Feb 18, 2021… The Power of Singing

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 49 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in song and lyrics from the group Hllsong singing … Sing To the Lord…  Poignantly singing of how we, as God’s family, are called to sing our praises to the Lord. 

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Highlight Passage:  Psalm 147:1  [ESV] ... 

1 Praise the Lord, … For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. 

… As God’s chosen, we are to look to our Lord first when we’re in desperate situations.          

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Highlight Passage [Context]: …  Psalms 147:1-7 [ESV] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… God, the Psalmists, charges believers to sing our praises to the Lord.  

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Reference Passage: …  Psalm 100:1-2  [ESV] ... 

1   Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2  Serve the Lord with gladness!  Come into His presence with singing! 

…  Singing songs of thanksgiving to our Lord. 

Reference Passage: … Ephesians 5:19 [ESV] … 

19 … addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, … 

…  Paul knew the power of God’s people joining to sing praises to the Lord. 

Reference Passage: … Colossians 3:16 [ESV] … 

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

…  Paul remembered Jesus promise that God’s empowering grace was enough to handle any of life’s trials or pains.  

Reference Passage: …  James 5:13 [ESV] ...

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.   

…  God’s word, from James, shows the healing power of singing to the Lord. 

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Patricia Raybon, AT THIS LINK   … tells of how a former opera singer with severe dementia, who did not recognize family or seldom spoke, was awakened to remember others and former situations after she was exposed to music she recognized.  Hearing the music she would join in singing it and then conversed with others joyfully. 

Years ago, as a speech/language pathologist specializing in the neurology of communication, I learned the power of joyful music, especially songs accompanied by meaningful lyrics, to activate the entire brain, which was the reason behind the opera singer with Alzheimer’s in this ODB piece experiencing an awakening of brain function when exposed to singing.  

Anybody who reads my devotionals daily will see that I ALWAYS link the reader to a song which exposes or enhances the meaning of the devotional about which I’m journaling.  And I do that to have the reader “tuned up” neurologically to what God has given me to share that day.

So, … today … I pray that you’ve take in the YouTube of the linked song … and maybe even sang along … so that you will see the reason why God calls us to sing our thankfulness and our praises to our Lord.  

PS - If you’re interested in more video evidence of the power of music to awaken the brain … USE THIS LINK to see a former ballerina, now with Alzheimer’s, come alive when exposed to music from the ballet - Swan Lake.  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for giving us music which helps us come to You with singing to awaken our joy. 

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray that all reading here will join me, … to use music to help us praise our Lord with joyful thankfulness.    … Amen 

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.