SINGER POWER PRAYINGOF A A Devotional Booklet for Singers THE WINIFRED O. ABOLOJE
THE POWER OF A PRAYING SINGER A devotional Booklet for Singers ISBN: 978 - 978 - 50029 - 5 - 9 Published in Nigeria by Holy Trinity Printing Press, Warri, Delta State. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means- electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording or any other, without the prior permission of the publisher . Copyright © 2016.
This book is dedicated to GOD THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, My family & To all lovers of Music. 02 Dedication
03 C o n t e n t s PART ONE Invitation 04 Acknowledgment 06 Forward 09 One My voice- my calling 12 Two My voice-my attitude 17 Three My voice- my purity 20 Four My voice-my security 25 Five My voice-my courage 28 Six My voice-my commitment 33 Seven Devotion to serve- 38 Eight Power of a praying singer 46 PART TWO 56 Singing tips 57
s this just a devotional book for Christians? I No. This book is unique because its emphasis is not just on Christians but a Christian in the music ministry and further emphasis on his state of mind and the best way to maximise his voice. Many singers desire to sing beautifully without praying and studying the word of God and without putting up a personal training goal. This makes them to be oblivious of the right principles to apply in order to maximise their talents; to Gods glory. Great ministers of the gospel have found no royal road to their triumph. It's through the 04 I n v i t a t i o n
word of God, prayer and spiritual songs that motivates inspiration. Singing to God is beyond classical or contemporary gospel music, it's a dynamic relationship, an agreement, an assignment, a seed, a destiny and a walk with God. Your voice is a gift directly from God. Only God (through his servants and messengers instructions) can direct you on how you can teach yourself to nurture it. Come, let's prayerfully explore Gods word and let's see what it says about your gifted voice. Winifred O. Aboloje 05
06 Ac k n o w l e d g m e n t appreciate God, the giver of all good gifts I for the inspiration he gave to me to start and finish this book. It was indeed a tough ride. He never left me alone. To all who made this work possible, to my family members ,my friends ,i say a big thank you. To all singers, Let's keep singing with God's gift of passion. Remember our mission -THE HEAVENLY CHOIR.
he Shakespearean dictum in William TShakespeare's Twelfth Night “if music be the food of love, (sing on) play on” (emphasis mine), could be a make shift fundamental in the Christian walk of faith as regards music. Not just music for the sake of entertainment, but the life-breath of our worship and relationship with God. In this concise work, the writer puts before us the power inherent in singing laden with the very “life” of God-the Holy Spirit- our sole sustenance. Singing as a hobby or for the sake of entertainment differs from a spirit-filled and a prayer soaked endeavour which every Christian must be conscious of. One is called 09 F o r w a r d
into it (if directed by God) something that is done with one's whole heart (Deut. 6:5) with great devotion and the sense of purity and a commitment sustained alone (only)from the throne of grace. To her credit, Winifred, puts before us the core “values” every singer and most especially those with the call into the ministry of singing must put into consideration in order to function and excel in the will of God and according to the mind of God. “The Power of a Praying Singer” is grounded on the fruit walk of grace, regardless of its size; but whose content is packed-full with instructions and hints for both the individual and the body of the choir- in any church and singers in general. 10
I encourage brethren to take advantage of this work of grace, and be ignited to power our singing; and be guided to sustain our gift, well “pruned” and well trained voices following the admonitions contained therein both bodywise and spiritually-blessing the Lord and improving (on) our songs and worship. I pray God bless our effort in offering perfect praises to him and help us to be faithful until he comes with the song and shout of victory. Rev. Fr. Cyril Basikoro Dase Parish Priest, St. Peter Claver Parish, Urhuoka-Abraka, Delta State. 11
The Lord said to me, 'I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations'. Jer. 1:4-5. (GNB) The purpose of life is simply to live a life (with a goal in-view) of purpose .Since purpose begins from the heart, you have to guard your heart being that, it is where your voice, the true voice that inspires the world comes from. We have to recognise that God chose and gave us our gift the moment we were conceived in 12 Day 1 My Voice –my Calling
