It is well with my soul / Rapture

I full well know what it's like to sit in a church with "supposedly" shiny happy people when my heart was crushed and it didn't seem like a single thing made sense. I'm so grateful for worship leaders who are willing to sing about our Suffering Servant and the truly difficult things we encounter along our faith walks. 

When I attended Kings Fellowship, my dear friends Ralph and Lori Zacharias would often lead worship and two songs they played have always stayed with me:  "It Is Well With My Soul" (performed here by the incomparable Audrey Assad) and "Rapture".

The hymn "It is Well With My Soul" was written by lawyer and Presbyterian minister Horatio Spafford after his four daughters drowned when the ocean liner on which they were sailing was rammed by another vessel. While he later sailed near the same spot where his daughters died, he penned the lyrics. 

Although I was not even close to being in the midst of a tragedy of those proportions, I was dealing with a whole mess of loss. And to sing along with those lyrics -- even before I knew Spafford's story -- provided me with precious comfort.

"Rapture" was likely my first encounter with what I would term prophetic worship. Lori wrote the words after receiving healing for past wounds and every time she would sing it, Abba would breathe on it and give me revelation and often even breakthrough.

The song features two perspectives: Father God's and His daughter's. As I would worship and sing along, I could feel Him drawing near and whispering to me: "Fall on me and I will lift you up" which would soften my heart. Then I would entreat the Spirit to envelop my frailties and hidden sins, and I always sensed a divine exchange take place.

At its best, when fully yielded to God, this is what I believe music can do: reveal truth and set us free. I know it did for me.

RAPTURE
Fall on me, fall on me // And I will lift you up
Fall on me, fall on me // And I will lift you up
My bower of schemes around me crumbles from inside
Until I become so frail I can't hide
Spirit breathe into me // The only breath I need
My Saviour, now revealed // Rapture me

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well with my soul It is well with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come Let this blest assurance control That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate And hath shed His own blood for my soul My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought My sin, not in part but the whole Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live If Jordan above me shall roll No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait The sky, not the grave, is our goal Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight The clouds be rolled back as a scroll The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend Even so, it is well with my soul

#MonthfulOfMusic #HoodMom