Midnight Prayers & Meditations Volume Two

**Album 28 of Music Inspired by the Holy Spirit** **since 2013**

Original Keyboard Instrumental Prayers Featuring the Various Instrumental Voices of Guitar, Strings, & Piano Solos Performed by Suzanne Davis Harden, through the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, Inspired by the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father, In Jesus’ name, amen.

Midnight Prayers and Meditations, Volume 2, is the second chapter of the album of original keyboard instrumentals inspired by the Holy Spirit. I published the first volume of Midnight Prayers & Meditations last Autumn in the twilight of 2020, forever to be remembered as the year of the Pandemic.

I had several of the songs on this second volume ready to publish even back then, but the Lord had me wait to publish the current album for various reasons.
God’s word says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” ~Ecclesiastes 3:1 – KJV

The Lord has blessed me with much music for His glory through the risen Lord Jesus Christ in me. But He only directs me to publish what He wishes according to His plans and purposes.
It is as if the Lord uses each song or composition to teach me that not everything is chosen for the spotlight right now, and yet everything is loved and special at all times.

All of the music He has blessed me with was created for His glory and glorifies Him in its own way whether it gets published a month from now, in six months or ten years, or whether it never gets published at all.
I truly believe that all of His music serves a divine purpose and brings Him glory in the way He has chosen in its own time.

If we could only understand that each one of us are like the musical compositions He inspires. We all exist because the Lord wanted to create us; He loves us all very much.

“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him would not be lost but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world. He did not send Him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through Him.” ~John 3:16-17 – ERV

God is infinite and His love and mercy toward us are measureless.

His thoughts are far beyond our thoughts and He does not think as we think.
We can’t wrap our minds around an infinite Being.

“The teaching about the cross seems foolish to those who are lost. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. I will confuse the understanding of the intelligent.”
1 Corinthians 1:18-19 – ERV

God is as far above us as the universe is wide.
If we try to define Him by putting Him in a neat box of rationalizations we fail.
He is not a black and white formula.
He does not make sense at all to our rational minds.
He will blow us away when we truly come to know Him.

“So what does this say about the philosopher, the law expert, or anyone in this world who is skilled in making clever arguments?
God has made the wisdom of the world look foolish.
This is what God in His wisdom decided: Since the world did not find Him through its own wisdom, He used the message that sounds foolish to save those who believe it.”
1 Corinthians 1:20-21 – ERV

We will go insane trying to define Him in any traditional sense. He won’t be standardized, denominationalized, fit into neat theologies, philosophies, and so forth; for the minute we try we fall flat on our faces and He has to pick us up; dust us off and say, “Read My Word again.”

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 – KJV

We might not like or agree with His word in all its completeness.
And we might be tempted to pick and choose what we want to believe out of it.
But have we never considered listening to Jesus Christ?

Jesus teaches us how to read His word.
He spoke in parables.
He spoke in metaphor and pictures.

His word is spiritual.
Many of His disciples left Him when He spoke to them spiritually.
Jesus said, “My words are spirit and they are life. The flesh profits nothing.” (John 6:6:63)

If we approach Christ and His word with a literal mind we are not going to know Him or understand His word.

We must walk by faith and not by sight. (*See 2 Corinthians 5:7)

We must trust and believe that He is real:

“Faith is what makes real the things we hope for.
It is proof of what we cannot see.
God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this.
Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by His command.
This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen.
Without faith no one can please God.
Whoever comes to God must believe that He is real and that He rewards those who sincerely try to find Him.”
Hebrews 11:1-3,6 – ERV (Easy To Read Version Bible)

I sing by faith.
I play the keyboard by faith. I have no real background in music.
Really.
All of my background and training are in the visual arts.

I did not grow up with any musical gift or any idea of becoming a musician.
My whole passion and goal was to become a visual artist.
Art was the love of my life. Music merely existed to stimulate my artistic creativity. In other words, I listened to it while I created my art.

God sovereignly gave me a gift of music in 2009 and I accepted it by faith.
Since then I have played the piano nearly every day; songs the Lord gives me by faith.
My songs are more like prayers ascending to Heaven.
I pray and it is the risen Lord Jesus Christ within me by His Holy Spirit who inspires the music and who plays through me.