our mother's womb.Jer.1:4-5. God's gift is purposed for transformation. We have to nurture, groom, explore, advance and utilise it, not for self alone but for kingdom purposes knowing that God does not call the qualified but he qualifies the Called. This calls for constant training and practice in order for the voice to become what God wants it to be. 1cor.7:17-24. Devotion to the music ministry must be total. There should be no fluctuation or indecisiveness. Lk9:62. You have to start where you are with what you have and be committed to it with all your heart. . When you wait for the conditions to become perfect, you will never step out to do anything with your voice. Eccl.11:4. 13
God gives gifts in different measures (vessels). Matt. 25:15-29 teaches us about resources as 'talents'. In this passage of scripture, the talents were money that the servants were to use properly until the master's return at which time he would require an accounting. As you read the story you will find that one took what he had been given and increased it five times. Another servant took his and increased it two times. Another did nothing with his, except hide it in fear that the master would be upset if he lost it. When the master returned, he was very pleased with the two who had multiplied what he had given them, but he rebuked the one who did nothing. The master called him, 'wicked and lazy and idle' (v.26) and took from him what he had and gave to the one who had multiplied most. This is God's way. He gives to all people what they can handle and waits to 14
see what they do with it. As a singer, when you recognise that you have been given a gift, you should obey God's call to the ministry of music. Phil 2:12. Don't let fear stop you from doing what God has called you to do. Matt 25:25 like the third servant who said 'and I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth… (Emphasis mine) We belong to Christ therefore we have to live for him with our voices and shun every contrary pathway, Gal 5: 24-25 and allow the Holy Spirit to control us. We are servants of God and through our singing; we should always remember that God is all that matters.1cor 3:7. He expects us to manage the voices he has given to us and use it wisely so it will increase in potential. We will not be blessed when we waste it because we will always pay the price for waste. 15
It is well worth it to do what God wants us to do. Every single time we do the right thing, it causes us to be more confident in his leading and our conscience becomes a little more sensitive to his voice. Keep this point in mind; it pays to obey! We are called to worship, to praise and to lift up Jesus Christ, the Most High with our voices. Prayer O Lord, help me stir up and nurture the gift in me with love, Amen. Meditation of the heart What has God called me to do? What am I doing with what he has given me? How ready am I to obey God's call? What are my limitations? How, where, and when do I start? 16
The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: Phil. 2:5(GNB) It's a common saying that our attitudes determine our altitudes in life. For every situation we find ourselves, there is always a corresponding attitude. It may be negative or positive .Attitude is disposition or state of mind. It is also termed as an expressed feeling. Feelings are born as a result of our mental state. That is to say our mind determines the way we feel and the attitude expressed 17 Day 2 My Voice-my Attitude
afterward. Given that our attitude reflects our inner selves, it is pertinent to say that our attitude can sometimes be reflected in our voice. A great singer is known for what he produces while singing; this gives a clue to tell the kind of person he is. Our attitude ought to be a reflection of the mind of Christ. Phil 2:1-11. As Christian singers we should realise that we are not of ourselves, we have the seal of Gods ownership on us and on our voices. Phil 2:5-6. Therefore our voices should reflect the character of Christ. The Holy Spirit is meant to be our guide on how we should behave in order for us to be able to evangelise with our voices via our attitudes. It's possible that somehow during ministration our state of mind may not be felt through the 18
song by the layman but on a more passionate level, there is a registered feeling in its reflection. We have a duty to manage and control our attitudes with reference to frequent ministrations as singers. Prayer I have the mind of Christ in me. My singing reflects the glory of God. I am a minister of God in words and action. Amen. Meditation of the heart How best can I portray Gods nature in me? How is my attitude affecting my voice? What is the state of my vocal reputation? How does God delight in my voice character? 19
Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God! Matt. 5:8(GNB) Purity is the state or degree of being pure. To be pure is to be free of flaws or imperfections, free of foreign material or pollutants, free of immoral behaviour or qualities, clean. In Rom.12:1-2, Paul was appealing to the Romans to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. 20 Day 3 My Voice-my Purity
