Graceful Growth

Sinking our roots more deeply every day in the soil of God's love.

  • Home
  • Counseling
  • Blog
  • Publications
  • Videos
You are here: Home / Juanita Ryan / Singing Love Songs to God as Prayer

Singing Love Songs to God as Prayer

October 1, 2018 By Juanita Ryan 2 Comments

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
The Lord is gracious and righteous,
our God is full of compassion.
Psalm 116:1,2,9

Sometimes prayer is a love song to God. It may be a song we sing, or words of gratitude we speak, or deep unspoken joy. As our eyes open to God’s faithful love, as our hearts take in the reality of God’s love more and more, we may find our spirits singing love songs to our Maker. These love songs can be our prayer.

Many of the psalms read like personal love songs to God. Many of them tell a story of a time when the psalmist experienced a great grief or desperate need. Often the suffering is described in some detail. And then, the story shifts. God acts. God rescues, heals, helps, saves. And the psalmist’s terrible distress is eased. Despair gives way to hope. Sorrow gives way to joy. And the psalmist sings songs of love to God.

Reading the psalms can teach us the language of the heart, the language of emotions, the language of love. Reading the psalms can give us words to express our own love songs to God.

Many of us have stories that are much like the stories told in the psalms. Many of us have experienced times of great grief or desperate need and have cried out to God for help. Many of us have experienced God acting in love to meet our personal need. Perhaps we didn’t even cry out to God. Perhaps we were unable to speak. But God acted. God’s light shown in our darkness, God’s kindness rescued us and gave us hope.

These moments of grace are moments of tender encounter with the living God. They change us. They alter the course of our lives. And our hearts have a need to sing about the love and gratitude we experience.

Let your heart sing its love songs to God. Sing your story of God’s personal love for you. Sing your gladness. Sing your gratitude. Sing your love and joy to God.

I was in desperate need,
sinking in a dark pit.
I cried out to you and waited for you.
And you acted.
You took my hand
and pulled me out of the pit.
You set me on a solid rock.
You rescued me.
You did for me what I could not do for myself.
And in it all I experienced more fully
your love for me.
I love you.
My heart sings with love for you.
I love you, God.
I love you.

Prayer suggestion:

Read a favorite psalm. Or begin reading through the psalms, learning this language of the heart.
As you are ready, write, or sing, or speak your own love song to God.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Comments

  1. Jackie Hamlett says

    October 6, 2018 at 6:43 am

    Lord, thank you for your love which is irresistable, immeasurable, full of grace and mercy. May I continue to pray for those whose hearts are closed, that you will aim a beam of light as bright and powerful as your love to let them know you also love them. Make yourself irresistable to us all, so we may find our forever home in you. Thank you Jesus

    Reply
    • Juanita Ryan says

      October 6, 2018 at 5:22 pm

      Jackie, thank you for this powerful, beautiful prayer. “Love which is irresistible, immeasurable, full of grace and mercy.” May we all come to know this love more fully. Amen.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Make a Payment

Search

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Books by Juanita









Bible Study Guides




Recent Posts

  • Note to Self: Remember those who love you and do what you love
  • Note to Self: Create an Advanced Directive
  • Note to Self: Include others in your economic life
  • Note to Self: Push back against depression
  • Note to Self: Practice self care

Recommended

National Association for Christian Recovery
Christian Recovery International

Copyright © 2023 | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | · Log in