Online House of Prayer

Aneel Aranha is an author, preacher, and evangelist who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. You can find a huge selection of his reflections, articles, sermons, songs and other resources on his website www.aneelaranha.com.

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Online House of Prayer

Psalm 98 - Singing A New Song

July 30, 2023 • Aneel Aranha • Season 3 • Episode 98

0:00 | 3:45

Experience the joy of exuberant worship with Psalm 98. Sing a new song to the Lord, embrace creativity, and find unity in praising God’s marvelous deeds.

Psalm 98 - Singing A New Song - Aneel Aranha

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn —
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.

When we read Psalm 98, we cannot help but imagine a scene of exuberant celebration. The psalmist calls upon the sea, the rivers, the mountains and all of earth to raise their voices in praise to the Lord. What a beautiful picture it paints of a sense of unity in worship, where every part of creation participates in declaring God's goodness.

He invites us to join in the celebration. “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music,” he exhorts. Yet, if we look at the way we worship God, much of the time our worship is subdued or muted.

There is nothing wrong with quiet reflection or contemplative prayer and I am sure that David spent much time in both. However, when he gave free rein to his heart, he couldn’t contain himself and expressed himself freely with song, music, and harp. He urges us to do the same: Sing to the Lord a new song, he says!

The concept of singing a new song is found throughout the Bible, from the Psalms to the book of Revelation, highlighting its significance in our spiritual journey.

What does it mean to sing a new song to the Lord? It means expressing praise, worship, and gratitude to God in fresh and creative ways. It goes beyond repeating traditional words and melodies and involves offering God a heartfelt and unique expression of our love and devotion.

Do you want to sing a new song to the Lord? You could try these things. Seek God’s presence. Meditate on Scripture. Express experiences. Embrace creativity. Collaborate with other believers. Write songs. Sing from the heart. Share what you’ve written with others. Listen to God’s voice. Continue learning. And don’t tell yourself you can’t do any of this. You can, so go for it.

God bless you.