You know what an “earworm” is, right? It’s a song that—once you hear it—you can’t forget. You may not even like it, but that doesn’t matter. It drills down into your subconscious and takes root, and you will find yourself singing it all day long, even for days at a time, until you wish you could tune to a different mental radio station.
Whether you are prone to earworms or not, a simple daily practice can have profound results on your prayer life—and thus on your life in general.
It’s as simple as deciding on a “morning song” that will establish the frame of mind you want in the morning and an “evening song” to strike the right chords in the evening. Once you do that, your morning song and evening song provide a “go to” moment of prayer whenever you need it as well as a sturdy defense against those inane and irritating earworms.
Here’s how it works. What is a memorable and uplifting song that will get your day started off right—or get it back on track when it starts to go off the rails? It can be a hymn or worship song but it doesn’t have to be.
For example, my “morning song” is “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” a hymn that includes the line, “Morning by morning new mercies I see.” It never fails to turn my thoughts toward God and stir up gratitude in my heart—a great way to start the day. I might hum it while I’m brushing my teeth or pouring my coffee. I might play one of many versions on my iPhone.
Throughout the day, of course, I’m likely to hear other songs that get stuck in my head. That’s not a problem of course, unless it’s a song I don’t like or one I once liked but am now sick and tired of. Either way, though, it’s okay. The moment I find myself singing an earworm, I simply change the channel in my head to “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” and my mind and spirit are back on track.
Something similar happens with my evening song, “If On My Soul a Trace of Sin Remaineth,” to the tune of “Danny Boy” (believe it or not). No matter what other tunes I’ve heard during the day, that little chorus will quickly erase them and reprogram my mental synapses.
Why not try it right now, even before you finish reading this blog post? Ask yourself, what well-known and much-loved song could serve as your morning song? What music do you want to suggest to your brain before going to sleep? Make a mental note (yes, a note!). Once you decide that, every earworm you hear can be turned into an invitation to pray.
