come into his presence with singing!

Lillian Farlow explores how our singing voices can bring God into our everyday

We often put communicating with God in the ‘prayer box’, but through the Bible and in my life, communication can be more impactful when sung.

Singing is used throughout the Bible, from Adam’s song when meeting Eve to all the living creatures of earth praising God in Revelation. There is even a whole book of songs in the Psalms. Singing to God is seen both on the breadth of the biblical timeline and the depth of our human experience. Songs of praise and wonder are sung at times of rejoicing, songs of encouragement are sung at times of need, and songs of suffering and mourning are sung when life is dark and dreary. How encouraging that God’s word for us has a song for every season he knows we will experience!

We sing at church every week, in the car on the way to work, and quietly on our quick toilet trips when we need encouragement, but we often stop there. However, I have seen the joys of singing WITH my patients and the joy of filling the ward with songs to God. While on placement, I have tried to break the boundaries of singing by singing when it’s not the norm. I’ve done this by singing ‘Amazing Grace’ while caring for a patient having repeated seizures; singing hymns on the ward piano with a dementia patient who no longer spoke but could still sing along, and singing to unconscious patients when performing wound care. God hears it all, and our souls rejoice. Singing to our God is nourishment for our souls and like honey on our lips.

In what ways can we use our God-given musical voices to bring light to our wards? How can we unlock the voices of the hidden with songs of sorrow, joy, and praise?

Lillian Farlow is a student nurse in Cardiff and is a rep on CMF’s National Student Council