It takes a whole lifetime to practice living in purity. This makes it nearly impossible owing to the fact that we live in a fallen world filled with 'persistent dynamism.’ We ought to take into account as singers that God who called us into the ministry already made provision for our purity. For your voice to reflect purity, your being must be on the purity level also. It's seen as an archaic tradition to be totally free from sin or blemish in the world today. We are familiar with the adage' if you can't beat them, join them.' In the mind of God, He knows that there is every possibility of our going astray that's why He made provision for us to live in His service and instructs us not to conform to the standards of the world. Rom.12:2. 21
Believe it or not, the world has a pattern in singing. It is clearly defined by the words 'Secular Music'. For purity to be reflected in our singing, it has to be from the origin of the salvation of our souls as Christians. The Holy Spirit progressively helps us make the right decisions by acting as a guide on the type of songs we sing as singers. There ought to be a point as singers where we draw the line on which songs are worth singing with the voice that God gave us. There are songs that can make us impure before God and tarnish our reputation as singers because when you consider the lyrics of most songs ranting in the air you discover that the level of nothingness embedded in them causes a great deal of mind pollution. Although there may be 22
an exception to some songs which are occasionally used for ceremonies like weddings, funerals e.t.c which may be inspirational and highly meaningful as the case may be. Nevertheless, a singer should be able to make a clear distinction of where to belong with the help of the Holy Spirit. In Phil 4:8, Paul encourages us to fill our minds with pure thoughts. The more pure things we take into our singing minds, the purer our voices will be. God is interested in what you sing that is why he keeps guiding us to put his word as our standard and to sing his praises. Ps 81:1-2. He is interested in pleasant music. Ps 100:1, 96:1-2 He wants us to sing pure songs from pure hearts; because that is the only way we can see him. Matt. 5:8. 23
Purity in singing can only be attained with the help of the Holy Spirit in us, our connection to the True Vine, John 15:1-8 and our passion for Gods kind of music. Prayer Lord, keep me pure in body, soul and spirit so that my voice can also be pure. Open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise, Amen. Meditation of the heart Do I know God well enough to stay pure for him? Where should I be for my voice to radiate Gods purity? How do I sanctify my voice and make it fit for the Master's use? How can I identify pure songs? 24
Praise our God, all nations; let your praises be heard. He has kept us alive and has not allowed us to fall. Psalm 66:8-9. (GNB) When God puts a new song in your heart, you become a maker of a new sound .Ps 96;1, Ps 100. You have this confidence within you that makes you stand out. Your security is embedded in the fact that God gave you a new song to reach the ends of the earth and no one can dispute it. Every new song always accompanies a new voice. A new voice in this sense means fresh 25 Day 4 My Voice-my Security
sounds. Ps 33:3. David implores us to sing a new song to God, play the harp with skill and shout for joy. By singing to God, we worship him, honour him, praise him, and give thanks to him. We are assured of complete deliverance, happiness and all round joy and security. Ps 66. Ps 92:4. Using our voices to sing to God a new song, ushers us into a place of rest in him. Ps 33. We find security in the place of rest because we know it's a masterpiece. God is always ready to teach us new songs. Ps 40:3, so that we can simply trust him. Why waste time singing songs that can lead us to doom when God is ever ready to teach us new songs that can make us firmly rooted and 26
built up in him? Let us ask God to give us a heart and a voice that is fresh and new. Prayer Lord, give me a new song. Teach me to put my trust in you, for when I do this, I know I can find security in you. Amen. Meditation of the heart How do I protect my voice with what God has given me? What are my strengths? How long can I stay fresh despite intimidating factors? 27
For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love and self-control. 2Tim 1:7 (GNB) Courage is the quality of having a confident character not to be afraid or intimidated easily but without being unconscious or inconsiderate. It's the ability to do things which one finds frightening. 'Courage isn't the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it.' Mark Twain. 28 Day 5 My Voice -My Courage
