February 13

We all seem to have trouble with prayer. Are we praying “right”? I can get hung up sometimes asking myself, is my prayer good enough for God? One of the things that helps me sometimes is to sing my prayer using  familiar hymns or songs. It can be powerful just to sing the same words or verse over and over again sort of like of a mantra. 

St Augustine suggested that hymn singing is praying twice. Singing causes us to breathe deeper and stretch to reach the high and low notes. The important thing is that we are communicating with God, and singing is one way to do that, so we are indeed praying to God. God doesn’t care what kind of voice we have, just that we are singing to Him!

Consider the second verse of the hymn “Breathe on me Breath of God”:

Breathe on me breath of God

Until my heart is pure

Until with Thee, I will one will

To do and to endure

Is it not a pleading prayer? If you don’t want to sing it, then consider saying it aloud as a prayer.

Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the Earth. Psalm 96:1

Gracious and Loving Father,

Help us not to be afraid to pray the wrong way, but just simply take the time to talk or sing to You. Amen.