What Satan Cannot Endure

Singing alone in God's presence is one of the most neglected aspects of personal worship. At least forty-one Psalms specifically refer to "singing praises" to the Lord. The psalmist wrote for us to sing praises almost as if it were the most important thing he could write: "Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises" (Psalm 47:6).

The early Methodists put such value on singing that they regularly carried their hymnals with their Bibles. Mary Slosser, a godly missionary with the Chinese, exclaimed, "I sing the doxology and dismiss the devil!"

Amy Carmichael also spoke of the power of singing: "I believe truly that Satan cannot endure it and so slips out of the room-more or less!-when there is a true song. Prayer rises more easily, more spontaneously, after one has let those wings, words, and music carry one out of oneself into that upper air."

Having a hymnal open to songs of worship that we can express with our spirit as well as our voices often brings us into God's presence.

Always using someone else's words in our singing, however, may be as undesirable as always praying someone else's prayers. Why not "sing a new song" (Psalm 144:9)?

Make a joyful noise to the Lord as you present your requests with thanksgiving.

I will praise You with a new song, dear Jesus.

"My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul" (Psalm 108:1).
"I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind" (1 Corinthians 14:9).