It is the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ within me who creates all the music.
I know that sounds strange.
But Jesus Christ is a risen, living Savior.
He is alive within me!

This is what Christianity teaches.
Jesus said, “On that day you will know that I am in the Father. You will know that you are in Me and I am in you. Those who really love Me are the ones who not only know My commands but also obey them. My Father will love such people, and I will love them. I will make Myself known to them.” ~John 14:20-21 – ERV (Easy To Read Version Bible)

If someone who calls themself a Christian says this is not true then they are denying the Lord Jesus Christ.
For Jesus Christ said He is a living, risen Savior.
He said that He has risen from the dead, that He lives inside those who accept Him as their Savior and Lord, that He seals them with His Holy Spirit, that He does give His children gifts with which to glorify Him on this earth, and that no one can dictate to Him what kind of gifts He is allowed to give His children.
The Lord is a God of miracles and He is in the Heavens, the Bible declares, and He does whatever He pleases.

“Our God is in heaven, and He does whatever He wants.”
Psalm 115:3 – ERV (Easy To Read Version Bible)

God did what He wanted when He gave me the gift of music.
I praise Him for this beautiful gift and will use it to glorify Him for as long as He enables me to by His almighty grace and power.

For it is through Christ alone that I can create any music or do any of the creative things He blesses me with.

I will publicly proclaim that it is the risen Lord Jesus Christ in me doing these works because when Christ walked the earth He said it was His Father in Him who did the miracles that He accomplished and not Himself.

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” ~ John 5:19 – KJV (King James Version Bible)

The Bible asserts that we are to live as Christ lived who always glorified His Heavenly Father.

I want to always glorify my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as far as He enables me to.

“He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John 2:6 – KJV

Surely I fail miserably at walking as Jesus walked because I’m not perfect like Jesus was. But I know that following Christ is a little like driving.

If I point my car at some target and drive toward it, then I’m more likely to get to my object than if I don’t aim at any goal at all.

So every day I try to aim my whole heart at the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes I have fender benders, sometimes I run off the road into the ditch when I take my eyes off my Lord, sometimes another “car” runs into me and hurts me terribly; then I have to forgive them.
So many things can happen on this journey with Christ.
But God’s word has good directions to follow to help me.
And Christ’s love sustains me.
Jesus has paid the price for all my sins on His cross.

When I confess them to Him and tell Him I’m sorry for grieving Him, He forgives me, dusts me off and sets me right again on my journey with Him.
God is love. (1 John 4:8)
He loves me more than I will ever begin to comprehend.

If I meditate on Christ’s suffering on the cross maybe I can understand a little about God’s love.
His agony and death on the cross make me weep.
For I learn that God loved me so much that He would allow Himself to be tortured to pay the price for my sins to be forgiven so that I could be His child and be given eternal life and fellowship with Him.

Not only that, but so that He could put a portion of His Holy Spirit inside of me and bring glory to His name throughout Heaven and earth through my weak vessel to demonstrate His reality.

God is real.
Christ is real. He lives inside of me and has made all of the music I’ve published through me.
Twenty eight albums inspired by the Holy Spirit now since 2013.

But more importantly, Christ wants a living, vital relationship with people.

Jesus Christ wants all to believe in His reality in the 21st century: that He is a living, resurrected Savior, not someone who only lived two thousand years ago only to be studied and quoted by an elite few.

If He can use a weak vessel who suffers from daily migraines,
ME Chronic Fatigue syndrome, and painful fibromyalgia to accomplish His purposes on this earth, then I know that He can use anyone who will simply believe and walk by faith to glorify Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ wants to live and shine through all who will invite Him into their hearts and who love and obey Him~ “For there is no respect of persons with God.” Romans 2:11 – KJV

May those who hear my music understand this message and be encouraged to believe that Christ cherishes them and desires an abiding, eternal friendship with them.

Jesus said, “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.
… If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” ~John 14:21,23 – KJV

May our merciful loving God be forever honored, loved, and praised. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Midnight Prayers & Meditations, Volume Two, is dedicated to my Heavenly Abba Father, Beloved Lord Jesus Christ, and Beloved Lord Holy Spirit, through the risen Lord Jesus Christ, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to the glory and honor of God the Father, to proclaim their praises throughout the earth. In Jesus’ name, amen.

