It seems that every person has the ability to suddenly turn into a performer when they hear the right song. Music has this amazing ability to awaken something within all of us.
THE BIBLE IS MORE LIKE MUSIC THAN MATH.
God’s Word has the power to awaken something within our hearts. Religion tends to make the Bible more like Math than music.
The reality is that God’s Word reveals that God sings over us in Zepheniah 3:17. In light of this I personally believe God didn’t merely speak the word into existence. I believe God sang the world into existence!
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Psalm 33:6 "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made.”
If God’s song produced all creation then it makes sense that all creation has rhythm. On the smallest scale matter is made up of atoms and molecules that are always in motion to a certain rhythm. On the largest scale galaxies are always in motion to a certain rhythm. We are created with the ability to always be in motion to the rhythms of the spirit.
1 Thess 5:16-19 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ESV
We are told to pray without ceasing so it must be possible to never stop praying. It is interesting that Aaron was told to stir the coals for the incense in the morning and in the evening to ensure incense was burning 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ex 30:7-9 “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come." NIV
Then we see various parallels in Scripture aligning prayers with incense:
Rev 8:4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. NIV
Ps 141:1-2 I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. 2 May my prayer be set before you like incense... NIV
Rev 5:8 …Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. NIV
We have the capacity to walk in a constant state of communion with God 24/7. Once I shared a hotel room with Nathan Davis on a ministry trip. Before I fell asleep I heard him quoting the entire chapter of Romans 8. At first I just thought he was rehearsing verses as a nightly ritual before going to bed or something along those lines. Then I realized he was actually asleep and was quoting Bible verses in his sleep.
You and I are born to embrace and to express the rhythm of the spirit. Our breathing has a rhythm. Our hearts have a rhythm. Our cells have a rhythm. Everything about our design in the natural and in the spirit has rhythm.
In this season of focusing in on prayer it has been our desire for our church family to more readily cooperate with God’s rhythm. We can embrace patterns of prayer as a lifestyle and a legacy.
We express the sound of heaven when we embrace the song of God releasing an eternal legacy in the earth.
Everybody leaves a legacy. The decisions we make and the lives we live echo for hundreds of years into hundreds of thousands of lives.
The picture of Hugh Hefner next to Billy Graham makes such a huge statement about the decisions we make shaping the legacy we leave.
We Bring GP2RL:
Pray for specific people you are connected to and invite them to church.
DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY GROUP LEADERS
You may download a pdf file of the guide here.
DISCUSSION:
1. Share something about yourself that has changed for the better over time.
Pastor Lawrence explained the reasoning behind the idea that God very likely sang creation into existence with the following verses:
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. NIV
Psalm 33:6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made. NIV
Zeph 3:17 The LORD your God is with you… (He) will rejoice over you with singing. NIV
When we embrace the song of God we echo the sound of heaven in the earth. The decisions we make and the lives we live echo for hundreds of years into hundreds of thousands of lives.
1 Thess 5:16-19 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ESV
We have the capacity to embrace healthy rhythms that will result in a healthy legacy that we can leave in the earth. We are all in the process of becoming a more exaggerated version of ourselves.
DISCUSSION:
2. What are some healthy rhythms of your life that are contributing to a positive and healthy “future you”?
Consider taking some extra time this week to create a prayerful atmosphere of music. This can be as simple as playing a song or maybe a few songs from a phone, iPad or computer.
This would be a great time to ask everybody to just be quiet, listen to the song and consider any rhythms in their lives that are not pleasing to God. You can determine where to go from there but it can be a powerful thing to encourage everybody to simply posture their hearts in a place of listening and obeying the Lord.
You might even consider handing out small pieces of paper for people to write down unhealthy rhythms to be torn up as an expression of turning away from things. Or perhaps writing healthy rhythms they want to initiate that week so they can keep the pieces of paper as a reminder. Every morning they could place the paper on their pillow as they get up. Every evening they could move the paper from the pillow to their nightstand as they go to bed.
Here are a few verses you can consider reading or asking people to read as you devote a few minutes to being quiet before the Lord with a song playing.
Phil 3:10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him... (AMP)
2 Cor 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (NIV)
Isa 54:13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace. (NIV)
Prov 3:6 Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. (MSG)