Soul Retreats: A Song From The Heart

When you find yourself in a situation over which you have no reasonable control, sing. God's delightful gift of song was designed for just such a time. It is guaranteed to lift your spirits and chase away the dark shadows of fear and dread.

The next time some situation threatens to get you down, try singing "He's God the Whole World in His Hand" or "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." The gift of song is a remedy for the troubled soul.

Rejoice in the good time and the not-so-bad times, and loosen the occasional tight grip of fear or anxiety with a song. Open your mouth, fill your lungs with air and burst forth with confidence, joy and thanksgiving.

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O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the Lord is great God, and a great King above all gods.

PSALM 95:1-3

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Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

EPHESIANS 5:19

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Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.

PSALM 98:1

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I will sing of your love and justice;
to you , O Lord; I will sing praise.

PSALM 101:1

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God put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear;
and put their trust in the Lord.

PSALM 40:3

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Miriam took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her,
with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted."

EXODUS 15:20-21

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Serve the Lord with gladness:
Come before his presence with singing.

PSALM 100:2

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Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to the Lord, I will sing;
I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.

JUDGES 5:3

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Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs;
sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts.

COLOSSIANS 3:16

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By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me --
a prayer to the God of my life.

PSALM 42:8

Soul Retreats: Walk It Off

Take God for your bridegroom and friend,and walk with him continually; 

and you will not sin and will learn to love,

and the things you must do will work out prosperously for you. 

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You have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

PSALM 56:13

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Many nations will come and say,
"Come, let us go up
to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths."

MICAH 4:2

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You show me the path of life, O Lord,
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

PSALM 16:11

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Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life."

JOHN 8:12

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Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

1 JOHN 2:6

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Teach me your way, O Lord;
lead me in a straight path.

PSALM 27:11

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I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.

PROVERBS 4:11-12

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The Lord said, "I will look upon you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you... I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

LEVITICUS 20:9, 12

God's Words When You Are Facing Pain and Suffering

So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10

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The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.
Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

PSALM 9:9-12

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What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

ROMANS 8:31-39