You have to allow God to open your eyes and soften your heart to what is going on around you.
My Story Of Inspiration
I great example of this was recently when I was in Canada. I was watching a documentary on MTV about the poverty in Africa and my heart just started to break seeing the lack that they had. How whole countries were starving while we sit in the comfort of our homes.
So as I am watching this documentary, I start crying out to God, “What can I do? I need to do something!” As I am praying this they do a close up of this one young African boy and something just grabs me. Now I have seen a lot of ads and documentaries about Africa as it’s a passion of mine, but never has an image been so burnt into my mind. The hurt in his eyes burnt into my soul, and suddenly these lyrics start pouring into my head and by the end of the documentary I had the majority of this song written with music!
So Far Away
[v 1.]
As I look into your eyes my heart is breaking
I am moved,I am moved
Standing on the outside looking in
What can I do, What can I do[chorus.]
You’re so far away
It feels like there is world’s in between us
But I see your pain and I know I must try
To reach out to you[v 2.]
As I look and see you smiling despite your pain
I am moved, I am moved
The face of countless millions needing us now
But what can I do, what can i do[chorus]
You’re so far away
It feels like there is world’s in between us
But I see your pain and I know I must try
To reach out to you[bridge]
I can’t sit in comfort while millions are dying
I can’t pretend everything is alright
With young children fighting and so many dying
This injustice has gone on to long[chorus]
You’re so far away
It feels like there is world’s in between us
But I see your pain and I know I must try To reach out to you
You’re so far away
But my heart won’t let you go
Now I know that this song won’t help feed that young boy, but what God did was allow me to express exactly how I was feeling at that time so that every time I come back and read those lyrics, or jump on my guitar and start playing that song, I will be taken straight back to the place that I wrote it and remember the promise that I made that day and know that even though I probably can’t reach that one boy, he is the face of millions that I can help.
Have you ever been inspired so strongly to write a song? I’d love to hear your story. So please leave a comment below!
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Your Team Has Won – Why Aren't You Celebrating?
Feb 18th
I had quite a late night (or should I say morning). You see, I am a massive football fan and with the World Cup quickly approaching, the final qualifiers are well underway. Now I am from Australia, so the Socceroos are who I support (If you don’t follow football, just stick with me – I have an interesting point) had an important game this morning at 2am – if they won or even drew the game, they won their place in the 201 World Cup in South Africa.
Being as the game was so late, concentration was difficult – and my mind started to wander. I starting thinking about how passionate true supporters of sporting teams actually are. Have you ever been to a sporting event live to see the fanatics – you know, the group of people who all dress in team colours, love a good chant and seem to get really passionate about their team? I have! In fact this picture is of me at one of the earlier World Cup qualifiers that I actually got to see live.
Fanatical Supporters Know How To Celebrate
Now you would think that during the game that the supporters got as crazy as they could and then when the game finished they would all just quieten down and head home – not so! When their team scores – there is celebration, when an opposing attack is thwarted -there is celebration and when their team wins, sleeping is the last thing on their mind.
They will billow into the streets dancing and singing, being loud and uninhibiting – AND THEY DON’T CARE! They tell everyone one they meet what has happened – they can’t help it.
Do You Show This Much Passion For ‘Your Team’?
I find it funny, actually quite sad, that as Christians we can get so excited about our local sporting team. We will dance and cheer, scream and yell. But when it comes time to praise God in church, we think we are going over the top with a bit of foot tapping (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get the point).
We are a part of God’s team! And you know what?
Our Team Has Already Won!
Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening
and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage,
its destructive power.
But now in a single victorious stroke of Life,
all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone,
the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!- – 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (MSG)
Try and tell me that isn’t something worth shouting about? How can you stand still and not want to jump up and down and dance like crazy when you read those words!
I don’t believe people when they say, ‘That’s just not me. I’m praising on the inside.’
Personally I would consider myself very reclusive. I prefer to keep to myself and am not that out going. But, when it comes to God and singing out what He has done for me and how great He is, I cannot help but to shout. I cannot help but to jump around. It is like something inside of my sparks and suddenly I’m not dancing and shouting in a room full of people, I am worshiping and praising my God at His throne – and that is all I care about.
