How To Sing Praises

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze


        A music band was busy playing various tunes during worship. Members of the band were sweating profusely, while the congregation danced and rejoiced. At the end of the day's worship, the band team went to a reverend to receive benedictions. The reverend happened to be a mystic. He said to them, "I want to show you what you have done today."
        He asked them to take the white altar covering and spread it on the ground. Next, he told them to go to the nearby refuse dump and collect each a handful of refuse. When the team returned to the mystic, he directed them to scatter the refuse on the white clothe. They did so. Then he said to them, "Your noisy songs and bombarding music songs are indeed a mess. They are as disgusting as the refuse on this holy covering." Having said this, he turned and left them.
        Most often, the worship songs and music lack order, melody, harmony and Holy Spirit.

Very Important Points As Corrections
  1. Only one person should lead at a time. Nobody should interrupt him, unless he invites another person to take over. The practice of anyone taking over from the lead singer, at any time, is unacceptable.
  2. The rest shall keep silent, while he introduces each song by singing it.
  3. When he completes a song, all shall respond by singing the song.
  4. Two-beat songs shall not be mixed up with three-beat songs.
  5. Once a session of praises starts, there shall be no incessant breaks in singing of praises.
  6. The method shall be voice-over music, and not music-over voice. That means that the music shall not be louder than the voice of the lead chorister.
  7. Give duration to a song, by singing it 7 to 10 times. It is better to sing one song several times in 7 minutes, than to sing several songs in a short time.
  8. Every song has a spirit that uses it (works with it). Therefore, allow a spirit time to work by giving duration to a song. Avoid jumping from one song to another.
  9. Follow this sequence in songs presentation:
  10. Synchronize songs with events (Let the song match what is happening in spirit).
  11. Use your natural voice in singing. Avoid shouting.
  12. Avoid rush, from one song to another. Follow a steady, cool and soft presentation. (Study and emulate a gentle flowing stream.)
  13. If the congregation is small, do not clap.
  14. Always sing with your heart and mouth at the same time. Do not allow your mind to wander from one earthly thing to another.
  15. If the congregation is few, cluster together.
  16. The lead voice must be smooth and normal; not a hoax voice, which disorganizes the voice of the others.
  17. The lead voice should be treble, tenor or a harmonized voice.
  18. Always round up a singing session properly. Do not end singing any how. Whenever you are signalled to stop singing, first complete the last song before you end.
  19. Avoid uncontrolled change in the use of instruments.
  20. Be ready to moderate songs, by stepping up or down as the situation may demand.
Always In A Hurry?
         The youths of today are always in a hurry. They are in a hurry to make money, in a hurry to become wealthy, in a hurry to become famous, etc. They bring this hurry with them to the church. Ask a youth to sing, and quickly he jumps from one song to another; all in the bid to taste them all, to sing them all and to show it all. Angels do not work that way, and the Holy Spirit is never in a hurry!
         Leading choristers should give duration to a song. It is better to sing one good song seven times, than to sing seven different songs in a quick succession. Hurrying in singing is like upsetting an apple cart, is like upsetting a cart loaded with apple. The apples will scatter. The Angels would only stand back and do some other things important. An orderly set of songs brings them closer.
         The songs and praises a congregation sings determine what God, Son, Holy Spirit and the Angels do. If the songs and praises are organized, blessings and deliverances flow down. If the songs and praises become mixed up or discordant, the Heavens stand aside because they do not work in ways that are not synchronized (not orderly).