Yes, I know there are songs with those lyrics, but I want to discuss the idea of a song and a prayer from Revelation 5:8ff. In this passage we see the church represented by the twenty-four elders, with their leading the members of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation in worship of the Lamb.
But what did these lead worshippers carry with them into the presence of Holy God? What were the two things that gained them entry into His glorious presence? "...the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense." The harp is representative of a song or music and the incense represents the prayers of God's people. With music and prayer in hand they proceeded to sing! Praise is only half the battle. Without the offering of incense, a choir and a church committed to prayer, it is impossible to adequately worship Him.
After reading Jim Cymbala's book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire some 20 years ago I became convicted that our worship choir needed to be a praying people if we were ever to lead worship effectively. My desire was that our worship-leading choir become known as a praying group of people and that we fervently pray for the worship in our church. In 2 Chronicles 20 we see that we are to be the lead warriors as members of God's choir and it is impossible for us to do that apart from a devoted prayer life. We would have to be a people of prayer.
Part of the job description for worship leaders is that we be prayer warriors. The very weapons of our warfare in breaking through to worship are praise, prayer, and prophecy ("telling forth" the truth of God's Word). Without prayer we are in danger of bringing incomplete and unacceptable offerings of worship to God. Unfortunately, many times we have the harp in one hand and nothing in the other. As a worship-leading choir, God's choir, we must see the value of prayer. We must pray constantly, and with all our heart be models of this for the church we lead in worship. It will unify us in purpose and in song. May we always have ...a harp in one hand and golden bowls full of incense in the other. mjm
