What the Bible says about singing and music / Christian songwriting advice

As a follower of Jesus, I want to glorify God with my music and singing. A great place to start is the Bible. The Bible is a collection of divinely inspired writings that God has given us for purposes of guidance, encouragement, and truth.

So if you would like somewhere to start on your journey of dedicating your music to God, learning about what the Bible has to say about it is an amazing place to begin.

There are many verses in the Bible about singing. From the Psalms (which is a collection of songs) to new testament encouragement in worship, there is a lot to learn from the scriptures.

Worship is something that is a part of all believer’s lives. But how musical worship looks can be so different from person to person. Not all worship songs are meant to sound the same, and just because your music doesn’t sound like Hillsong doesn’t mean it isn’t worship!

Let’s begin looking at some Bible verses about music and singing.

“Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations,
And sing praises to Your name.” – 2 Samuel 22:50

It is good to praise and give thanks to God! Not only to do it, but to do it publicly also. The fact that is says “among the nations”, most of us can’t imagine entire nations hearing our music, but it it is God’s Will, we need to make room for Him to move. Instead of hiding away our worship and gifting, we are called to glorify God in the view of others.

This doesn’t mean we are all meant to be famous or even a “successful” musician. This simply means we surrender to whatever it is He wants to do, even if it’s outside of our comfort zone. Also, don’t get me wrong, worshiping in private when it’s just you and God is also so so important. Praying and praising alone in our rooms is where big things begin, and happen.

“Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” – 2 Chronicles 20:22

God working through your obedience and talent is so powerful! There are defeats that happen when we choose to trust and worship, even before our enemies. There is a song that says worship is our weapon, and I love that! Another song says, “the enemy may take some things, but he can’t take my worship”. What a powerful thing, to be able to worship God and do battle by doing so.

“I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.” – Psalm 13:6

The fruit of God’s work in our lives is the root of our music and praise. What a beautiful place to find inspiration: His goodness. This could be situations He has worked in, or what has happened in our hearts because of Him. There are many ways to relay how bountiful He is to us. Our songs can be an overflow of whatever that looks like in our life.

“Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.” – Psalm 96:2

This feels like a call to proclaim the gospel in our music. There’s a new part of what He’s done for us every day. His goodness is never ending, and there is always a new testimony we can sing. Sharing the gospel doesn’t just have to be tracts or street preaching, it can be woven into music as well. God doesn’t call us to share Him in the same way no matter who we are. Instead, He delights when we use our unique gifts and talents, our strengths, to glorify Him, and share the gospel truth.

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

We are called to create something new! Something fresh and alive and intriguing. This is almost like a promise to us: that He will give us something new to sing about from day to day. There is always more to uncover when you are writing music with Jesus.

“…Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” – Ephesians 5:19

Such a beautiful verse encouraging us to sing and have communion with God in music. Creating out of closeness with the Holy Spirit, and singing what is in our hearts, the deep places of our souls. It is massive: to create from a place of being in the presence of the Holy Spirit. To be inspired by the Holy One, and create something Devine.

The importance of God’s plan for singing

The Creator knows the pure purpose for music. It’s up to us to discover how it looks to us. When we work alongside Him, we get to be a part of something so much bigger!

Not only does He know the overarching purpose for music. He knows the purpose and plan of your music. Your music can be your mission and He sees where it leads.

I have loved getting to be a part of His bigger plan. Getting to play a part in the purpose of music in this world.

I’ve sought His purpose for my music as I’ve journeyed onward. I’ve learnt that making music with Him makes for a much more fulfilling and invigorating experience. Refining my lyrics, and searching deeper into melody and rhythm is a constant adventure.

If you would like to learn more about songwriting, feel free to browse more blog posts, or contact me if you have any questions. You can also find me on YouTube at The Windy Wildflower, or the podcast at The Windy Wildflower Podcast. We talk about writing, songwriting, and being a Christian creative in all these places. Join me on the journey of learning to glorify God with our creativity and making dreams a reality.