{"id":13825,"date":"2023-01-25T20:25:02","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T19:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/?p=13825"},"modified":"2023-01-25T20:25:02","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T19:25:02","slug":"god-is-our-help-psalm-46","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2023\/01\/25\/god-is-our-help-psalm-46\/","title":{"rendered":"God is our help (Psalm 46)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

 
\nFor some years now I’ve taken part in various editions of the 12-song challenge<\/a>, a songwriting initiative hosted by resoundworship.org<\/a>. The challenges and the supportive songwriting community have kept me writing at least one song a month. even during busy and trying times like vacancies and the pandemic. <\/p>\n

This month the assignment was to write Assembly Bangers<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

assembly<\/em> – gathered, collective worship in schools, supposed to be daily and of a broadly Christian character. Though not so common throughout the school experience as it once was, it remains a staple of many children’s experience in primary school (ages 4 to 11) <\/p>\n

bangers<\/em> – a British colloquial terms for great song that make you want to get up and dance<\/p>\n

songs that:
\n– are repetitive and hooky
\n– have a simple structure
\n– are easy to play and lead on piano (or guitar)
\n– have an accessible vocal range
\n– have words that children can read\/memorise\/understand<\/p>\n

To start with I revamped an existing song called “God is my refuge”, also based on Psalm 46<\/a>. Slowly but surely the revamp evolved into a song in its own right, including a new verse that references war and peace and a bridge based on “Be still, and know that I am God” (v.10). <\/p>\n

I don’t know if I hit the brief exactly. Perhaps the song is too confessional and belongs in the church, more than the school assembly. Time will tell.
\n <\/p>\n\n

GOD IS OUR HELP (PSALM 46)<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/god_is_our_help_psalm_46_96_fade.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

CHORUS
\nGod is our help in times of distress
\nGod is our refuge and strength
\nGod is with us always
\nNo need feel afraid
\nfor God will keep us safe.<\/p>\n

VERSE 1
\nEven if the earth starts to tremble
\nand mountains start to slip and slide
\neven if the waves start to roar like lions
\nGod is by our side<\/p>\n

(Chorus)<\/p>\n

VERSE 2
\nOne day God will stop all the fighting
\nAll weapons will be scrapped and burnt
\nOne day God will reign over all the nations
\nPeace will come on earth<\/p>\n

(Chorus)<\/p>\n

BRIDGE
\nBe still and know God is on the throne
\nBe still and know, God is in control.<\/p>\n

(Chorus)
\n <\/p>\n\n

From the blog<\/strong>
\nBig strong tree<\/a>
\nPrayer poem: Not forsaken<\/a>
\nCircle me, Lord<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  For some years now I’ve taken part in various editions of the 12-song challenge, a songwriting initiative hosted by resoundworship.org. The challenges and the supportive songwriting community have kept me writing at least one song a month. even during busy and trying times like vacancies and the pandemic. This month the assignment was to … Continue reading “God is our help (Psalm 46)”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13,5,24],"tags":[232],"class_list":["post-13825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-song","category-tip","tag-help"],"yoast_head":"\nGod is our help (Psalm 46) - Prayer matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\""God is our help" - 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Through this blog, for example. Thank you. Another creative outlet in 2020 was the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "prayer"","block_context":{"text":"prayer","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/prayer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/staying_alive.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/staying_alive.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/staying_alive.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/staying_alive.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16108,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2025\/02\/17\/tree-of-beauty\/","url_meta":{"origin":13825,"position":3},"title":"Tree of beauty","author":"Irene Bom","date":"February 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Hymn 87 87 87 Faithful cross, O tree of beauty, tree of Eden, tree divine! Not a grove on earth can show us leaf and flow'r and fruit so fine. Bearer of our Savior's body, tree of life, salvation's sign! Cross of pain transformed to gladness ever green and sheltering\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "song"","block_context":{"text":"song","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/song\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/tree_city.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/tree_city.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/tree_city.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/tree_city.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14876,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2024\/01\/12\/in-the-school-of-prayer-with-eugene-peterson\/","url_meta":{"origin":13825,"position":4},"title":"In the school of prayer with Eugene Peterson","author":"Irene Bom","date":"January 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Here are some extracts on the topic of prayer by Eugene Peterson from his book, Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer. \u00a0 \u00a0 I What is essential in prayer is not that we learn to express ourselves, but that we learn to answer God. The psalms show\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rosehip_at_zeehuis.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rosehip_at_zeehuis.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rosehip_at_zeehuis.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rosehip_at_zeehuis.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3914,"url":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/2018\/01\/07\/to-keep-our-hearts-in-tune\/","url_meta":{"origin":13825,"position":5},"title":"To keep our hearts in tune","author":"Irene Bom","date":"January 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Children learning about God's heart for the world (Photo: Irene Bom) \u00a0 \u00a0 In October 2017 I visited the Scots Kirk in Lausanne, as part of a Local Church Review team. At lunch one day I met Geraldine Ewen (82) who has been a part of the Lausanne congregation for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "podcast"","block_context":{"text":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/children_map_of_world.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/children_map_of_world.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/children_map_of_world.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/children_map_of_world.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Irene Bom","author_link":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/author\/irenebom-com\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/bible\/\" rel=\"category tag\">bible<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/song\/\" rel=\"category tag\">song<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/category\/tip\/\" rel=\"category tag\">tip<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"  For some years now I’ve taken part in various editions of the 12-song challenge, a songwriting initiative hosted by resoundworship.org. The challenges and the supportive songwriting community have kept me writing at least one song a month. even during busy and trying times like vacancies and the pandemic. This month the assignment was to…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13825\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irenebom.com\/prayer_matters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}