Fear, the opposite of courage is a strong uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat, anxiety, phobia, scare, apprehension, fright, regret, or doubt. In music, we fear being rejected, singing the wrong notes or not having a good voice perfect enough to be heard, seeing music as cumbersome, lack of finance to meet up to functions, fear of the unknown. The list goes on. Fear can absolutely take over a singers mind; until its power is broken, one is held captive by it. To fulfil God's plan for our lives through the music ministry, we simply must refuse to live in fear and sing with courage. As a singer you must know that Fear is the enemy's perversion of faith, it's the absence of courage in singing. It tells you, you are not good 29
enough, you don't have what it takes, and you can't and will never be good. Romans 8:15 (GNB) says; 'For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid, instead, the Spirit makes you Gods children, and by the Spirits power we cry out to God, Father! my Father!' We don't have to live in bondage to fear or allow it control us when we sing because most fear is simply bad management of the mind. We can be bold, courageous and adventurous. Don't let fear keep you from doing your best when you sing. Don't let fear make you bury your gifted voice Matt.25:26. Whenever you feel fear when asked to sing in front of anyone, sing as if you were the only one in the room. Feel the fear and do the singing anyway. To cultivate courage in singing, you have to identify your fear, resist it by using the word of 30
God to conquer it. Keep saying it, I will not sing in Fear, begin to think like God. Think and talk like He talks. You may feel fear but you can move beyond it by realising that it is merely the devils attempt to prevent you from making any level of progress in singing. It's important to know that fear in singing will never completely go away, we may sometimes think, what if the microphone switches off in the course of the singing?, what if I sing on the wrong key?, what if everyone laughs at me?, what if.., what if…, what if…,the list goes on, it never ends. We will behave cowardly if we allow all these fears dictate our actions when we sing. It's ok to feel fear but it's not ok to act on those feelings each time we sing. We must remember that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but he has given us the spirit of power, love and a sound mind 2 Tim 1:7. 31
Therefore the only acceptable attitude to have when we sing is 'I will not sing in fear but with courage.' Get rid of every excuse caused by fear and boldly sing every song with unshakable courage and expressive confidence. Let strength be felt in your voice each time you sing. Prayer Ease my fears O Lord; help me use the spirit of power you have given to me, so that courage, confidence and boldness can be felt through my voice. Amen. Meditation of the heart What are my fears whenever I sing? How do I get rid of them? What do I need to do to sing courageously? How can confidence be portrayed in my voice? 32
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the st Lord is not in vain.1 Corinthians 15:58(GNB) Are you busy serving Jesus with your voice seasonally or with incomplete diligence? It's a question we need to evaluate within us. God blesses us every minute and He is committed to it, in and out of season. Since we are made in his image, we ought to do the same in our service with our voices. 33 Day 6 My Voice- My Commitment
Commitment is one of the natures of God. Since we are His, He impacted this nature into us and into our voices. We need to be committed to making the voice work for Him by nurturing, training, servicing and exploring it. Undistracted and unrelenting describe different facets of the word commitment. A verse that describes the attitude toward this ministry and service is 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV) 'Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.'. Do these terms describe your attitude and approach to using your voice for Jesus? Do you fear what others think? Are you afraid of becoming too involved and being labelled a 34
fanatic if you become too committed to maximising your voice especially for God? nd Prov. 29:25, 2 Tim.1:7. We need not be because we owe no one but God an explanation. It may be that we struggle with serving God in the past so we doubt ourselves today? Part of this music ministry is learning, so don't let yesterday's struggle prevent us from future successes. 1Jn 4:4; 2 Tim 1:9; 1Tim 6:12. Are we rather too occupied with our daily activities as singles or the demanding responsibilities of the home front that a little time out will cause us some friction? We need to always remember that we should never be too busy for God to handle. 35
