Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president

Have you ever visited a church with acoustics that made you stop and listen in awe?

A few years ago, I had the chance to visit a church in Jerusalem that made any singing group sound amazing. The group I was traveling with had no claims of being professional singers. Yet as we started to sing an old hymn, the acoustics of the old church made us sound heavenly. Other visitors paused to listen or even to join us. It seemed like God drew near and the Holy Spirit was present as we reflected on our personal walks with God during this time of singing.

I wonder what the acoustics were like when Paul and Silas sang from the depths of the prison in Philippi. Acts 16:25 says that they were singing and praying at midnight and that the “prisoners were listening to them.” Regardless if the acoustics were good or not, it is apparent that during that devotional time the Holy Spirit was with them. Acts 16 continues to tell of the earthquake and how the prisoners were so impressed by the power that no one wanted to leave. They stayed and before the night was over the prison keeper and his entire family were brand new Christians.

Personal and family devotional time, which may or may not include singing, can be a wonderful time when the Holy Spirit draws near and opens the doors of our souls to liberate us.

This time can also become a witness to those around us that see something special happening in our lives or in the lives of our families. It may be morning or evening in our personal or family devotional time when we realize that God had drawn near. Perhaps it is at midnight in our souls when we find comfort in hymns of worship.

Commit each day to choose to put yourself in a place mentally where you can hear God and realize that He has drawn near to you. Time spent with God each day, even through persecution that may be happening in your life, becomes a lifeline to being unshackled from the chains that bind us.

I encourage you to spend a few more minutes a day in your devotional time or, if there has been no time, find a few minutes to stop and connect with God. Take some time and sing in the cathedral of your heart and feel the Holy Spirit drawing near. When you purposefully spend time with God, others will take notice that you have been with God.