Ten Songs Of Praise and Adoration I Love To Hear And Sing

Singing is such a delightful activity. Hearing harmonies and melodies bellow from the hearts and souls of people remains the most spine tingling experience yet.

Yesterday I raved about my brother’s singing and musical proficiency and admittedly at times I’ve used him as the standard of quality and felt I was way short of that. As a result I would downplay any singing quality I had. Thankfully, however, there’s something about a good song that allows me to overcome these pointless inhibitions and erupt in praise and adoration to God in song.

Singing to the Lord a new song must be a refreshing and invigorating experience. When I come across a song I’ve never heard before and it resonates deeply with me, that’s the feeling I love to have. A great song will provide moments of such beauty however often I hear it. Here are ten songs that do it for me both in listening and in singing too.

1. To Thee We Ascribe Glory

I remember the first time I heard this song at the end of the Glory to the King album – a brilliant album I might add. I heard it and caught a glimpse of what it must be like with the heavenly host giving to the Lord that which belongs to Him in praise and adoration. I have no shame in saying I broke down in tears of praise then and from time to time singing with them I still flow with tears in the light of acknowledging the one to whom all praise, honour, power and majesty belongs.

2. To God Be The Glory

Again with the glory to God bit, right. I reckon it’s because when I look back on how selfishly I have desired glory in one way or the other and then compare myself to one who deserves it all, I am grateful for His mercy that helps me to see things in their proper perspective. There’s the hymn which I love especially with the call to Praise The Lord, but I love this version with the new arrangement that helps us ascend in giving glory great things He has done.

3. When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

Wow. Talk about another one that makes me tearful to the max. I listen to the words of these songs and they absolutely break me to pieces. I consider what that cross represents, who went to that cross, what He achieved at that cross. Then someone like Gaither arranges it so beautifully in this way and I find myself standing up with the rest of them when Phelps starts singing out And were this whole realm of nature mine. Come on, any believer with a pulse has to agree that love so amazing so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.

4. Oh The Glory Of Your Presence

Just when you thought it was safe to avoid the glory up pops another song that I adore singing in adoration to the God I worship. The one true and living God. I have often heard this sung in the confines of a particular religious building or establishment. What I can tell you though is that it took on even greater significance to me when I recognised that it’s for the living temple of God – sure my body, but even more the gathering of His people. Two or three people, or two or three hundred or two or three thousand – it doesn’t matter to God. As we celebrate His rule in our lives this song really helps me to lose sense of self in favour of seeing Him glorified.

5. We Believe

It’s very true. I can learn a lot from the song words of a great song. If anyone wanted to do the fundamentals of faith, they wouldn’t have to go much further than this song. It covers so much in such a short space of time. So much truth to tuck into. So much grace, love, holiness, righteousness, unity and power. It’s a brilliant song that for me is something I sing in defiance to a world that wants me to dilute these truths or completely forsake them. It’s the truths in this song that helps me stand firm in the one who is my righteousness.

6. Though Your Sins Be As Scarlet

Some songs are ones I take very seriously. This is one of those songs. I remember hearing it before I had my life-changing divine encounter. I heard it talking to me, inviting me, something for me to consider. Yet the words are even more meaningful to me as a believer. When I read the context of Isaiah talking to God’s own people, it fits my situation to a tee often in the sense that often I need to realise how much I take the relationship for granted and slip away from Him and then need to be reminded that if I sin and confess those sins He is still just to cleanse me.

7. But For Grace

Dude, some songs should have been written by me, because once I hear them I’m all over them saying that’s my song. It’s a crying shame that grace took so long to be a reality for me in my walk with God. Now that I come across it thanks to songs like this and encounters with the God of grace, I sing these songs with relish and a grateful heart.

8. If You Love The Lord

Here’s my man Keith Green with one of the first songs that arrested me in my tracks when I came across his songs. They did not pull any punches. I am hearing this song and noticing that the words are fairly categorical – we are His workmanship created for good works in Christ; He calls us to offer up ourselves a living sacrifice. That’s a fairly stark and plain call to love the Lord by doing what He says. IT’s one of those songs I hear and sing knowing it can only be legitimately sung with conviction and zeal for honouring God in all life. Typical Keith Green, really – to the glory of the Lord.

9. Glorify Thy Name

I remember singing this song once and getting it. By that I mean for years I had sang it as a song to God asking Him to get on with doing what He needed to do for Himself. There’s nothing wrong with that. Then I realised that I was singing that song and acknowledging that one method of doing that is through me. I am singing a song of praise and adoration and in essence committing myself afresh to the task of reflecting the weighty essence of His brilliance in all my life. To recognise that as I did that I rest assured that He was doing that through His people around the world made me thank Him even more for just what a great God He is.

10. My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)

To the best of my knowledge, and I could be wrong, Andrae Crouch has recorded at least three separate versions of this song on different albums over the years, from one he did with the Disciples back in the 1970’s, to the one he recorded with an All Star choir in the latter end of the last century. I love the different versions for different reasons. I choose this one, though, because it’s the first one I recall hearing and I remember how I felt listening to those strings in the beginning and getting a sense of something epic about to happen. Then the plaintive voice of Andrae singing about how could he say thanks for all the things that God did for Him. I was a nipper when I heard it, five or six years old. It sounded like a momentous song at the time. Over 30 years later since I first heard it and I am now in full agreement with the sentiment of gratitude for the God who does great things.

Whether it’s writing or singing, being a husband or a father, working in training, volunteering in a centre, loving and being loved, giving and receiving I know now more than ever that it’s all for the glory of God. For anything good that comes from it, I know that all glory must go to Him.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden