The Bible repeatedly encourages the people of God to “sing a new song”:
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts (Psalm 33:3, ESV).
Oh sing to the Lord a new song (Psalm 96:1, ESV).
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! (Psalm 98:1, ESV).
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! (Psalm 149:1, ESV).
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth (Isaiah 42:10, ESV).
To some, this means being open to new music in worship services, but others practice—and recommend—singing spontaneous prayers to God, in both private and public settings.
Carrie, a friend of mine who lives in Missouri, describes learning to sing new prayer songs like this: “I would begin by singing a song I was learning then would find myself singing out of an overflow in my heart. Things I didn’t plan to say—and sometimes didn’t even know—would come pouring out of my mouth. I started to understand the Bible in ways I never did before. Connections between different stories and words in Scripture began to be apparent as I sang them. I found the Word intertwining with my heart and mind like never before. Later I would open to a psalm or to another Scripture that was on my heart, pick a few chords on my guitar, and just sing it as a launch pad. I would put up my sail and see where the wind would take me. Almost always I ended up somewhere I hadn’t planned on being. It was exhilarating.”
Judy, from Ohio, says a key for her is keeping it simple. “I open my mouth and just start singing. My songs are a thankful expression from my heart. Sometimes I sing Scriptures and songs from church…. Just as a child might say, ‘I love you, Daddy, more than the whole wide world,’ I sing the thoughts the Holy Spirit gives to me. And usually I can’t find the perfect words of adoration to express my thoughts, so I sing in the Spirit and rely on Him for the language and tune.”
Rachel, a worship leader from Florida, says she grew up in a church where singing spontaneous prayer songs was encouraged, so she began at a young age and has practiced it ever since. She offers a few simple pointers for anyone who wants to try singing a new song:
1. Ask God to put a song in your heart. Pray for the grace to “sing a new song” to Him.
2. Start with a psalm or Bible prayer and put a melody to it. If you play an instrument, play and sing. A simple three or four chord progression works well.
3. As you sing it, turn it into a prayer. Use your own words. Expand on the thought. Begin to dialog with the Lord about what He’s saying through that passage.
4. Don’t be afraid of simplicity and repetition. Sometimes repeating a single word or a short phrase helps you to let go and focus and give your heart over to the song. And something changes.
5. If it feels awkward at first, stay with it. Be patient. Don’t give up. The song itself isn’t the point; the presence of the Lord is.
