Singing the Psalms - God's Missiological Strategy
Singing the Psalms - God's Missiological Strategy
Happy New Year!
Seeing the connection between singing the Psalms and the fulfillment of God's mission on earth has birthed a renewed vision for Psalm-singing in my heart. Presenting on the topic for a devotional two weeks ago at my wife's work retreat, to a team that is devoted to deeply studying the Psalms, was an incredibly meaningful experience. I hope the truths contained in my speaking notes, presented below, encourage you as much as they do me.
My speaking notes:
Missions exist so that God will receive all praise and prayer on earth and God has always spread His mission in environments of worship and prayer. In Genesis, Abraham built altars around the land promised to him and "called on the name of the Lord" in those areas. In Exodus, God led the Israelites away from Egypt with a joyous song extolling His power and protection. In 1-2 Samuel, the "man after God's own heart" established night-and-day worship and prayer in the sanctuary, hiring 4,000 musicians and 288 singers. The psalter you study so diligently was birthed in that atmosphere.
In the New Testament, we see that Paul and Silas were supernaturally released from prison while singing hymns, likely the same songs of praise and deliverance we find in the psalter today. In early church history, some of the most radical movements to fulfill God's mission on earth came from groups that devoted themselves to continual prayer and worship. What did they largely use during these times? The Psalms. They sang the Psalms. Groups, from St. Patrick's disciples to the Moravians, some of whom sold themselves into slavery to reach slave colonies with the Gospel, started 24-7 prayer and worship using the Psalms.
In God's plan, prayer and missions always go together. In 1999, God inspired two groups to begin praying 24-7, a group of students in England and a group of young people in Kansas City. These small movements catalyzed tens of thousands of similar prayer rooms across the earth. 24-7 prayer has grown from a rarity to a common occurrence in the major cities on earth. Who knows what important event in Bible translation history happened in 1999? Vision 2025. The major Bible translation agencies realized that Bible translation would take another 150 years if they did not pick up the pace. So, they vowed to begin a translation in every language by 2025. God catalyzed an increase in prayer for missions at the same time he began inspiring missionaries to do more. Now, according to Sebastian Floor, the head of Psalms that Sing, a dramatically increased number of people groups all across the earth are asking for the Psalms so they can sing and pray them. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is no coincidence. God is equipping the church to fulfill His great commission. The day is drawing near. Soon, we will all sing a new song that ushers in the Lamb. Soon and very soon the righteous will gaze at the face of the Lord (Ps 11) and His name will be on their foreheads (Rev 22).
All of this brings us back to singing the Psalms. The resources you make are part of God bringing His songs to the hearts of all nations—and we, brothers and sisters, are part of those "all nations." I lay before you now the invitation to answer God's call to sing the Psalms. While using metered Psalters has great benefits, I suggest that you also attempt to make your own songs of the Psalms. Bear with me, as I share a little vision for the benefits of devotionally singing the Psalms.
- Singing the Scripture gets it inside of us in a different way. Making songs that bring out the original artistry of the Scripture does this even more deeply. During this process, we connect all our knowledge of the passage with our ability to express the passage appropriately. This results in a deep emotional connection with that section of Scripture. In essence, we go from looking at the Psalmist singing to walking with them as they sing. Their joy becomes our joy; their pleading our pleading; their indignation our indignation; their creativity our creativity—their experience of God our experience of God.
- The intellectual and heart-level connections we make while attempting to express the Psalms through songs foster deep spiritual maturity. In addition, it may also foster better scholarship. Sometimes you will get a tune in your head that you can't get out—I still have a tune for Psalm 2 stuck in my head that I came up with years ago. Beyond that, you will also find gaps in your scholarship through this process. If you can't figure out what parts to emphasize, what parts to connect, or how to section out the Psalm, then you know you have more work on your hands.
Instructions
I suggest following these steps to begin making your own rendition of a Psalm: - Choose a Psalm that you've already worked on - Choose 1-2 verses to bring to life through singing - Start by working the verses into a rhythm or melody - Once comfortable with the verses, try to bring out the emphasis and emotion in them using your voice. - Ideas to play with: - Dramatic pauses - Changes in rhythm, volume, or key - Change wording to increase the aesthetics of the Psalm
My Challenge for You
Make your own rendition of one of your favorite Psalms—it could be a life-changing experience!
References
- A history of the 24-7 prayer group in Britain.
- A brief history of 24-7 prayer, from the OT to modernity.
- Mike Bickle's speaking notes on the convergence of the missions and prayer movements.
- Call2All, A large missions agency that tracks both outreach programs and prayer movements.
- 24-7 prayer for Bible translation.
- Photo credit.