“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” was written in 1923 by Thomas O. Chisholm (1866-1960), a Kentucky-born Methodist minister, who wrote it as a poem reflecting on God’s daily faithfulness throughout his life. Inspired by Lamentations 3:22-23, it was set to music by William M. Runyan (1870-1957) and gained popularity through the Moody Bible Institute and Billy Graham crusades. Thomas Chisholm wrote over 1,200 poems, but this particular hymn became his most enduring legacy, focusing on the theme that God’s compassions are new every morning.

Let’s look at Lamentations 3:22-23 in several different versions of the Bible.

● Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. New International Version (NIV)

● Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. New King James Version (NKJV)

● God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. The Message (MSG)

Thomas’ life was not one of ease. He experienced health problems and financial struggles. Thomas wrote out of experience of need. He needed God’s unfailing mercy daily within his life. Now, let’s look at the words to “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and reflect on the truth of the inspiring scripture. If this were the only scripture and hymn that we ever knew, the profoundness of its message could sustain us for a lifetime.

May we each realize the LOVING KINDNESS of God our Father. His FAITHFULNESS is what sustains us each and every day. May we not become immune to the wooing strains of God’s mercies that waft through the chords of this song with the intention of capturing our heart and producing a return from us of LOVE and GRATEFULNESS to the GREAT I AM.

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I find it fascinating to look into the geopolitical and world history during the time hymns were written. You can often find the threads of the spiritual and physical struggle that individuals were facing. The hymns became the authors’ prayers and cries to God. “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” is no different.

Can you imagine being born in the same year that World War 1 erupted? Even though Stanphill was a baby, the trauma of his mother, father, family, and community created an atmosphere that influenced his upbringing. This war brought much uncertainty and fear to the entire globe. Next, when Stanphill was approximately 15, the Great U.S. Depression unfolded and lasted for almost ten years until World War 2 broke the U.S. Depression, but thrust the U.S. into another world conflict after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

It is safe to say that Stanphill’s family was full of faith and a devotion to God. Stanphill gave his life to the Lord at age 12. He was called to preach at age 22 after attending Junior College. Stanphill not only preached, but he loved music and composed over 500 gospel songs. Stanphill by age 10 was an avid musician and was composing and performing his own music by age 17.

With that history in mind, now let’s turn to the actual words of the hymn. Stanphill was writing from emotion and desperation of his day. In comparison, it may be very similar, but different than we are currently facing. Stanphill’s time as our time is filled with unrest, uncertainty, and a desire for God’s sustaining hand and direction.

“I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” was published in 1950, five years after the end of World War 2.

Let these words become your and my prayer and confidence as the world around us takes the unknown turns we cannot foresee. Even though we may not know what will happen later today, tomorrow, or in the future; we can know who holds our hand.

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On Christmas Day, 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow heard the church bells ringing and wrote these words:

But it was not a season of Christmas peace for Longfellow. His wife had recently died from severe burns, civil war was ravaging the nation, and earlier in December, army surgeons had informed Longfellow that his oldest son had been severely injured in battle and might possibly be paralyzed.

He heard the bells chiming “peace,” but all around him, he saw despair and violence. He had lost two wives, been himself injured in the fire that had killed his second wife, his son was hurt, his children left motherless, men were enslaving other men, and brothers were killing brothers.

But as he listened to the bells longer, he was able to pen words that still bring Christmas hope to those longing for God’s peace in difficult times:

Longfellow knew that God was on His throne. Even though he couldn’t see it, Longfellow knew that God was still working and that ultimately, He would win over all the hate, injustice, and evil of the world. But what is sad is that Longfellow most likely did not really know the God of peace who sent His Son for us to conquer the “Wrong” and bring us eternal peace.

Henry Longfellow was curious about Jesus Christ, but he lived and died a member of the Unitarian Church. Unitarians believe that Jesus was not the Son of God but only a good man and that there was no need for Jesus to sacrificially die for us, and there is no eternal damnation.

Like Longfellow, many people today hear songs of peace while carrying private grief, loss, or discouragement. And like him, they know about God. Over half of Americans have no doubt that He exists, and others are open to it. They overwhelmingly believe that Jesus existed, and most know what He did for us; but very few really know God. They have not chosen to believe they are sinners in need of a Savior or allowed Him to be the Lord of their lives. They can sing (and even write) Christmas carols, but they do not yet know the Savior or the peace that they sing about.

Longfellow believed God was not dead; how much more can we who truly know God rest in the promise that God’s peace is real and eternal. We can be confident in the hope of Christ. One day soon the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men.