To get involved in the music ministry demands sacrifice. Have you allowed your selfcenteredness to dominate your daily schedules? Decide today how some of your free time that was wasted yesterday might be redeemed today. Allow no more room for wastage. Such wise use of your time to build your voice for the Lord will give you the gift of 'no regrets'. Your future will be focused and no longer distracted. Prayer Free hours, not wasted by me, using my time, to serve only you Lord with my Voice is my utmost desire, realising how temporary time is, never to regret a missed opportunity, for others to be blessed through yielded me. Amen. 36
Meditation of the heart How committed am I to my singing ministry? How much sacrifice can I put in to go far with my voice? What do I expect from my commitment to serve with my voice? 37
Who will not stand in awe of you , Lord? Who will refuse to declare your greatness? You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, because your just actions are seen by all. Rev.15:4(GNB) Much too often, people view serving in the music ministry as a simple task to be taken lightly and not to be given much attention. Nothing could be further from the truth. God specifically chose this ministry as the only ministry to continue in heaven. Prayer, 38 Day 7 Devoted to Serve
exhortation, hospitality, prophesying, ushering, media and missionary ministries will all end here on earth. This has been God's plan from the beginning. He tenderly created our voices for us to express our love to him through songs in worship and to experience the blessedness of fellowship with him. Rev.4:8-11, 15:3-4. So if you find yourself in the Music Ministry, you are blessed and highly favoured with a great price. God desires to know and be known by singers today, but because Sin entered the world, we no longer have a clear picture of the true God. Satan's first attack upon the human race was his sly effort to destroy Eve's confidence in the kindness of God.' Satan lied about Gods character. 'indeed, has God said…? (Gen.3:1) 39
Satan has continued to lie to us today in many ways. Your past experiences, present circumstances, or your parents' devotion or lack thereof may cause you to have an incorrect view of God. But nothing and no one can give you a clearer picture of the true God than slipping under His wings and discovering for yourself who God really is, the refuge which you long for, his desires for you to come again' into His garden' and walk with him in complete fellowship via your voice. This is the fullness of devotion. To truly sing of and for God you must know Him intimately. Paul expressed the desire to 'know' God in Philippians 3:10. Paul desired to know God intimately. 2nd Peter 1:3 says that everything pertains to life and godliness is yours' through the true knowledge of Him. 40
'Peter and John in Acts 4:13 were identified as uneducated men, but the people observed their confidence and devotion to the Lord and marvelled. In the king James Version of Scripture, the people exclaimed that these men 'knew' Him, or that they had been with Jesus.' It is a personal intimate knowledge. Do you have a devotion to God that causes people to marvel at how intimately you know Him each time you sing? Do you know God in a way that causes Him to be an intimate, personal part of your being? Your heavenly father is incapable of doing evil. He loves you, and forgives and completely forgets confessed sins and grievances. Is this the God you know? You may think you know God. But your responses to God will betray you. If you retract in fear, try to hide things, give excuses when you do something you feel God 41
would not like then it shows your knowledge of God is incorrect. God isn't supersensitive, selfish or temperamental. Do you ever have a feeling of guilt that you are not singing well enough to please God, hanging over your head? Do you feel like the scale of expectations is tipping heavily in the negative and you must balance it? Do you feel like you could never do enough to pay for your inability to be perfect? Then your view of God is incorrect. God is not hard to please. He takes delight in his creation and quickly notices every effort to please Him (see Ps 103:11-14) Do you feel like God requires too much of you? Do you feel like God denies you the things you need most? If you do, then you don't really know God. In Ps 103: 8-14 destroys these wrong assumptions about God. Have you lived 42
with lies about God for too long? Get to know Him. God wants to do you good and not evil. Jer.29:11 says He wants to give you a future and a hope. Has your wrong picture of God been invented by the enemy in order to rob you of a true knowledge and love of God? Do not be deceived. Get to know the One True God. To express your love for God, you must know Him intimately, personally and devotedly. You must be connected to him. This does not require immediate entrance into a convent; you get to know God by seeking him. You must seek Him not only with a whole heart, but also with a clean heart. If you want your devotion to God to be complete. Don't merely brush at sin lightly, get in there and confess it, clean it up, clear it out. Be rid of it. If 43
