My Favorite Songs


Over the years I have heard a few songs which have had a major impact on my life to focus me on God and His will, and to help me to initiate, develop and maintain a life worthy of Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to share these songs with you in the hope that they may have a positive effect on you as well.

I have had to make some adjustments in these songs to conform them to Scripture and my understanding of how God does things. So I will use a two column format to show the original song and my adjusted version for your comparison and choice of your preference.

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE - LET YOUR GLORY FALL

This is a song written, as I understand it, by David Ruis the month before the Toronto Revival began on 1/20/94. I first heard this song at Toronto Revival meetings, and it has become my favorite intercessory song.

Original Version - per LyricsTime.com

My Version

Father of creation, unfold your sovereign plan
Raise up a chosen generation
That will march through the land
All of creation is longing
For your unveiling of power
Would you release your anointing
Oh God let this be the hour

Let your glory fall in this room
Let it go forth from here to the nations
Let your fragrance rest in this place
As we gather to seek your face

Ruler of the nations the world has yet to see
The full release of your promise
The church in victory
Turn to us Lord and touch us
Make us strong in your might
Overcome our weakness
That we could stand up and fight

(Chorus) Let your kingdom come
Let your will be done
Let us see on earth
The glory of your Son

Father of creation, be blessed, be blessed, be blessed!
May all of Your heart's desires become manifest!
All of creation is needing
For Your kingdom to come!
Abba release your anointing
Father, help us to be one with You!

Let your glory shine in our lives
by the power of Your cross and resurrection,
Let your fragrance waft from our lives
As You help us to abide in You.

Ruler of creation, the world has yet to see
The full release of your Promise
Your Spirit - Holy and Free!
Turn to us Lord and touch us
Make us strong in your might
Work within our weakness
That we can fight the good fight of faith

(Chorus) Thy Name be hallowed, Abba,
Thy kingdom come!
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven!
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us all our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
May You lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
the power and the glory
forever, amen!

My second favorite song is "Beautiful River", which was written by Dave Noel, and was first performed by him, as I understand it, at the Ohio Prophetic Conference in 1998 at the Seagate Center in Toledo, Ohio. I was there that night, and the Holy Spirit moved in such a wonderful way while Dave sang this song:

Original Version - from Dave's 'Beautiful River Chronicles'

My version

Verse 1:
You flowed into my wilderness

Your crystal waters gave me rest

I found my peace upon Your shores

For lesser things I thirst no more


Chorus:

You make me want to laugh and cry

You make me want to dance and bow

You make me want to shout and sigh

Overwhelmed by Your beauty


Na na na, na na-na, na na-na

Beautiful River


Verse 2:
You turn the bitter waters sweet

Of every sour stream You meet

Polluted mind and stagnant soul

Are purified in Your control


Verse 3:
I love the loveliness I see

In river bend and waterfall

I plunge my life into the deep

And from your depths I live in awe


Words and Music by Dave Noel

© 1999 JillyBird Music/Admin. By Gaither Copyright Mgmt.

Verse 1:
Please flow into our wilderness,
Let Your crystal waters give us rest,
We'll find our peace upon Your shores,
for lesser things we'll thirst no more!

Chorus:
You'll make us want to laugh and cry,
You'll make us want to dance and bow,
You'll make us want to shout and sign,
overwhelmed by Your goodness!

Then we will thank You, Father God,
and Holy Lord, for Your Beautiful River.
Yes, we will thank You, Father God, and
Holy Lord, and Holy Spirit!

Verse 2:
You'll made the bitter waters sweet
of ev'ry sour stream in me!
Polluted mind and stagnant soul
are purified in Your control.


Chorus:


Verse 3:
We'll love the loveliness we'll see
in river bend and waterfall.
We'll plunge our lives into the deep,
and from Your depths we'll live in awe!

My third favorite song is derived from Song of Solomon, chapter one, verses 1-4.  I first heard this song at a Pentecost Sunday Christian meeting, and it has been a fundamental prayer which I sing for myself and others.


"I will rejoice in You and be glad;
I will extol Your love more than wine!
Draw me after You, and let us run together.
I will rejoice in You and be glad!"

I found this interesting guitar rendition of the chords and melody of this song on YouTube:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_mWUeO-84Q

(No, that is not me on this YouTube video!)


This song has been the basis for me to share the love of God with a variety of people over the years. 


For example,  I live in a college town, and as an alumnus of this college I have had access to the Student Recreation Center for 35 years.  During that time I have heard a variety of students talking about their plans for entertainment during their weekends, which often involved what alcoholic beverages they wanted to drink.  This usually amuses me, and the students frequently ask my why I laugh at their plans.  I tell them that it reminds me of myself at their age.  But I go on to say that I have found something much better than alcoholic beverages which is really able to satisfy me as nothing else can.  When they ask what it is that I have found, I tell them about the love of God.  That frequently leads to me telling them the Father George Story.


So, I am able to 'extol God's love more than wine' in very practical and real ways!!


I also find that the last line - 'draw me after You, and let us run together' - expresses a desire of God for each of His people.  Yes, we can enjoy quiet time with God, but we can also exercise with God and enjoy running with Him either figuratively or actually.  Yes we are each called to run a race as the apostle Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 9:


1Cor 9:24-27  You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win!  Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.


Another of my favorite songs is the Prayer of St. Francis.

Original Words
 My Revised Words
Make me a channel of Your peace;
where there is hatred let me bring Your love;
where there is injury Your pardon, Lord,
and where there's doubt - true faith in You.

Make me a channel of Your peace;
where there's despair in life let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, only light,
and where there's sadness - ever joy!

Oh Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love with all my soul!

Make me a vessel of Your peace;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
in giving to all men that we receive,
and in dying that we are born to eternal life! 		Make me a vessel of Your grace and truth;
where there is hatred let me bring Your love;
where there is injury Your healing, Lord,
and where there's doubt - true faith in You.

Make me a vessel of Your grace and truth;
where there's despair in life let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, only light,
and where there's sadness - ever joy!

Oh Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love with all my soul!

Make us all vessels of Your grace and truth;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
in giving to all men that we receive,
and in dying that we are born to eternal life!


I made those changes, first because Jesus said that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  It turns out that His sword is a sword of peace.  Go figure.  Matthew 10:34

So I changed 'peace' to 'grace and truth' because in John's Gospel is says that the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  John 1:17