Singing and Praying Your Way Through Christmas

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This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open imitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly physical insight help you learn to mom and now so where to start out as a Christmas him but really that's how we all sing today right. James yeah that's right it could be sung really at any time of the year and to look at how it started way back in 1719. We need to ask a question WW DD WW DD I mean you mean WW JD. What would Jesus to help know it's what would David do because that's the question that the author of the song asked if David were to write a song about Jesus.

What would he write anywhere from there okay but you have to explain a bit more all right will the other was Isaac Watson. He's considered to be the father of hymns in English because he was one of the very first prolific hymn writers was a trailblazer before he came along. The church was only singing the Psalms put to music and there weren't very enthusiastic about it. By the way, sometimes in the colonies bring their dogs to church. The dogs would sing along this whole mess bothered Watts so he tried to take the Psalms, which by the way, the prayer book of the Bible right and he wanted to take some of their themes and other themes from Scripture about Jesus and weave them all together and help the church. Praise God with them and that's what he did with the song.

So James just were playing name that song right we haven't said yeah yeah that I would that work for first let's start with the song that that once used Psalm 98, it starts sing to the Lord a new song for he's done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm of work salvation for him. The Lord is made to salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations he's remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth burst into jubilant song with music that's all 98 verses one through four. I can really see ours are song about right. I mean, don't you think we should tell our audience know what it is at this point go for. Oh you might not be surprising to hear all this issue which is salvation right that the actual song is joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. That's the one. And the funny thing about this is that it doesn't say anything about Christmas. It's really more about Jesus coming back again. The only part. What you might think of this is Christmasy if you will, is let every heart prepare him room because of course there was no room for Jesus. In the end, but it really says nothing about Jesus birth or about Mary and Joseph are the angels and shepherds. None of its and their so it's really a song we can sing on your right yet is in and we should.

But we've stuck it in Christmas and it will probably stay there, but it would help if we sang it at other times because it reminds us that Jesus is coming back and it's really a picture of that fields and floods, rocks and hills and plains, repeat the sounding joy is a reminder that creation anticipates Jesus were returned and will cry out when he does that's awesome in alignment says he comes to make his blessings flow. As far as the curse is found, yeah, yeah that that one is one of my favorites, especially the way repeats far as the curse is found, I can think of anything no matter where you been, no matter how you been held down and discouraged by soon matter what the curse of sin has done in your heart and life. Jesus can change it all.

He he not only saves us he blesses us.

And then there's the last part in how we rule the world and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and the wonders of his love, and wonders of his love and will.

There is one is yeah I ran what a gift. I will write like that when I grow up there's there's so much wonder in Jesus love and just to put it that way. You and I become wonders of his love as he saves us and sets us free and pours his hope into our hearts that surgery when I think of where I would be without Jesus in is really not very pretty with it, think about mammoth friendless like this for screw D Robbie that I advised because Gary to tier I would be so tight that that brings us to another great thing about this when Isaac Watts started writing hymns.

A lot of people want to happy about it and you can understand that if you think about how some folks can be so set in their ways, especially church we've always done it this way can hit popular sing with some folks and they were used to singing Scripture. And let's face it, this wasn't what Watson's whole goal was to get people to understand why they were singing at all that they really had something to praise God for him to praise him more so he did this staying close to Scripture, and no matter the pushback he just kept praising God for Jesus so you know I don't let the world steal your joy, because that's who Jesus is joy to the world when we come to him on a great reminder. Especially Christmas where we get so focused and wrapped up in the wrappings if you will. Spending more time focusing on things and stuff. Sometimes we do want him at the beautiful thing is he really has come to show us the wonders of his love and we need to praise them for all that's true not only to show us the wonders of his love, but to make each one of us who will have him truly a wonder of his love.

I mean II may not be who I'm fully meant to be not who I was all because of the grace and goodness of God to us all because of Jesus. Amen. May 2 at really is something I have joy about James which wraps up with a prayer. But before you do that on a reminder listeners that we have a very special and new encouraging prayer broadcast right podcast as well. Right here on the Truth Network on Christmas day so you don't want to miss that right James. That's, that's right.

Let's pray Lord bless us plus our listeners.

This Christmas just know the joy of knowing you, Lord, we praise you for the wonder of all that you are that you welcome us into. We praise you break the curse of sin and death over our lives. We can live in Jesus hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website.

James bank.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network