The overflow of singing praises amid great difficulties has tremendous spiritual power for helping to win the spiritual battle.
Ivan Antonov shares how he survived twenty-four years in Russian prison camps for preaching:
“I would sing hymns. I was really glad that I knew so many. I had memorised about one hundred seventy hymns, and in order not to forget them, I reviewed several every day. So over a time, I sang through all of them. I want to emphasise to my young friends that you should worship God with songs and poems and memorise them. They will come in handy…I sang hymns every morning and at night before going to bed…In those quiet [morning] hours, I would go outside in the fresh air and sing hymns of praise to God and pray. Then I went in for breakfast with everyone else.
China’s notable pastor, Wang Ming-dao, shared upon his release from prison that he frequently sang praises to God to buoy his spirits. The songs that meant the most to him were “All The Way My Saviour Leads Me” and “Safe In The Arms Of Jesus.”
His contemporary, Allen Yuan, shared two songs which he repeatedly sang aloud throughout his nearly twenty-two years in prison. One was “The Old Rugged Cross” and the other “Psalm Twenty-Seven” from the Chinese Psalter. It was always an emotional highlight to hear him sing these songs.
(Story was shortened.)
Source: Open Doors
