Connecting to God Through Music
Music is such a powerful tool to connect us to God and has been throughout the ages. King David wrote the Psalm section as songs of praise unto God—and you can tell his mood in the different Psalms.
—from psalms of thanksgiving, praise, lament, courage, sorrow, anger, mourning, adoration, meditation.
1. Listen to
song about loss and almost crying—broken my heart
story—Let us all press on in the work of the Lord, “in the fight for right, let us wield the sword, the mighty sword of truth.” “Fear not. Though the enemy deride. Courage for the Lord is on our side.”
2. Sing or play
Happy journal entry from May 11, 2003—Played the piano “if you’re happy and you know it” Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” for my kids.
Journal entry just a few days later where we were having a hard day and the music I sang in an octet expressed my understanding of grief and sorrow.
3. Dance
Psalms 149:3 - Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Fun times dancing
Walking out of a concert—community college
How to Decide what Music is Uplifting
I use this scripture as a great deciding guide:
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Need increased connection with God?
Look at what you are listening to and choose music which will bring you closer to God.
Idea
Make a music favorites playlist
#tamarakanderson #storiesofhopeinhardtimes #podcast #hope #God #hardtimes #ConnectiontoGod #dance #upliftingmusic #happymusic #music#musicplaylist
Transcription
You can find the transcription of today's episode here: Tamara Anderson 0:04
Have you ever felt closer to God because of a powerful song or some music? Or maybe it was something that you saw performed? Or maybe it was something you were performing and or maybe it was dancing, too. Today we're going to talk about connecting to God through music and how that can forge a powerful connection. Whether we're happy or sad. Stay tuned.
Tamara Anderson 0:34
Welcome to stories of hope and hard times, the show that explores how people endure and even thrive in difficult times, all with God's help. I'm your host Tamra Kay Anderson. Join me on a journey to find inspiring stories of hope and wisdom learned in life's hardest moments. Hello, and welcome to another episode of tamaraws takeaways on the stories of hope and hard times podcast. I'm your host, Tamra K. Anderson. And today we're doing the seventh way to increase connection with God and that is connecting to God through music. And guys, I'm not going to say I saved the favorite for last, but I have a powerful connection to music. And I love what Hans Christian Anderson said, Where words fail, music speaks. And sometimes when you're feeling happy, or sometimes when you're feeling discouraged, or sad or angry. Music is a powerful way to express that or to feel like someone understands. If you hear music that is kind of jiving with where you are emotionally, or mentally at that moment. I grew up in a musical family, my mom grew up singing and was involved in a USO tour who went overseas and she got to see in Korea and China. To the servicemen there, my dad was in the top choir of his school. And so I grew up in a family where music was really, really important. My siblings and I all took piano lessons. I even took violin lessons, even though I was never very good at it. I never got beyond the screeching point. I say, jokingly, but I grew up singing. I remember when my mom was tucking me in when I was a little girl. I would ask her what that other part was, and, and I remember singing silent night and I sang the melody line and she sang the Alto. I just listened. How does that sound? How does that harmony sound. And so that was a fun memory. For me growing up. I remember my dad singing to us. In the mornings when I was a teenager, I my room was downstairs and he would march down the hallway. So that impacted all my siblings and those of us who were downstairs, and he would sing the hymns. And that was his way of waking us up and calling us to family prayer and scripture reading in the morning. And I remember times that I just put the pillow over my head, dad, you know. But it was fun. And it's a fun memory for me to look back on now. Because it was fun to be woken up that way even though I probably didn't appreciate it as much. My parents were super creative. Sometimes when we would argue as siblings, they would start singing a hymn that was called let us off to speak kind words to each other. And because all of my siblings and I were musical, if we were arguing or bickering if somebody started a song, it didn't matter what song it was, it could have been a Disney song, it could be a hymn could be an upbeat song. If somebody starts a song, even if we were halfway through arguing about something we're all chiming in and harmonizing and all that stuff. And
Tamara Anderson 4:06
it's interesting that they would often quelch arguments among us by singing and I've I was involved in choir in high school, I led choirs, it when we lived in Arkansas, and Texas, and even when we've been here in Utah. And so music has been a part of my life from the time I was just super little. And music is very, very powerful. And it can either connect us more strongly to God or it can disconnect us from God depending upon the type of music that we listen to, or perform with or whatever. And so as I teach these ways that we can connect to God through music, I want you to remember that be aware of the type of music you're listening to because it can either bring you up or it can bring you down. So be judicious about the type of music that you allow into your life. So praising God through music and connecting with God through music has been around for forever. King David, I mean, wrote, I don't even remember how many songs there are in the Old Testament. And King David wrote the Psalms, which are actually songs that he did in praise to God. So if you've ever had an emotion, then there's a psalm for that there are songs that talk about thanksgiving and praise. There's psalms that talk about mourning and lament. There's songs that talk psalms that talk about courage, adoration, meditation. So there are so many different psalms in the Old Testament that are part of David's way of praising God and connecting with him. And that was through poetry and music. So there are three ways I'm going to talk about connecting to God through music. And today, the first thing that we're going to talk about today is probably the most common in our society, and that is listening to music. I remember when I was a teenager, that I just went through a breakup, and there was a song playing on the radio. And it was about love and loss. And that song at that moment for me, was like a bomb to my broken soul. It was like God reaching in through the song, I was driving by myself in the car, it was dark outside. And I just remember that. There, I was sad and lonely. And it was like this song was speaking to me. And God was there with me in my broken heart. And I knew that whoever had written that song, and whoever performed that song, knew what it was like to have a broken heart. And so God took that moment to reach me through music. And so sometimes when we're listening to music, God will use that as a powerful way to kind of come into our heart and console us if we're feeling sad. More recently, I woke up a few weeks ago, and it was almost like Satan was on the attack. I don't know if you ever have those days where you feel like he's just dumping discouragement on your head. And I remember just feeling down and depressed. And I was, I was trying to do something positive that morning. And I just felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. And I was feeling so sad. And so I decided as I was driving, to my appointment, that I was going to listen to a powerful hymn that has inspired me and given me courage. And it happens to be a hymn called Let us all press on. And it's performed by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. And I listened to this twice as I was driving to this appointment. And by the end of the second time, I was crying, and I was motivated. Some of the words in this song are, Fear not, though the enemy derived courage for the Lord is on our side. Isn't that beautiful? So that song at that point kind of lifted me out of the gloom and of Satan attacking me, and kind of broke that power he was having over me. And I felt God with me because I was listening to this powerful song, even though I had to listen to it twice. So number one, connecting to God through music, you can do it through listening to music. The second way you can connect to God through music, is by singing it or playing it. And I've had so many experiences where singing music or playing music have been powerful. I've performed with choirs where the Spirit especially at Christmas time, I don't know what it is about Christmas music, but it's especially powerful. And, and the Christmas music would just touch hearts. It would bring peace, it would bring excitement. There are jubilant songs at Christmas time that I just I mean, you can start the opening strains of it. My whole soul goes Yes, I love this song.
Tamara Anderson 9:17
So singing it or playing it. And being involved in music is powerful. Now I know not everyone out there loves to sing or play. And if that's not you, that's totally fine. I'm just saying that. For me. These are powerful. Now I wanted to share with you from my journal, two instances where I felt the power of music by singing or playing it. And one was a fun and positive moment and one was where it was consoling me again. Let me share this with you. This is back in 2003 from my journal, and on one side of the page. It's Mother's Day It's May of 2003 and I wrote Happy Mother's Day, I am grateful to be a mother. I played the piano with my three boys tonight, it was so sweet. And I remember I used to do that I would sit down at the piano. And I'd play things like if you're happy, and you know, and they would clap their hands, and we'd play, I'd play head, shoulders, knees and toes, and they would do the actions with me. And so I would sing and play. And that was a fun way that I could even get my kids on the autism spectrum to interact with me. And it caused such joy in my heart. And so connecting to God through music sometimes means you're sharing it with others. And he blesses you with joy in your heart as you share that joy with others. Just later, it was literally the next Sunday, we're going to take a quick break. But when we get back, we'll have more lessons, tips and things you can apply to your life. Stay tuned. Are you looking for a gift for a friend, sister or mother who is really struggling right now and you're not sure what to get them? It's hard for me to sometimes find those gifts. And so today, I'm so excited to tell you about this booklet, The mothers might it's a perfect, simple, inexpensive gift you can give your friends, your family, your sisters, anyone that you want to share this story with. And it will be meaningful. It's not just a little piece of candy that they eat and forget, it's something they can read over and over again. Because so often we as women feel alone and overwhelmed and burdened, and like there's so many things weighing on our shoulders. And what I love about this story is that it points us to Jesus Christ in our times of trouble, that he understands us. He loves us. He knows what we're going through. And he is more than willing to help us bear that burden. And I love that about this story that it gives not only me hope, but it will convey that sense of hope for all of you. So get your copy of it today. Tamariki anderson.com/store, you can order one to 1020 however many you want, and we will get those to you so you can get them distributed. All right now on to our show. May 18 2003. This is my entry for that day. It was a hard day at church with Nathan, he screamed and cried through most of the meeting. Justin and I were both moved to tears. It is so hard. We sang in an octet. Lord, I would follow the and I had to try not to think too hard about the words so that I could stay composed during that song. What poignant words, quote, In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see. Find in the my strength, my beacon, and quote, I feel so weak, so overwhelmed. I feel like I don't know how to approach all this. I want to have hope. But I feel like my burden is heavy today. So sometimes, even when you're singing and performing and perhaps uplifting others, the words of songs will impact your soul. And you're sharing that I have sorrow like it describes in this song, and I'm barely holding it together. But singing or playing music not only helps connect you to God and help you feel him, but it also uplifts and encourages others. So connecting to God sometimes means helping and connecting with others as you sing or perform. Now the third way that you can connect with God through music is through dance. And I am not a super great dancer. So I'm not going to say that I am.
