On the Birthday of Ana Katharina Müller Moore: Is Down syndrome Healable?

Our daughter Ana Katharina Müller Moore was born to us 13 years ago today. Apart from my salvation, and my wife she has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. She was born with Down syndrome. I knew it right away. As soon as I saw her after she was born, I knew or at least suspected that she had Down syndrome. See, I had been around Down syndrome my whole life. My awesome cousin has Down syndrome, I volunteered at camps and the special Olympics in High school, and was in youth ministries that had teenagers with Down syndrome, and other handicaps. 

My suspicions were confirmed a few hours later. our doctor came into our room and confirmed that she had all the signs of Downs. Down syndrome is a Chromosomal abnormality in which each cell of a person’s body have three chromosomes on the 21st strand. The effects of Down syndrome are wide ranging. Most people with Trisomy 21 have smaller heads, flattened nose, larger tongue, slanted or walnut eyes, grow slower, and are mentally challenged, usually altogether smaller, have an average shorter lifespan, higher chance of heart problems, slow muscle growth, heart defects, higher chance of diabetes, and early onset Alzheimer’s. In Ana’s case she has beautiful speckled eyes that are also a sign of Downs. Ana was born and had immediate complications. She was in the hospital for eight days. She then was released to us and we took her home. She was an immediate joy to us, although we had to grieve the loss of the child we though that we were going to have (a typical baby). I spoke with my cousins often and they could sympathize with me, but they said very clearly that they could not be sad for us because their sister has been such a Joy and blessing to them. 

We also were able to meet with my Uncle and my Aunt and talked with tears about life and Joy in living with Downs. We are more incredibly blessed than we could have ever imagined at being so abruptly thrust into the world of disability and particularly Down syndrome. Ten months into Ana’s life we noticed a strange movement she was making. It looked like she was losing the ability to control her head. Our pediatrician immediately sent us to a neurologist. He thought she might be having seizures. Sure enough, she was having seizures. We immediately had an EEG (electroencephalogram) which measures the electrical impulses in the brain. They discovered that she was having seizures and actually had a seizure disorder called infantile spasms. We immediately began taking very heavy medication. We had to give her shots in her legs every day for six weeks. We then changed to another type of medication for a longer period of time. She has been seizure free, Praise the Lord, Since she was about two years old.

Despite being seizure free she has experienced serious delays in speech, development, and learning. We have since then, been very active in helping her development through therapies, surgeries, and all sorts of other medical treatments. We have it easy. We hear people’s stories in the disability community and think, “WOW! we have it so easy.” We received a diagnosis several years ago of Autism also. It was very interesting experience for me. I thought, “Oh wow, that explains a lot.” It was not devastating…It was more of a relief. “Oh, wow that’s what it is, that makes a lot of sense, and God will help us as he always has.” I cannot tell you how often the Lord walked with us through the “valley of the shadow of death.” In fact, I have learned only faith deepening, Jesus reliance, life lessons in the valley of the shadow of death. I have never learned anything of true faith significance in the “green pastures.” I am very thankful for the green pastures, but I cannot tell you how often I have felt Jesus’ rod and staff guide me through those dark nights of the soul through deep and dark valleys.

Early on in our lives with Ana I was asked often by well-meaning Christians if I had faith enough that Ana would be healed from Down syndrome. I even had a person offer me drugs that were developed by a faith healer. He claimed that the drugs helped people with Down syndrome and their appearance to look less and less like they had Down syndrome. Thankfully, God gave me the grace to answer those people without blowing up in a ball of rage like "anger" from the movie Inside out. I often felt like it. Then someone approached Simone after giving her testimony about Ana and gave her a CD of Bill Johnson’s teaching. I remember it very distinctly. He claimed that cancer and other diseases were directly from Satan. I dealt with that theme in a previous post here.

At that time nearly 12 years ago, I became aware of Bill Johnson and his teaching. I actually threw that teaching CD in the garbage at that time. It was where I believed such teaching belonged. Not only was it personally offensive, but biblically offensive. I put it in the only place that I had for such things in my office at the time, the garbage. As we continued in our life with our lovely, caring, beautiful Down syndrome, Autistic, blond hair, blue speckled eyed, precious bundle of action of a daughter, we have come to love and cherish the Down syndrome that God has so beautifully and wonderfully woven in her while she was in her mother’s womb.  As a result of writing my book Divergent Theology I have become more and more aware of the “Healing Theology” of Bill Johnson and Bethel Church in Redding CA. 

