Prayer Through Music

I’ve been quite homesick lately, for reasons I can’t even explain.  Part of me just aches to be home with my family in the beautiful Colorado.  However, I know that if I were there I would miss being here.  No matter where I go, I’m always be missing something or someone.

That’s just how life goes. 

Yesterday morning I was definitely in one of those moods and my friend Sam suggested that I go back to my room and play my guitar, which is exactly what I ended up doing for about an hour and a half.      Technically, I shouldn’t have been playing my guitar before 10am, since it's during quiet hours, but I couldn’t help myself and I figured most people were probably in class anyway.

I took me a few minutes to tune my seldom-used guitar and find the chords for songs online but, once I did, I didn’t stop playing until I had to go to Human Biology.  I ended up playing In Your Presence by Jeremy Camp over numerous times, amongst other worship songs.  

I love it when chord progressions become addicting.

Sitting down to play my guitar and worship the Lord on my own was the best decision I made all day.  Music is powerful worship, and also extremely beneficial during prayer.  I find that it is often easier for me to sing my prayers into lyrics than it is for me to journal or pray them silently.

I like to verbally set it on the table and say, God, here’s what’s up… 

Then I let my heart cry through the music. 

A Dusty 6-String

I brought my guitar home from Seattle, thinking that I would have plenty of time to sit down, play it, and maybe write a few songs. 

I didn’t take it out of its case until today, which means it sat in my room for three weeks before I bothered to play it.  I don’t understand why I allowed that to happen, since playing music is one of the most important balances in my life.  I constantly listen to music, but a huge part of me loves creating my own. 

If I’m having a bad day, I can sit down on the piano and be calm within minutes.  If I need to release pent up emotions I can write a fitting song on the guitar. 

I fully understand the importance of music therapy. 

When I first pulled my guitar out, I brushed it off (a sign I hadn’t played it in far too long), and I sat upon my bed and ran my fingers across the strings.

Only to be greeted by the horrible noise of 6 strings playing all of the wrong notes. 

I quickly tuned it, then played Blackbird by the Beatles, one of my favorite songs. 

I let out a breath.  I missed this so much, why didn’t I bother to pick it up earlier? 

Why.

I let my fingers take control, and before I knew it I had made up half a song.  None of it was written down of course, but it had been waiting all this time to be let out. 

If I remember correctly it had something to do with bringing the sun back to Seattle. 

Fitting for a Colorado girl.