Raise a Hallelujah!

I hope you’re enjoying this Christmas season, Next Step Friends! I find so much pleasure, and I bet you do too, in the traditions of this season: celebrating Advent, reading the Christmas story; singing and listening to Christmas music; decorating inside and out; choosing special gifts; and visiting family and friends.

So I was surprised last week when I found myself feeling less-than-festive. I wrestled with some emotional issues, some far-from-perfect circumstances, and some grief over disappointments.

I bet you can relate. In a season of wanting to be joyful while we celebrate Jesus, we can also experience worry, fear, grief, disappointment, sadness, hurt, or anger.

My emotions were on the brink of a downward spiral when I heard this song:

Raise a Hallelujah by Bethel Music. Make sure you listen! You can click on the title or find on youtube.com.

Here are the first lines:

I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies
I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah/my weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me

What a change in my spirit this song has cultivated! So I am reminded of this: in a season of worshipping our Savior, is it any wonder we might experience spiritual warfare? Of course not! The enemy comes to “kill, steal and destroy.” But Jesus came to give us life! (John 10:10)

So I am fighting for — and finding– an uplifted Spirit by raising my Hallelujah!

Along with singing to and listening to praise songs, what other ways can we raise a Hallelujah?

Here are a few ideas that lift my spirit:

• walking outdoors with my husband and three dogs
• getting cozy under a blanket in a big chair, taking in the twinkly lights of the Christmas tree
• making one-on-one time with the important people in my life a top priority
• digging into Scripture to find truths, and then writing and talking about them
• watching Hallmark movies (yes, I admit it!)
• quiet time with a lit candle and a prayer time of thanks and praise

I’d love to know how you “raise a Hallelujah!” And don’t forget to listen to the song!

~Melanie