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In this post I’ll give you a list of songs that you can sing or listen to as a prayer. I’ve grouped them using the ACTS Method. ACTS stands for “Adoration” “Confession” “Thanksgiving” “Supplication” and it’s an outline for the things we can pray about. For each category I’ll list a few songs that can be used to increase and/or improve your prayer time.

Adoration

• “What a Beautiful Name” – Hillsong Worship

A powerful declaration of Jesus’ beauty, power, and majesty

• “How Great Is Our God” – Chris Tomlin

A timeless anthem exalting God’s greatness and glory

• “Here I Am to Worship” – Tim Hughes

A humble invitation to bow down and adore the One who gave all

• “Holy, Holy, Holy” – Reginald Heber

A majestic hymn glorifying the holiness and eternal nature of God

• “How Great Thou Art” – Carl Boberg/Stuart K. Hine

A song of awe before God’s creation, power, and salvation

Confession

• “Lord, I Need You” – Matt Maher

A heartfelt cry for mercy and dependence on God’s grace

Scripture References: Psalm 51:10, James 4:8

• “Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)” – Hillsong Worship

Acknowledges our brokenness and celebrates the grace that makes us whole

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 12:9

• “Forgive Me” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard

A soulful confession asking God to wash away sin and restore intimacy with Him

Scripture Reference: 1 John 1:9

• “Just As I am” – Charlotte Elliott

A timeless hymn of repentance and surrender, coming to Christ without pretense

Scripture Reference: Romans 5:8

• “I Surrender All” – Judson W. Van DeVenter

A declaration of yielding every part of life to God’s will

Scripture Reference: Luke 9:23

Thanks, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving

• “Gratitude” – Brandon Lake

A raw, heartfelt expression of thanksgiving when words fall short

Scripture Reference: Psalm 103:1-2

• “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” – Charity Gyle

Thanks God for salvation and the cleansing power of Christ’s blood

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:7

• “Give Thanks” – Don Moen

A classic worship chorus of gratitude to the Holy One

Scripture Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

• “Now Thank We All Our God” – Martin Rinkart

            A hymn of deep gratitude, written during hardship and loss

            Scripture Reference: Philippians 4:6-7

• “Count Your Blessings” – Johnson Oatman Jr.

 Encourages believers to name and remember every blessing

 Scripture Reference: Psalm 77:11-12

Supplication, Requests

• “I Need Thee Every Hour” – Annie S. Hawks

A timeless prayer for God’s constant nearness and help

Scripture reference: Psalm 70:1

• “Abide With Me” – Henry F. Lyte

A tender plea for God’s presence through life’s trials and the approach of death

Scripture Reference: Psalm 23:4

• “Guid Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” – William Williams

A pilgrim’s prayer for divine guidance and strength on life’s journey

Scripture Reference: Exodus 13:21-22

• “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” – Thomas A. Dorsey

A heartfelt cry for God’s hand to lead through pain and uncertainty

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 41:13

• “Hear My Cry, O Lord” – Maranatha Music/Traditional Psalm Setting

A direct plea from the Psalms for God to listen and respond

Scripture Reference: Psalm 61:1-2

Praying using the ACTS method guides us to place God first, rather than quickly moving in for the “I need” list we often see as the reason for prayer. When we confess our shortcomings we humble ourselves before God and there is a change of heart attitude. This can so easily turn into thanksgiving for what we do have. When we’ve acknowledged the greatness of God, just for being God and we change our hearts to be humbled and thankful before God, the “what we ask for” changes as well.

If you’re not a song person, you can do the very same prayer process using scripture. Many songs have their origin in scripture as listed above. You can type in a search for additional “scriptures of adoration” (confession, thanksgiving or supplication).

Prayer is a communication tool. The other side of us speaking or singing is to listen. God does let His presence be known during our prayer time when we take time to “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God” (Psalm 46:10a AMP). Let’s think about prayer as a two-way communication between ourselves and God, our Father and our Creator, rather than a performance or demonstrated skill that must be performed.

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Even if you don’t consider yourself a musician, you are probably pretty familiar with certain songs or a band or singer. Often that is because certain songs hold special meaning for us. Perhaps it was the song you first danced to or your mother’s favorite song that brings to mind memories of young love or a mother’s embrace. Hearing a song you used to sing to your babies puts those grown up kids back in your arms again.

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and I don’t usually associate music with Valentine’s Day, but as you know, much Christian music is about love. God is love and the desire for and ability to love comes straight from God. And just as other songs provoke memories, songs of God’s love are powerful reminders of His love for us. So, I made up a little Valentine’s Day playlist for you. No matter what you’re doing or feeling this Valentine’s Day, remember God loves you!

1. “Love Has Come” (Mark Schultz) is a summary of God’s greatest show of love for us.

2. “Jesus and You” (Matthew West) expresses gratefulness for both his wife and his heavenly Father. Both keep him going. “Why you both promised me forever God, I’ll never understand.”

3. “I Am Yours” (Need to Breathe). When we are aware of how undeserving we are, God’s love seems even more overwhelming than it already is.

4. “Going Together” (Dan Bremnes) is an adorably cute Instagram love story. Watch the video on this one!

5. “Heart of God” (Zach Williams) is a beautiful song musically but is also a powerful reminder that even when we stray away from God, He is there waiting to welcome us home.

6. “Loved by You” (Riley Clemmons) reminds us that God loves us. I “don’t have to wonder who I belong to.”

7. “How Much You Mean to Me” (Blessing Offor) Life is bad before we know God’s love and hope. “No song could ever contain” God’s love. Blessing writes that it is the only thing that never lets him down.

8. “Crazy About You” (Tauren Wells) Wells sings that God loves you so much, even in your sin and failures, that He gave up heaven for you to come down and bring you to Himself.

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Most of us first “met” Jane Marczewski when she walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage at her audition. When Howie Mandel asked her how she is, she replied, “I’m awesome. I’m so happy to be here!” The judges asked her the typical audition questions. They found out she would be singing an original song called “It’s OK,” which leads to an especially poignant moment when she revealed she hasn’t been working for the last few years while in an ongoing battle with cancer. Howie apologized, seemingly caught off guard, and Nightbirde said, “It’s OK. Yeah, I’m OK.” After Simon asked how she’s doing now, the audience and judges were left speechless by her answer: “The last time I checked, I had cancer in my lungs, my spine, and my liver.” Howie then said, “So you’re not OK.” and Nightbirde replied, “Well, not in every way, no.”  In a beautiful moment of truth, she states, “It’s important that everyone knows I’m so much more than the bad things that happened to me.”  When she started singing, eyebrows shot up all over the room (world?) Then as the song came to an end, Simon had a look of complete shock on his face. The audience gave a standing ovation, as did all of the judges. Nightbirde looked on the verge of tears, overwhelmed by the experience and no doubt the depth of emotion of the performance.

America’s Got Talent Judges’ Comments Were Glowing 

Howie: “You know, it’s funny because singers come on, and I think about authenticity. When you feel it, when it moves you…that felt like the most authentic thing I have heard this season.”

Sophia: “It was powerful. It was heartfelt, and I think you’re amazing.” 

Heidi: “It gave me chills. Your voice is so beautiful to listen to. It was beautiful all the way around.”

Simon: “Your voice is stunning. Absolutely stunning. I totally agree with what Howie said about authenticity. There was something about that song…about the way you just, almost casually, told us what you’re going through…” Then, as Simon was again speechless, Nightbirde took the opportunity to utter what has been shared thousands of times on social media:

“You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.”

Nightbirde

After a few moments of applause and cheering, and dramatic pause from Simon, he said, “Ummm…(takes a drink from his Sonic cup) there are, however, some great singers this year…and I’m not going to give you a ‘yes.’ I’m going to give you something else…”

Then he reached over and pressed the Golden Buzzer, sending her straight to the AGT live shows. The look on her face was so genuinely surprised, and her reaction so joyful and overwhelmed, you can’t help but laugh and cry with her. Her journey will surely be a memorable one for all who witness it and a powerful message of God’s love and faithfulness. 

Getting as much or possibly even more attention are her blogs. She writes about God, pain, faith, and tragedy in breathtaking ways- in ways that give you goosebumps, make you cry, make you pray. She writes in a way that invites you to feel what she’s feeling and see what she’s seeing. If you’re in pain, or in a battle, or if you doubt God’s love for you or His nearness to you, read these blogs and see a picture of the God who draws near to the hurting. 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 34.18 NIV

Read more about Nightbirde and her story at https://www.nightbirde.co/

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The Story Behind “Why God”

“God actually taught me something through my 3-year-old little boy, who’s in the “why, Daddy?” stage. He asks me all these questions about anything and everything and he doesn’t always get my answers, but what he does get is that he can sit in his daddy’s lap and ask me anything and I want every single question and I’ll love him no matter what. I believe that asking “why, God?” doesn’t make us a bad Christian. Maybe, it just makes us a kid who needs their Dad, and that’s ok. So I pray this song gives you permission to feel that; to bring those questions that you’ve been scared to ask to the God who’s not scared of anything.”
~Austin French

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The Healing God Promises

Have you had something hard happen to you recently? Have you lost a loved one, lost a job, got hurt or sick or left? Did you get mad at God and decide not to talk to Him anymore? It  might surprise you to know that He’d rather you talk to Him, even if you’re mad. He can take it. He knows how hard life is for us, how much it hurts- and the beautiful thing is He cares so much. Let these Scriptures comfort and strengthen you in whatever you’re walking through.

“Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.”

Isaiah 49.13 NLT

“The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.”

Psalms 103.13-14 NLT

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Hebrews 4.15-16 NLT

Maybe the healing God promises us comes from spending time with Him and learning who He is, instead of from getting all the answers we think we need. Two common themes running through the Bible are humility and trust. Can you see how both are necessary when we’re going through something hard or have had something painful happen to us? We have to get to a place of humility- of letting go of the need to control our own lives. If we can remember that God sees the whole picture, knows what’s best for us, and loves us enough to continue making us into the people we’re meant to be, we can trust Him through everything that happens in our lives. Like a child in the lap of a good father, the BEST Father, we can rest knowing that He’s got us and He won’t ever let us go. 

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Love and The Outcome

Hey, guys! Chris and Jodi from Love and The Outcome. You know, it’s so easy to focus on the what-ifs, and “when am I going to play a show again” and trying to control the future. But you know what? Trying to live in the future is stressful. We tend to get a bit anxious when we spend too much time in that place, trying to do God’s job. So instead, we’ve been living in the present. Trying to be with each other and Holy Spirit, going on bike rides, making lots of coffee. We got doughnuts today- pretty life-giving! So, anyway, we’re just trying to do things that allow us to stay in the moment with each other and the Lord and really get to know Him in a new way. So let’s just lean in in this season; not lean back and peace out, but lean in and be present. 

Matt from I Am They

What’s up, everybody! This is Matt from I Am They. I’m out here in God’s country, breathing the fresh air. Man, this is the place to be. Come on, you don’t need Germ-X up here! I just wanted to share some words of encouragement to you right now. Man, our greatest moments of adversity are also our greatest moments of opportunity. Right now, we have such an opportunity to share the peace and the hope and the love and the joy of our God with the world that right now is so- just shook up, and in this place of anxiety and fear and desperation. God hasn’t given us that spirit. He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and a sound mind. And so, right now, I just want to encourage you to start taking that opportunity to just worship God. To get alone with him, to start praying. To lift people up- we have such a great opportunity to do that right now. To just start telling God again who He is, reminding ourselves that we’re in the hands of our protector, our provider, our healer. Amen? I hope you guys are well today, and that you will just go check out- there are some awesome records out- my friend Cody Carnes, worship leader at our church, just released an awesome album called “Run To The Father.” You should just take some time to get into worship and enjoy that. There’s also this awesome book a friend shared called Secrets To Powerful Prayer and it says you can see why Jesus so strongly admonished us not to worry. He didn’t make it a suggestion, He made it a command, because when you worry, You give Satan the place in your heart the Word is supposed to have. Man! What an awesome word. Just start replacing the words of fear with the Word of God, and just activate worship in your life right now. God bless you guys. Have an amazing day. 

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Dave from Sidewalk Prophets

Hey, everybody! This is Dave Frey from the band Sidewalk Prophets and I know things can seem a little hopeless right now, but I wanted to shine some hope. For me, sometimes it’s as easy as looking out my window over there. I see kids in my neighborhood riding bikes; they scribble “joy” on the sidewalks and I think of when I was a kid. I felt so safe and secure…these days feel anything but that. I just wanted to pray for those children out there. I’m going to be a dad…that’s right! In a month and a half I’m going to have my first child. I can’t wait to hold him, but I pray that he comes into a world where Matthew 19:14 rings true. Jesus said, “let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven is made for such as these.” Believe that, y’all! Believe it. Know that joy is out there and let’s pray for those kids, those kids that are fearful. In fact, God calls us “His children”, so for the children of God- all His children- I pray that You shine some joy and some hope into our lives, because You never never have let us down. Amen.

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Darren from We Are Messengers

Mark Hall from Casting Crowns

Matthew West

Natalie Grant

Don’t forget to check back for more installments in “A Word of Encouragement From…” If there’s someone you’d like to hear from, let us know in the comments and we’ll see what we can do!

God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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