Scripture Songs Help Keep Us Close to God

God's word is full of wonderful promises for our lives. What better way to claim them than to sing -- and pray -- the Scriptures?

This Hubpage is to share songs God dropped on my heart while reading Scripture. It is my goal to share these songs widely -- and the power of praying Scriptures -- so others may be blessed through the Word of God.

If you write Scripture songs, you can add a link to your songs in the comments section.

Is memorizing Scripture a chore? Start listening to Scripture songs. Singing and praying them over your life will bring you closer to God and help you come into agreement with his plans for your life!

I never was very good at memorizing chunks of text, so remembering Scripture didn't come easily for me -- at least not until God began giving me Scripture songs!

It happened in the aftermath of the tragic World Trade Center attacks in 2001.

On December 18, the anniversary of my earthly father's death, God gave me my first melody. My dad had always encouraged my sister and I to write songs, so it piqued my interest, to say the least.

Well, after I sang one of the songs in my church's talent show, God gave me so many melodies I put together a CD. The songs kept coming, so I put together some more CDs.

Do you know what I discovered? Well, it's what other folks have learned, too. Committing things to music makes them easy to remember.

While it had been hard for me to remember Scriptures before, now I got many chunks of Scripture memorized, without really trying. Just developing the songs, I went through a phase of repetition. I would sing the song over and over again working up the melody and practicing the singing. I would work on an arrangement, then I'd practice the song some more.

By the time the song was recorded, I had memorized most, if not all, of the Scriptures.

I consider the songs prayers and began praying God's promises in them over my life. Sometimes the truth of God's word would manifest itself as I sang the song, or played the CD.

One day I was walking along the beach and there was this piece of glass in my path -- just as I sang "no weapon formed against you shall prosper," a song lyric from Isaiah 54:17. Another day, I was driving down the interstate and there was garbage in the road. I saw it kind of late, but successfully swerved out of the way in our Miata as my Victory! CD was playing "no weapon formed against you shall prosper!"

Another time I was driving near our home when a sheriff's deputy pulled in front of me. He was going slow; I had to use my breaks because I was traveling a bit over the speed limit. Meanwhile on the CD player the words of my song "God Will Hear Me" were playing: "I will bear the indignation of the Lord for I have sinned," from Micah 7.

I followed the deputy at what seemed like a snail's pace, grateful this time I did not get a ticket.

A few days later, I was in nearly the same spot, with the same song playing in my CD player, and there was a gorgeous rainbow!

Another interesting time was when I sang "I Will Give Thanks to You" from Psalm 30 in my church's talent show. Gosh, they gave us all thank you certificates for participating in the talent show, when I should have thanked them for giving me a chance to sing my song.

At the show, I proclaimed healing from a goiter. (God is healing me from a failed business I started in 1990. I closed the business when I became too sick to run it.)

God has used the songs to communicate with me, to heal me, and to teach me Scriptures I probably couldn't, or wouldn't, have ever memorized.

As I was well into the recording of my second and third CDs, which I did in tandem, I realized the songs had given me a much better grip on the Scriptures than I had ever had before. I would try to explain a biblical lesson and realize I had done a song on it!

Others have had similar experiences with Bible songs.

"One of the coolest things Scripture songs have done for me is that I have actually heard the Holy Spirit bring these songs to my head/heart when going through various trials and temptations in life," says Timothy Harris, a partner with Ted Warren in WordSong Entertainment.

WordSong produces Scripture songs in a cinematic style.

"I believe in the power of God's word. If we can slip our music or rock opera into the mainstream entertainment machinery, many lives will be transformed by the hearing of God's word," says Lionel De Leon, president and founder of Messenger Project, a non-profit corporation promoting the Bible through music.

My Victory! CD takes listeners on a musical journey, beginning with "Seek Him" from Amos 5 and ending with "Sing, O Daughter of Zion" from Zephaniah 3. Rendered in a variety of music styles the CD offers a message of hope over our circumstances through Jesus Christ.

An 11-song melodic collection, Arise, Shine offers encouragement to be who we are called to be. The songs from the Old and New Testaments are intended to lead us towards greater spiritual growth. The musical journey begins with "Keep Your Heart Medley" from various Scriptures in Proverbs and ends with "To God Along Belongs the Glory" from Psalms 115.

Have you ever noticed how some country songs have a somber theme? That's why I named this CD after Psalm 142, "Bring My Soul Out of Prison." In this CD, listeners join Job, David -- and me -- singing the blues. This country-styled CD meets us in the valley of life. The 11-song musical journey starts with "Trouble Came" from Job 3 and ends with "You Shall Be Free" from John 8.

Don't stay in the doldrums. Claim God's freedom for you!

If you'd like to hear my Scripture songs, visit my website.

The popular 23rd Psalm, about the Lord being our shepherd, is put to song in this video.

Listen to Scripture songs wherever you go with an iPod. Do chores, walk, jog, even drive!

Scripture songs are available in lots of different music styles, and when you listen regularly, you can memorize them without trying.

While music was part of my upbringing, I never expected to be a songwriter. Yet when God dropped a pile of Scripture songs into my spirit, I produced three CDs. I realized I should be using my writing abilities for his glory.

I'd decided to become a writer as a child, after being enthralled with Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy Mystery stories. I'd studied journalism and become a news reporter. But when I succumbed to a devastating illness, I sought God -- and he found me. He made a way for me where there was no way -- and my life was restored!

Today I am a freelance writer and self publishing assistant. I publish , which features uplifting Christian literature, posters, and music. I also design Scripture products, especially Scripture posters, with my nature photos. You can find it at www.newchristianbooksonlinemagazine.com

I've written a number of ebooks, most of them to share my faith. I especially enjoy writing about those aha moments when we know we need God. Among my ebooks are Just like Jonah Wail Tales, a short story collection involving modern Jonahs who land in a whale of trouble, and Lost in the Woods, A Bible Camp Mystery, featuring a group of 10- to 16-year-old boys who find God in the Central Florida backwoods.

Open Your Hymnal

Open Your Hymnal: Devotions That Harmonize Scripture With Song by Denise Loock. $2.95 from Smashwords.com

Do you ever catch yourself singing a song in church without paying attention to the words? Open Your Hymnal is a collection of thirty devotions that transport the wisdom of classic hymns and gospel songs into the twenty-first century. Introduce yourself to the rich spiritual heritage that hymnals contain or gain a new perspective on songs you've sung since childhood.