I love this time of year. Winter’s leftovers are fading away and new life is popping up everywhere outside! This time of year energizes me and brings a renewed motivation to accomplish some of the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year. For me, I want 2018 to be a year of finding healing and wholeness in Christ. I desire to spend more quality time with God and have a more fruitful prayer life. But so far it’s felt like I’m doing the same thing day in and day out: devotionals, studying a book of the bible, and praying through the prayer requests in our small group. Honestly I was starting to get bored with it.
Recently we had a women’s event at our church that really re-ignited my motivation for fruitful, fun time with God. We were encouraged to get creative in prayer and bible study through lots of different avenues like taking pictures of things that reminded us of scripture, writing songs and poems, praying through pieces of scripture, and even just being still. While there, the idea of writing a “fight song” came up, and really resonated with me. Anxiety has been something I’ve struggled with for a few years now, and I’ve been looking for a different way to express how I feel to God. The idea of a “fight song” is birthed out of Psalm 57, where David calls out to God while running from King Saul who is trying to kill him. David starts his song this way:
“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me.
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.”
We can rejoice in the fact that we can come to God with anything at any time! Whatever is happening, however big or small it feels, we are invited to pour our hearts out to God, Who is always listening (1 Peter 3:12).
David continues by telling God exactly how he feels in the moment.
“I am surrounded by fierce lions
who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
and whose tongues cut like swords.”
We don’t need to mince words with God. He already knows every thought and feeling we have, even before we do! So we can be brutally honest when we come to Him. (Psalm 139:4, Matthew 9:4, John 2:25)
David finishes his song by declaring the truth about God to himself. How many of you know that sometimes we have to do a little preaching to ourselves to pull us out of a funk!? Sometimes we need to tell our souls what is true before we actually believe it.
“My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”
Are you bored with your prayer life? Maybe you’ve been in a funk and need some help to be pulled out of it. Or perhaps, like me, you’ve got something specific you’re dealing with and need a raw and honest way to express yourself to God. Writing your own fight song is one way we can call out to God in our distress, tell Him how we feel, remind ourselves of truth, and experience the peace of God as we renew our minds with His word. I encourage all of you to follow David’s example and give it a try! This week, make it a point to try something new in your time with God. It could be anything! Challenge yourself, get creative and just go with it. I’m praying God will speak to you in fresh and creative ways as you express yourself to Him!