Who would deny that music can affect how you feel? Music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human function – we are made to respond. Our eardrums vibrate to what is heard – we are quite literally moved, touched, by what we listen to.

Music Therapy 

It is said that music in itself has a healing property. The uses and benefits of music therapy have been researched for decades. Key findings from clinical studies have shown that music therapy may be helpful for people with depression and anxiety, sleep disorders, and even cancer.

Music in Spiritual Warfare

The bible records in the book of 1st Samuel that after king Saul was rejected by the Lord because of his disobedience, the Spirit of the Lord departed from him. Then a distressing spirit from the Lord was sent to trouble him. The proposed solution for this spiritual problem  was music. His servants advised him to seek a skillful harp player, and that whenever the harp is played, the music would drive the distressing spirit away.

The skillful harp player was David, the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite. “Now when the spirit of God was upon Saul, David could take a harp and play it with his hand. Immediately Saul would become refreshed and well and the distressing spirit would depart from him.” (1 Samuel 16:14-23)

This example from 1 Samuel shows that praise and worship is a weapon against spiritual warfare. Consider this, most of us, if feeling distressed, angry, or overwhelmingly frustrated, wouldn’t even diagnose it as a spiritual issue! Regardless, whenever we find ourselves outside of the joy and peace promised by God, we can turn to music to shift the atmosphere. 

Praise & Worship is an Intimate Expression

Just as we use music to draw us away from negative thoughts and emotions, praise and worship serve to draw us nearer to God. Listening to and singing along with Christian music has the power to feed our faith, causing our mind, spirit, and heart, to remember the promises and presence of God. 

The psalmist says that God inhabits, or more accurately translated, ‘is enthroned’ amidst our praises. As we acknowledge His spirit, focusing our love and adoration on the truth of who and how He is, we are inviting Him to be exalted, lifting Him up above ourselves and our circumstances. And just as scripture reads, as we draw closer to God, He draws closer to us.

Finally, the scripture says that one indication that one has been filled with the Holy Spirit is through the singing of spiritual songs. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:18-21).