Singing Love Songs to God as Prayer

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.