you notice you have spiritual setbacks during the day, take care of it immediately, don't delay. Let Psalm 51:10 be your daily prayer 'Create in me a clean heart O God; and renew a right spirit within me'. Devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ is giving everything or nothing at all. Your devotion to Christ and his service must be a serious commitment to His Lordship. Christ loves you and is completely committed to you. Wholeheartedly devote yourself to loving and enjoying Him through your voice in return 365 days a year. Prayer Lord, help me to serve you with uncompromising devotion via my voice, each time in your presence. Amen. 44
Meditation of the heart Am I deeply devoted to this calling of singing? Do I know the source of my gift of singing? Do I have a good relationship with God? What can keep me devoted to building my voice? 45
46 The Power Of A Praying Singer There is a saying that he who sings well prays twice. This is because some songs in context are prayers in that when sung it steps up into a higher dimension of praying. Knowing how to pray as a singer is as important as food is to the body, especially for singers in the Church of God. Prayer being a means of communication with God and a means of gaining access into His presence, its role in our lives cannot be overemphasised. Like the saying, 'a prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.' Therefore, the more you pray, the more powerful you become, the less you pray
the more you become a prey. Although the written word of God does not tell us how long to pray daily, it just tells us to be sure we are st actively and ceaselessly pursuing prayer, 1 Thess.5:17. Prayer is the fuel that supplies freshness to the voice, it's the driving force behind the gift of singing, it is the compass that directs your singing system, and it is the originator of inspiration for new song production. It's the best means to get fresh revelation from God on how to stay connected to heavens style of music. Let's not forget that it is the only ministry that continues in heaven after death and our arch enemy the devil, who was once a 'choirmaster' in heaven before he was cast into hell as a result of his plot to overthrow God, will do all he can to stop us from gaining entry into heaven not to talk of being members of the 47
heavenly choir. This makes it one of the most challenging ministries in the church of God today and the world at large. There are certain behavioural patterns that have been attached to a singer especially in the church, which puts an indelible mark in their lives without their knowledge. Recognising that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in high places (Ephesians 6:12) will help us to pant after righteousness in singing, by praying ceaselessly for our voices and ministry as it affects our lives personally. It's not a simple task but with the grace of God, constant communication to God through prayers will help us conquer the milestones and vicissitudes in the ministry. A praying singer can 48
move Gods heart to do the extraordinary, because when praises go up, blessings come down. Remember Paul and Silas when they were in prison, they prayed and sang before the Holy Ghost came down and they were set free. Acts 16:25-26. 2 Thess. 5:17 implores us to pray at all times no matter the circumstances. In this context, we therefore need to pray for God's abundant grace to be able to acknowledge our calling, to nurture a good attitude towards appreciating our voices, to be pure, to be courageous, to be committed and to be prayerfully devoted to His service. We also need to pray to protect our lives from being destroyed by the devil because he is jealous of anyone that tries to praise God through the gift of singing; 49
In reality, the devil is always fighting Christian singers, by making them guilty and then compromising the standards of God one of which is in the area of purity. We have witnessed situations in the house of God where a minister of the gospel of Christ gets physically involved with a singer in the choir, or singers amongst themselves or passive members of the Church. The devil is aware that this is one sin that God detests so greatly, therefore he makes sure that every singer in the house of God in one way or the other becomes a victim of this feat so that the glory of God will never be felt each time that singer sings and then the praise offered to God via the voice becomes contaminated. A praying singer firmly rooted in the word, if he is able to realise and know the tricks of the 50