David Got This
This has to be one of my favourite stories in the bible, and really highlights the two types of people when it comes time to praise God corporately. It is the story of David bringing the Ark of The Covenant back to Jerusalem.
12 Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, 15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. – - Samuel 6:12-15 (NIV)
David had seen the power of the Ark, and how it had blessed Obed-Edom’s household. He was so excited to bring this power and blessing back to Jerusalem. (Something worth getting excited about. Wouldn’t you agree?) And David definitely got excited! He started dancing before the LORD – in his under garments! The Message versions says that David “Danced with great abandon before the LORD”
I love the picture that this scripture paints, because it takes me back to the image of the fanatical supporter after their team has won – running down the streets, dancing and shouting. Letting everyone know that they are celebrating.
That is exactly how we should be!
Acting Like This Will Upset A Few People…
As you continue to read on from that passage another person comes into play, David’s wife Michal.
Let’s take a look at how she reacts to Davids praise:
16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart… vs16
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” vs20
Michal didn’t grasp a hold of this at all (Who knows…maybe she is a two-tapping praiser). As she watched David dancing, she couldn’t see his heart behind it all. Instead all she could think was how this was going to affect her reputation, she can already hear her friends gossiping about this.
I think that this is a major reason why a lot of people cannot give God their uninhibited praise. They are too worried about how it makes them look – but it’s not about them. This is why I love Davids reaction.
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” vs 21
He knew that the offering of praise that he was giving was only what God deserved, and he was willing to ‘become even more undignified’ to the point of humiliation to praise his God for all that He has done.
David understood that people would not look at him strange, or considering him weird (well not those who understood). Instead they would look up to him for praising God so freely. And I think that as you step into passionate praise that you unknowingly give those around you permission to do the same.
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Love Is All We Need!
Feb 17th
8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. - – Romans 13:8-10
God had given the Israelite 10 commandments after coming out of Egypt. These were given as basic “lowest acceptable level” type rules that God put in place to esure a happy and blessed life for His people.
As you continue to read through the Old Testament and into the New Testament you start to realise that these laws are constantly being broken by God’s people – and even continue to be today.
So Paul decided to try and make things a little simpler when he said, “The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus put it this way in Mark 12:28:
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”
So what Jesus and Paul are both trying to say is, “All we need is love.”
To follow God’s commandments, we need to: More >
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Life Is Short – Enjoy The Dance!
Feb 17th
SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask: How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won’t last.
Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say, “Hi”?
You better slow down.
Don’t dance too fast.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.
Hear the music.
Before the song is over.
~ David L. Weatherford
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You Are – Hillsong Albums & Songs
Feb 13th
One of the things that I love about Hillsongs music is their lyrics focus on God – with a lot of their songs including the phrase ‘you are’. Hillsong knows that the most power worship songs are those lifting God up, not focusing on us.
Today I want to take a quick look at a few You Are Hillsong Songs: (including excerpts of lyrics)
You Are – Hillsong Albums Hope
You ask me who do I
Say that You are and I
Say that You are the Christ
Son of the Living God
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Life Is A Fleeting Breath, But Is Life Meaningless?
Feb 12th
4 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Selah 6 Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. 7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. 8 Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools. - – Psalms 39:4-8
David here questions the purpose of life – just as his son Solomon does years later.
David states, “Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro.” while Solomon puts it a little bit more bluntly when he says, “Life is meaningless.” But they are both in the same situation , wondering what is the purpose of their lives. Do we really matter in the scope of eternity? With our lives being so miniscule in relation to eternity – a drop in the ocean of time, then what is really important?
I love what David asks of God in verse 4:
“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.”
Our lives on earth are limited . From the moment of our birth we are like an hourglass and the grains of sand are quickly passing with each moment. Yet we still get caught up in the little meaningless things and forget what is really important.
David realised this and knew that if he could really grasp how brief his time on earth really was, then he would start to find out what was really important in his life.
Have you ever had a near death experience or know someone who has?
Notice how almost instantly their priorities change? Thigs that were important are tossed to the side as they chase the dreams they were to afraid to live. They always seem to ‘get their lives in check.’
David mentions the meaningless of wearch in verse 6, just as Solomon does in Ecclesiastes 5. He also casts aside these as meaningless as well:
- Wisdom 16 I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. - – Ecclesiastes 1:16-17 More >
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