*Special Thanks and Dedication to my beloved husband Mark for all his technical assistance in Copyrighting my music and uploading my files despite many recent health challenges. May God bless you forever and always for all you do, sweet Mark!

Peaceangelsong, Copyright © 2021 by Suzanne Davis Harden, Inspired by the Holy Spirit, All Rights Reserved. Midnight Prayers & Meditations, Volume Two, Copyright © (P) 2021, by Suzanne Davis Harden, All Rights Reserved.

The God of All Grace Settle You

August 30, 2019 ~ Suzanne Davis Harden

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 1 Peter 5:10 KJV

I had intended this to be a short message introducing my new encouraging scripture music video about suffering that the Lord inspired me to make last week. He helped me make it to encourage myself as well as others who are suffering. The Bible assures me that I’m not the only one who endures challenges. How often we see this affirmed in our society every day.
1 Peter 5 helps me to keep it all in perspective. When I’m at my worse, I know that there are always many others out there somewhere who are worse off than I am.
God’s word exhorts us to pray for just that one who is in a deeper pit than ours when we imagine we are in the lowest depths of hell and that everyone else has it better than we do. It’s in our most painful moments that we are just certain that the Lord has left us and gone off to party with everyone else, now that He’s made our life a dung pile…tears for fears and pity poor me…:(
These are just the moments we need to turn to God’s Word because it’s in His Word that we find Him encouraging us.
Consider the verse I mentioned from 1 Peter 5:

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5: 6-7 KJV

These verses mean that if we pray when we feel burdened or disappointed or depressed or worried or stressed that we can know God hears us; that He cares about us and our needs. God loves us. He wants us to bring our burdens to Him, to pour our troubles out on His Altar. He is real and He is listening even though we can’t see Him. We grow close to Him in our suffering when we cry out to HIM.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 KJV

These verses are referring to our unseen enemy who is ever seeking to undermine us spiritually and pull us away from God through any means he can. And we must resist the enemy at all costs because what is more important than our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered and died on the cross to give us peace with God? This peace is what the enemy wants to destroy. Our peace with God and our fellowship with each other.
He sows hatred, strife, and dissension. He will use any means he can.
Resist him steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are being experienced by everyone else in the world.

In other words we are not alone in our trials.
Other people are being gossiped about, abused, slandered, persecuted, mocked, lied about, dishonored, treated shamefully…we are not singled out to be treated like cow pies.
So what does that mean?
We are not really cow pies~no!
We are God’s precious children, but the Apostle John wrote it’s just that the world has not got the eyes to see how special we really are.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is.” 1 John 3:1-2 KJV

But one day the sons and daughters of God will be revealed and those who have treated God’s children so shamefully will be themselves covered with shame.
Amen! God’s word assures us that we are His jewels!

Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him
for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name.
And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.” ~ Malachi 3:16-17 KJV

Don’t take my word for it~read God’s word and encourage yourself.
This is why the Lord inspires me to make scripture videos. His word is encouraging!

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 1 Peter 5:10 KJV

God puts a boundary on all suffering that we endure. He will not give us more than we can handle. He knows what we can tolerate. All suffering is meant to refine our faith. (See 1 Peter 1, James 1)

11 To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. “ 1 Peter 5:11 KJV

The word dominion means sovereignty or control. This verse means that God is in control over all things. Even though the enemy takes aim at us and tries to harm us, the enemy is on God’s leash and can only go but so far. He, like our suffering, has boundaries placed on him.
We serve a loving, merciful God. His love and mercy towards us reaches higher than the sky it says in Psalm 103.
Read and meditate on the verses below from Psalm 103 about God and His love for us. And then watch and listen to the scripture video He gave me to share with you. May our Heavenly Father encourage your heart with the scriptures and comfort you with His peace and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Psalm 103:8-19 *ERV
8 The Lord is kind and merciful.
    He is patient and full of love.