One recent video that has surfaced from Bill Johnson wherein he claims that Down syndrome will be healed in mother’s wombs. In the following video Johnson says the following about Down syndrome. Beginning at the 12-minute mark and continuing to the 13-minute mark. Johnson says,

“I can no longer be satisfied with things that are humanly possible. We do them we feed the poor, We collect the money for missions, we build the buildings. We do all the stuff that’s humanly possible, but they are not the high point of our celebration. The high point of our celebration is the child in the womb that’s pronounced Down syndrome that Jesus heals before it is born. The resurrection that takes place from the dead those are our high points. The cancer that disappears, the deaf ears that pop open, the bipolar that is suddenly gone, the schizophrenic that is no longer that is now in their right mind, these are the things. This that we carry, that I carry, that we carry, I am in debt. I owe God fruit.”

Does my Ana need to be healed? Is Down syndrome even healable? As explained before Down syndrome is a genetic anomaly whereupon every cell in the whole body has three chromosomes as the very building blocks of the whole person from conception on. For Down syndrome not to be Down syndrome anymore every cell would have to have two Chromosomes again on the 21st strand. This would be beyond medically miraculous. That's some kind of X-Men genetic altering or something. The person would not be the same person anymore. I have several thoughts here on this. After I get over how personally insulting Johnson’s statements are, I have to look at what the Bible says about life in the womb, disability, and suffering.

1. God is completely sovereign over life in the womb, and forms it. Thus He forms those with Down syndrome in the womb for his glory and pleasure!

• Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" (Exodus 4:11 ESV)
• "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." (ESV) John 9:1-3 
• “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalms 139:13-16 ESV)

2. God displays his glory in and through the difficulty and beauty of Disability and Down syndrome

• Matthew Henry, writing his commentary on John 9:3 says “God has a sovereignty over all his creatures and an exclusive right in them, and may make them serviceable to his glory in such a way as he thinks fit, in doing or suffering; and if God be glorified, either by us or in us, we were not made in vain. This man was born blind, and it was worthwhile for him to be so, and to continue thus long dark, that the works of God might be manifest in him.” 
• -Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, John 9-
• “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 ESV

3. God is infinitely good, kind, and righteous, we also rejoice that He intentionally creates some to live with disabilities for His glory and for our good.

• "The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." (1 Corinthians 12:21-31 ESV)

4. Jesus took on the minimizing "disability" of human form and was “found in appearance of a man” and let himself be disabled. In that He enabled us to know God and respond to Him by faith.

• “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8 ESV

5. He has called us to share in His sufferings. For us it includes Down syndrome which was ordained by His good hand.

• “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” Philippians 3:10 ESV

6. His grace is enough for anything that He has in His sovereign plan allowed.

• “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

7. God is good, and we trust His goodness in the midst of a full and joyful life with Down syndrome!

• “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalms 34:8 ESV

8. Down syndrome is a light and momentary affliction that is producing for us a weight of glory beyond all comparison.

• “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” 2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV

Our story is the joyful realization of all of these biblical principles mentioned. All of these things have happened for us as a result of disability and Down syndrome, illness, difficulty, and hardship. Not just the challenges, but the joys and exultation of this precious child that God has charged to our care. There are more joys, and awesome stuff than hardship actually. Furthermore, why would I want to trade a light and momentary affliction and the weight of glory to come for light and momentary relief in this world? That would be stupid, and unspiritual. I don’t want Ana to be healed! I want her with Down syndrome, and everything else that God in his wisdom has ordained. That is the only way I can even imagine her. Just like I want my other kids with all their awesome and quirky attributes, that God has given them. I have no deeper joy than to know my kids exactly the way He has created them! 

Lest you believe that this Down syndrome comment from Bill Johnson was a slip or just something that he was thinking, and it just came out clumsily. See the clip below where Prophet Brian Carn prophesied over Johnson that God was giving Johnson anointing over Down syndrome, and mental illness. Johnson seems to be receiving this “word” without reservation or objection. Brian Carn prophecies over Bill Johnson (starting at the 1:08 mark). He says...

“This may sound crazy to you, but a special anointing shall come upon you for the mentally disturbed. For the Spirit of God says, “You will see people with Down syndrome, with mental issues, I will set them free from the anointing on your life.” For I saw in the realm of the Spirit, wherever you reside, wherever you are from, around that region is a powerful spirit of oppression a powerful spirit of witchcraft. In the city outside of the city you are. And the Spirit of the Lord says, “I shall use you to spare that northern region (Does he mean Northern California?). For I prophecy, that the southern region shall fall in the water (does he mean Southern California?). But I will spare the northern region because of your heart for me.”  

Further on in the video Carn says “This is what the Lord is saying to me...You are my red in that region, you are my blood in that region.” This is so blasphemous to say that someone will be the blood of Christ in a place. Bill Johnson will not be the intermediary for Christ! “For there is one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus” and NO ONE ELSE!

“You (Bill Johnson) will teach them how to soak in my glory” 

Brian Carn says God is making a new covenant with Bill Johnson. However, there is only one covenant in the blood of Christ. God doesn’t make new covenants between individuals. He has made one covenant with man. This is blasphemy of the most egregious nature!

Carn also says, “I will give you (Johnson) an anointing to translate to different places” (teleportation is not a Christian practice rather an occult practice. It is however taught practiced and sought after at Bethel)

Prophet Brian Carn repeats Johnson’s wish to be someone who can deliver people form Down syndrome, but there is not one case of a child being “delivered,” “set free,” or otherwise not having Down Syndrome after being born with it. Like I said before it would be the very first time it has happened in history. This is quite a delusional claim. not to mention all the other bogus and spurious claims in this prophecy from Carn. 

One could deduce from these videos that Johnson and Carn and others in the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation do not want people with Downs and that they might even be not worthy of life in the way that God has, in his wisdom, created them. Here is a wonderful video of a man with Downs asking the world to “Let us live.” This is what I would like to say to Johnson and the Word of Faith New and Apostolic Reformation. 

watch the "Let us live Down Syndrome campaign"

Before you think that these two instances are isolated instances in the Word of Faith/New Apostolic Reformation movements and their views on Down syndrome and disability, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland also tried to heal a girl with Down syndrome. The video below shows the tasteless and inappropriate outworking of the Word of Faith theology. They believe and teach that the Cross of Christ has purchased our health, wealth, and prosperity. If you can stomach it, watch the whole video where the Copelands try to heal several people with varied disabilities. At the 3:50 mark they begin to pray for a girl “suffering” from Down syndrome and not surprisingly she is not “healed.” This video displays for me the dark underbelly of the Word of Faith and New Apostolic reformation. The girl they pray for is a 28-year-old girl with Down syndrome. Kenneth Copeland begins to pray and says

“I speak in dominion over chromosomes, and I demand the proper count right now. Proper order, proper count, and I agree with Gloria for the redeeming of her time, that has been stolen from her, and she will live out the rest of her days in good health with a strong spirit, and a sound mind in Jesus name, Amen.” 

Copeland here speaks as if God got it wrong when he created her and did not give her the "proper count and order of Chromosomes," but this stands in direct contradiction to the several verses listed above that says God creates and forms people with disabilities for His glory. He also prays that her time would be redeemed. Kind of like the life she had lived up to that point was a waste, and God now has to correct the 28 years of lost time. Notice after praying in dominion over the girl’s chromosomes she is the same beautiful girl that God created all those 28 years ago. 

As we have seen before from the few points I have made previously these prayers for people to be healed from Down syndrome go against scripture in so many ways. 

(1) God is completely sovereign over life in the womb, and forms it and thus He forms those with Down syndrome in the womb for His glory and pleasure! 
(2.) God displays His glory in and through the difficulty and beauty of disability and Down syndrome 
(3.) God is infinitely good, kind, and righteous, we also rejoice that He intentionally creates some to live with disabilities for His glory and for our good. 
(4.) Jesus took on the minimizing disability of human form and was “found in appearance of a man” and let himself be disabled. In that He enabled us to know God and respond to Him by faith. 
(5.) He has called us to share in His sufferings. For us it includes Down syndrome which was ordained by His good hand. 
(6.) His grace is enough for anything that He has in His sovereign plan allowed. 
(7.) God is good and we trust His goodness in the midst of a full and joyful life with Down syndrome! 
(8.) Down syndrome is a light and momentary affliction that is producing for us a weight of glory beyond all comparison. 

These few reasons can show just how absurd and pastorally abusive this movement is, when they pray for people with Downs or want it to be healed. The reason it is absurd and abusive is the root of unbiblical and improper beliefs about the atonement of Christ. A Theological absurdity and abuse will always work itself out in absurd and abusive practices. For further study on the Word of Faith and New Apostolic view of the Atonement check out my book Divergent Theology.

Finally, I would like to close with very wise words from John Piper and how we are meant to respond to disability. SEE DISABILITY DON’T LOOK AWAY! SEE IT AND BE CHANGED! WE ARE CHRISTIANS!

As I celebrate the life and birth of our daughter who is fearfully and wonderfully made by a good and sovereign God, my eyes have been opened to see Down syndrome, and disability as a precious gift from God to cherish, and to hold on to with my feeble fingers for as long as God has given her to us. 

Why Do We Sing? A Case for Christian Worship through Singing

Why do we sing? Why do Christians sing in worship? What is the point? Hardly any other group, or club, or community sings together. I have thought about this lately. I love singing honestly. I have mostly all my adult life loved singing to Jesus through worship. I have lately come across more and more men (and some women) who are a little reticent to sing. It is not their thing, and or they are like most men and don’t care for singing. It seems a case needs to be made for why we as Christians sing. I have thought of fourteen reasons why Christians should sing...

1. The Bible Commands Us to
In Colossians 3:16; and Ephesians 5:18-19 it is pretty clear that the new community of Christ sang and did it in obedience. The early Church sang as a rule, and these passages command us to sing together. 

2. It Reminds of God's word
That same passage in Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” From this passage it is clear that the word of Christ dwelling richly includes admonishing, and singing. How do we let the word of Christ dwell in us richly? First teaching or admonishing and then second singing. Singing is a teaching tool. So as we sing through worship it reminds us of God’s word

3. It is Our Emotional Connection to God
First of all we are commanded to be emotionally connected to God. in Matthew 22:37 Jesus said, “You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” No matter how we spin it love is an emotion. We do make decisions to love, but if you are not emotional about the object of your love, then I would say that love is lacking something integral to a healthy love. It is a total love, a full love, and what Jesus describes here is deeply emotional, and singing helps us stir our emotions.

4. It is a Way to Show Our Affection for Christ 
In the same vein as being emotionally connected, we must foster and fan into flame the fire of affection for Christ. singing to anyone is an affectionate thing. That is why people have sang and written love songs for centuries. That is why we listen to love songs together with our wives, husbands, boyfriends, and girlfriends. We love to increase affection, but why when it comes to singing to the creator of the heavens and the earth we suddenly get tongue tied? This should not be. Loose your tongue and sing your affection for Christ! You can’t love Christ too much. You can’t think about him too much, or thank him too much, or depend upon him too much, or sing to him too much. All our righteousness, is in Christ and that should make us rejoice with affectionate singing. 

5. Jesus Did
If Jesus sang then we should. He is our Lord and master. He is our Head worship Leader. You might ask, "wait, he is God what did he sing about?" Did he worship himself? No, he sang as an example to show us that singing is necessary in worship. Of course singing is not all of worship, but like Jesus, he didn't neglect it. Like a healthy diet if you only eat one thing too much, or never eat the healthy stuff you will not be healthy. We need a balanced diet in worship, and Jesus showed us how, he prayed, and he sang with the disciples. “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26). The writer of Hebrews quotes scripture, and writes it as if it were Jesus speaking, "saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”” (Hebrews 2:12) In Romans Paul also writes as if Jesus were the one speaking in the scriptural quote, “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”” (Romans 15:8-9) So Jesus will and continues to lead worship by glorifying God’s name through singing.

Czigány The Singing Monk

6. Generations of Saints Before us Sang 
If this is true we can join the throngs of saints who have gone before us. Augustine said, “The clouds of heaven thunder out throughout the world that God’s house is being built; and the frogs cry from the marsh, We alone are Christians. What testimonies do I bring forward? That of the Psalter. I bring forward what you sing as one deaf: open your ears; you sing this; you sing with me, and you agree not with me; your tongue sounds what mine does, and yet your heart disagrees with mine. Do you not sing this?” (Exposition of Psalm 96). Tertullian also said about the martyrdom of Perpetua, “Perpetua sang psalms, already treading under foot the head of the Egyptian;” (The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas, Schaff’s). Clement of Alexandria also noted the importance of singing, “But let amatory songs be banished far away, and let our songs be hymns to God. Let them praise, it is said, His name in the dance, and let them play to Him on the timbrel and psaltery. And what is the choir which plays? The Spirit will show you: Let His praise be in the congregation (church) of the saints; let them be joyful in their King. And again he adds, The Lord will take pleasure in His people. For temperate harmonies are to be admitted” (The Paedagogus, Book 2, ch.4). Eusebius summarizes Christian worship as "The singing of psalms and recitation of other such words as have been given us from God" (Church History X.iii.3). In Revelation John also has a vision of what will happen before the throne of God in heaven, "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:8-9) Join the throngs of saints who have come before us and will follow us with singing. 

7. It is a Test of Spirituality Maturity 
People who sing often to Jesus show that they are mature Jesus loving Christians. Those who make excuses not to sing should question why they would make excuses to not worship the one absolutely worthy of being sung to. Jesus said, "He who is forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47), and so when we do not return love to Jesus in song, it shows the outside world that we think very little of Jesus. Do you love him? Then you will act like a crazy person singing love songs in the shower. Well now wouldn't that would be awkward at Church on Sunday?

8. The Church is One of the Only Places in Culture Where Communal Singing Takes Place
It is a great thing and community building to sing together. Have you ever been to a concert where everyone in the whole audience was singing together every word of the songs? There is an incredible community building component when we sing together. I remember seeing U2 at the Oakland Coliseum. When it came to the time for U2 to play their very popular song “Where the Streets Have No Name," we all shouted the lyrics together! It was exhilarating, it was community, it was the way church ought to be. The one place where regular communal singing takes place is in the church, and we should engage in it for our own sake, and for the sake of the communal experience in giving God glory together. 

9. You Build up the Body of Christ with Encouragement Through Singing
In Ephesians 5:19 Paul writes, “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,” In our worship through singing we "address one another" now what could that addressing do for us? It is a form of submission to each other's needs as that passage further points out “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21). So why would we as a body of Christ neglect something that  is so important for "one another." So build each other up through singing. 

10. It is a Missionary Act 
“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” (Psalms 105:1-2). This passage in psalms shows us how singing is an opportunity to tell people of God's wondrous works, and it is making him known to an unbelieving world. Do you want to be a missionary and make Christ known? Then sing!

11. Singing is a Direct Attack on the Enemy
What does Satan hate more than anything? He hates God, and so it follows that he would hate anything that would give glory to God. Because Satan is ultimately a glory stealer. And so when we sing to God we give him glory, and steal it from Satan. Thus it follows that Satan hates worship through music. And it is also a direct attack on Satan's glory stealing attempts. It is very hard to sin while you are singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Satan would love to see you sin. And as a Christian, I have found it almost impossible to sin when I'm worshiping God through song. Every time in ministry where I have dealt with demonic, or enemy powers in some way, I have asked the rest of the body of Christ to sing, and pray. 

12. Singing is Preparation for and Encouragement During Trials
What did Paul and Silas do during their imprisonment in Ephesus? They sang! “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:25) Saints under persecution have sung during imprisonment, torture, and trials and have taken seriously the command to "rejoice in the Lord always.” Richard Wurmbrand the founder of the Voice of the Martyrs and imprisoned in Romanian prisons for 14 years said, "While in jail, we sang. Once the director of the prison entered our cell, furious. 'I was told that you sing subversive songs here. Let me hear one,' he commanded. We sang these moving words: 'O sacred Head now wounded, with grief and shame bowed down...' He listened to the end, then turned and left without saying a word. Later he became a brother in the faith" (Jesus Freaks page 290). The current president of Voice of the Martyrs Tom White recounts his experience in a Cuban prison, "I started singing...I was no longer conscious of the cold, only of Jesus...I had entered the highest level of warfare against the enemy--praise. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits our praises...He held my shaking body in His arms. (Jesus Freaks page 259) As the saints before us have done let us sing to prepare ourselves to joyfully endure suffering and trials in the service of Jesus.

13. It Glorifies God 
How many times in the Scriptures are we commanded to sing "to him" or "unto him?” It is one of the most often commanded things throughout the Psalms, Prophets, and even on into the New Testament. It is seen as a one of the most normative act of worship in the New Community of Christ. 

14. You Increase Your Joy
James is clear that singing can and will increase our joy. “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” (James 5:13). Singing is clearly linked to our Christian cheer. So sing and increase your Joy in the Lord, or on the other hand don’t sing and you can stay in your sorrow. Never heard of 'Sorrow of the Lord?' That’s because it isn’t a thing. 

Singing to the Lord is not something that we must resist, but rather submit to for our good and the glory of the Lord. A simple way to apply these truths is to sing joyfully. For instance don't skip the singing times in Sunday services, but go with gladness and focus on Jesus. Another idea is to use Spotify or Pandora as a tool to always fill your heart and mind with the songs of worship. Search for worship artists and create worship channels it's easy. Maybe these songs will soon come out of our mouths too at just the right moments. So Lord fill us with your Spirit that we would respond to you with great Joy in song. No matter how good of a singer you are, we can all sing and shout with a ragged voice because Jesus has saved us. He said, "It is Finished!" SO SING!