Monday, August 25, 2008

Two of my Favourite Prayers

One of the reasons that I love to go to church is that I absolutely love singing prayers to God as a whole building full of people. All that sound coursing around and through me, filling up the spaces and comforting the sad places within me. It is so broken and so hopeful.

I love the honest surrender of this song:
I love how it is not about me. It speaks to something bigger and more powerful and respectfully reminds me that I don't exactly want my own way. I want guidance. I want to be part of something bigger than me.

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure, all of my days are held in your hands, crafted into your perfect plan
You gently call me into your presence guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through Your eyes
I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know you're drawing me to yourself
Lead me Lord I pray

Take me, Mould me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

you gently call me into your presence, guiding me by your holy spirit
teach me dear lord to live through your eyes
I'm captured by your holy calling
set me apart, I know your drawing me to yourself
lead me lord i pray...

Take me, mould me, use me, fill me....

Here's one that my sister and I used to sing at the piano. We didn't have much access to "wordly" songs; even the secular Christian stuff. So when that stuff started coming out in the 80's, it was pretty exciting for us. Up to that point it had been most hymns (which I also love) and some great choruses when we got to camp for one glorious week of summer. My sis must have gotten the piano music for this Steve Green tune because I remember singing it with her at the piano and thinking; "If this is all I ever say to God, it would be enough."

Make my life a prayer to you
I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise
I wanna shine the light you gave
Thru your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know youre really there

Chorus
Well I wanna thank you now
For being patient with me
Oh its so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess Ill have to trust
And just believe what you say

I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free
I wanna tell the world out there
You're not some fable or fairy tale
That I've made up inside my head
You're God the son and you've risen from the dead

Chorus
I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free

Anyway, they might seem corny as you read them on some random blog post, but sometimes the weirdest things can crank your engine. These "prayers" always comfort me, and sort of set things a little straighter in my meandering head.

What about you? Do you have any songs that you go to to bring your head a little closer to your heart?

11 comments:

Crystal said...

That is so weird...while i was at worship practice Sunday morning, "The Potter's Hand" was running through my head even though we weren't singing it and haven't sung it in ages.

Those lyrics really speak to me. It's really hard to just give up all control to God, but it's the only path to freedom. There are so many worship songs that mean a lot to me. The most recent one that comes to mind (only because we sang it on Sunday) is Find Me in the River. The part that really hits home is "We didn't count on suffering/we didn't count on pain/but if the blessing's in the valley/then in the river I will wait" and the chorus - "Find me in the river/find me there/find me on my knees with my soul laid bare/even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry/find me in the river/I'm waiting there for you"

The part about being cracked and dry without God really speaks to my heart.

Thanks Joyce.

joyce said...

Thank YOU. It is a vulnerable feeling to put something like this out on my blog. But it is just true for me. Thanks for you.

Roo said...

mmmmm...why yes i do! lately, its been a song on an old cd i have by david ruis. i think the song is called "faithful". i wish i could play it for you right now. its from the CD called, "every move i make".

i think i'll go listen to it now.
again. :)

Anonymous said...

A song by Matt Redman I heard a lot 2 summers ago when Ken was dying -- Oh no you never let go/ through the calm and through the storm/ O no, you never let go, Lord, you never let go of me. ... Also praying that for him as he was dying and for his wife and daughters as they watched him. There are others, but that's the one that popped into my head when you asked.
Your sis, Marshkies

Anonymous said...

Marshkies - that song has helped me thru a lot of dark hours too.

Another one that has kept me on the road to life is When God Ran.

The Chorus is.....
He ran to me
took me in His arms
held my head to His chest
said, my son is come home again
looked in my face
wiped the tears from my eyes
with forgiveness in His voice
He said, son, do you know that i love you, i love you

Songs/music has always made God's love more real to me.

LL

Monica said...

My dh has a whole slew of golden oldies that he still LOVES. He just spent a $20 iTunes gift card on old David Meece, Russ Taff, Randy Stonehill and Larry Norman. Me? Not so much.

Although, Billy Crockett, often does it for me. As for hymns ... maybe 'Be Thou My Vision'.

I really, really, really love Karla Adolphe/Enter the Worship Circle Chair and Microphone Volume 3 ... Come and rescue the needy/come and find all the lost/take us to the river where the water rolls and rolls and rolls/heal all the broken/ and defend all you love/and you call us your children/call us daughters and sons

jb said...

hey joyce,

yeah i rarely comment on your blog (i feel guilty because i love your blog so much), but i just happened to finish playing/singing a song that gets me emotional every time i sing it. it makes me feel so close to God... "Going Home" by Sara Groves. the second verse:

I'm confined by my senses/To really know what you are like/You are more than I can fathom/More than I can guess/And more than I can see with human sight/But I have felt you with my spirit/I have felt you fill this room/And this is just an invitation/Just a sample of the whole/And I cannot wait to be going home...

i love it. and i love your songs too. songs have such power to move and bring us to a deeper place. i'm glad God created music. :)

Judy said...

"Blessed Be the Name of the Lord" -

'You give and take away,
You give and take away,
My heart can truly say,
Lord, blessed be your name.'

Sometimes I need to sing that one REALLY loud, to get it through my thick skull and hardening heart.

But WHATEVER songs they sing at the nursing home hymn sing? Oh, my. They nearly drive me sobbing under the table.

Watching my mom, with whom I have not had a 'sane' conversation in almost a year, belt out ALL the verses to "It Is Well, with My Soul" in beautiful alto...

Oh. means SO much to me.

Beautiful post, Joyce.

joyce said...

got all chokey on that one, Judy. I used to work on the locked ward in the nursing home, and was touched when a woman 'far gone" would sing hymns. it was a holy gift.

Karen said...

Today what comes to mind for me is a song by Greg Ferguson entitled "Peacemaker"

Peacemaker, Fear Taker, Soul Soother, Storm Smoother
Light Shiner, Lost Finder, Cloud Lifter, Deliverer,
Heart Toucher, Truth Lover,
Who other could be Fear taker, Peacemaker to me,

Mind Clearer, Sigh Healer, Hand Holder, Consolor,
Wound Binder, Tear Dryer, Strength Giver, Provider,
Heart Healer, Kind Father,
Who other could be, My Savior, Peacemaker to me,

Let Your Peace Rule in my heart,
Let Your kindness fill my thoughts,
Let Your strength secure my soul,
Let Your peace take hold in me,
Let Your Wisdom guide my will,
Your compassion fill this place,
Let my anxious thoughts be still,
Let Your peace rule in my Heart...

It seems I have frequent need to be reminded of the truth of Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God

Karen

Linda said...

For me, it's Creation Calls by Brian Doerksen:

"How can I say there is no God
When all around creation calls
A singing bird, a mighty tree
The vast expanse of open sea?"