Tamara Anderson 14:00
But I love in Psalm 149. Three words says Let them praise his name in the dance. Let them sing praises to him with the timbrel and harp. So this verse right here encompasses both of those ways that we're talking about today, listening to singing and playing dancing. I remember when my children were little, especially my ones with autism, that music was a powerful way to get them involved because they couldn't communicate verbally. But I remember we would put on music and dance in the kitchen. And they love that and the sillier I dance the more they would laugh and interact with me. And so music can be a powerful way even for nonverbal people or people that don't even speak the same language. Dance can be a powerful way music can be a powerful way to connect and to praise God and to bring joy into our hearts and souls. Because God does want us to be happy. I remember taking a social dance class and a wall where I learned to Cha Cha and waltz in college. And that was fun. And even though I wasn't super great at it, I enjoyed learning these things, and they brought me joy. I also remember when my husband and I were pretty young in our marriage, and we didn't get away very often, we finally got a date. And we went to a local community college when we lived in California. And we went to a dance performance. And about halfway through the performance, a group got on and they were very scantily dressed. And they started dancing, really seductive. And I was just like, Oh, this isn't bringing me joy, it isn't bringing me peace, I'm feeling kind of uncomfortable watching this. So my husband and I actually left. And so that kind of goes back to what I was saying at the beginning that sometimes we can connect to God through music, and it brings us closer to him. And sometimes there's other music and dances that are going to detract us from him. And so don't be embarrassed if you have to walk away or walk out or turn the music off or skip that song. Because the whole goal of this segment that I've been doing is to increase our connection with God. So that we're more happy, we're more joyful. And we're, we have a stronger connection with him. So you may be wondering, well, Tamra, how do I choose how do I judge between what's going to bring me closer to God and what's going to bring me farther away from him with music or dance? There's a verse and Philippians, that were Paul talks about how we can judge whether a thing is going to bring us closer to God or not. He says this, Finally, brethren, and all add, sisters, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever, things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever, things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report. If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. And so I love those words, true, honest, just pure, lovely, good report, virtuous, praiseworthy, these are the things that are going to bring us closer to God. Whether it's reading, whether it's music, whether it's creating, the things that are going to bring us closer to God are things that follow that verse in Philippians. So that should help you be able to decide if whatever you're doing, or whatever you're watching, or whatever you're listening to, is going to bring you closer to him or not. So if you're needing increased connection with God, I invite you to take a better look at what you're listening to at where you're going at what you're doing. And choose those things that are going to increase your connection to God. Perhaps you'll feel inspired to make maybe a favorites playlist for music to listen to when you're feeling sad, or when you need to feel uplifted. Or maybe you have a workout track that you listen to when you're exercising. But choose music that will bring you closer to God and increase your connection to him. So that you will feel more full of hope, or full of love, more full of the fruits of the Spirit, which our love, joy, peace, long suffering, goodness, faith, if you need more of that in your life, then keep connecting to God in a powerful way, both through music, but through all the other seven ways that we've talked about over the last few months, through our devotionals through nature, through creating, through writing, through healing, through going to church. And this final one through music, of course, connect with God. It's powerful, and it can have a powerful effect upon your soul as you choose daily to do things which increase your connection to him. Remember, God loves you, and he wants to connect with you. And it's your choice, how much and how quickly and how often you connect to him. If you want to get the downloadable PDF of those seven ways. You can get it on my website in today's show notes. So thank you for joining me today. And hope on. Hey,
Tamara Anderson 19:44
thanks so much for listening to today's show. If you like what you heard, subscribe so you can get your weekly dose of powerful stories of hope. I know there are many of you out there who are going through a hard time and I hope you found useful things that you can apply to your own life in today's podcast. If you'd like to access the show notes of today's show, please visit my website stories of hope podcast.com. There you will find a summary of today's show, the transcript and one of my favorite takeaways. You know, if someone kept coming to mind during today's episode, perhaps that means that you should share this episode with them. Maybe there was a story shared or quote, or a scripture verse that they really, really need to hear. So go ahead and share this podcast. May God bless you, especially if you are struggling with hope to carry on and have the strength to keep going. When things get tough. Remember to walk with Christ and He will help you bear the burden. And above all else, remember, God loves you
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