Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Discipleship Devotional, March 3rd, 2025

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
– Colossians 3:16 (KJV)

Music holds a significant place in our faith. Throughout the Scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, we find numerous psalms and songs sung by God’s people. From the songs of Moses and the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt to the song of Hannah after receiving a child from God, and the many songs of David and his men, we witness a rich culture of singing praises to the Lord.

Similarly, as we see in our anchor text, psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs remain essential for our spiritual devotion even in the New Testament. We should never underestimate the power of impactful gospel songs. Some songs express adoration to God, and some songs remind us of our identity and realities in Christ. Some songs bring encouragement in times of tribulation, as well as songs of consecration that help us refocus on the things of God. The Bible also shows us that songs can stir up the gifts of the Spirit within us.

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
– Ephesians 5:18-19 (KJV)

In the above passage, Paul demonstrates that we can be filled with the Spirit through singing godly songs. We find a notable example in 2 Kings 3:15, where the prophet Elisha called for a minstrel to play music before he prophesied. In this instance, the purpose of the music was to create an atmosphere that would facilitate receiving divine inspiration and prophetic insight. After the musician played, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Elisha, enabling him to deliver a message from God to the kings.

Prayer
Pick a good worship song, play it, and use it in worship today.