Pray and Sing Prayers and Songs in the New Testament
ISBN 978-0-6453288-2-0
Praying and singing went together for followers of Jesus in the first century. The New Testament includes fine examples of profound prayers and sacred songs. Pray and Sing: Prayers and Songs in the New Testament opens the pages of the New Testament and looks at nine prayers, seven songs and an eighth set of songs to God and Christ in the power of the Spirit. The examination of these prayers and songs will encourage twenty-first century seekers after truth to pray to the Lord and to sing his praises. Indeed, taking seriously the New Testament prayers and songs will enable readers to be followers of Jesus who practise what they preach.
We begin with the Lord’s Prayer. I call it the Model Prayer. It covers God’s glory and human needs. Of course, it was given to us by Jesus, in whom God comes to us and through whom we go to God. We look at two other prayers of Jesus as well. Then we examine Paul’s theology of prayer in his finest letter before discussing two more prayers of the apostle. The last selected prayers come from Hebrews, First Peter, and Jude.
When we turn to consider songs in the New Testament, we commence with three songs in Luke’s record of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. Then we negotiate the heights and depths of the song at the beginning of John’s Gospel. After this we look at two songs in Paul’s letters to the Christians at Philippi and Colossae. Next we examine a truly memorable song at the beginning of Hebrews. Finally, we discuss songs in Revelation about the Lord and the Lamb.