9 He does not always criticize.
    He does not stay angry with us forever.

10 We sinned against Him,
    but He didn’t give us the punishment we deserved.

11 His love for His followers is
    as high above us as heaven is above the earth.

12 And He has taken our sins
    as far away from us as the east is from the west.

13 The Lord is as kind to His followers
    as a father is to his children.

14 He knows all about us.
    He knows we are made from dust.

15 He knows our lives are short, that they are like grass.
    He knows we are like a little wildflower that grows so quickly,

16 But when the hot wind blows, it dies.
    Soon, you cannot even see where the flower was.

17 But the Lord has always loved His followers,
    and He will continue to love them forever and ever!
    He will be good to all their descendants,
18 to those who are faithful to His agreement
and who remember to obey His commands.

19 The Lord set His throne up in heaven,
    and He rules over everything.” Psalm 103:8-19 *ERV

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“The God of All Grace Settle You,” All Glory to God, © Copyright 2019 by SD Harden, All rights reserved. Scripture Video, “Weeping May Endure,” All Glory to God, Copyright © 2019 by SD Harden, All rights reserved.
Scripture Verses, King James Version Bible (Public Domain)
Easy to Read Version Bible, Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International,
Scripture Paintings/Art All Glory To God, Copyright © 2019 by SD Harden
All rights reserved.

WHERE ANGELS DANCE

November 13, 2017January 12, 2018 ~ Suzanne Davis Harden ~ 4 Comments

If someone had said to me back in 2008 that in the next nine years I would publish nineteen music albums of original music I would have told them that they were insane.

Yet unbelievably I have just published my nineteenth music album.

“Where Angels Dance,” features vibrant worship instrumentals that were all inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Music was never one of my gifts growing up, nor did I ever want anything to do with any of the performance arts.

I was passionate about Art. I never sat down without a pen and sketchpad.

I had taught art, worked as a freelance artist, written and illustrated my own books, and earned my college degree in art & writing. I was certain that God had called me to be a children’s book author and Illustrator.

One day I fell asleep after taking my dog for a walk.

I dreamed I went to Heaven.

There I saw angels and saints dancing before Christ’s Throne.

They were joyfully worshiping the Lord.

Beautiful music was playing in the background as they danced.

When I awoke from my dream, the music was echoing in my mind.

The Lord spoke to my heart, “You can play that song.”

The keyboard that my sister had given us was in front of me.

I felt compelled to try even though there was no reason I should have any hopes of playing that beautiful song from my dream.

Except that the Lord had said I could. And if God said I could, it must be true since He can’t lie.

But what if I was just imagining that God said it?

The only way to find out would be to try…

I sat down and played that song. It was amazing but somehow, I just knew how to do it.

My version wasn’t as lovely as what I had heard in the dream, but it sounded similar.

When the Lord taught me how to play the piano, it was purely by faith. All He asked of me was that I believed His word to me, “You can play that song.”

After I played that one song, He said, “From now on you can play any song I teach you. Just believe.”

“He spoke and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:9

Though I had never wanted to be a musician before, suddenly, I loved worshiping God with this beautiful new gift.

Then the Lord asked me to SHARE the praise music He’d taught me to play.

I froze. It was one thing to play these songs that sounded amazing to me just for the Lord in my worship time, but quite another to make them public.

FEAR & DOUBT reared their ugly heads and whispered, “You know absolutely nothing! These songs only sound good to you because you don’t know anything at all about music. You are only an artist, you aren’t really a musician. No one will listen to this music from God and everyone will make fun of you.”

It was then that I decided, “Maybe the Lord wants me to take piano lessons.”

However, after going through three piano teachers and never being able to quite finish even one beginner book because reading notes was such a challenge for me, I finally realized it was not what the Lord wanted for me.

“For we walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

One teacher looked at a printed musical score from an original composition from the Lord and just shook her head, mystified. “This is way beyond you.”

“But I created it, I mean, God created it through me,” I said.

One great thing did come of my piano lessons though. I loved learning the music scales! Somehow that is the one thing that I could master and the Lord helped me use this knowledge to compose many prayer songs.

Yet my music from the Lord sounded very different from other contemporary Christian music.

I had to come to terms with the fact that its true Creator, the risen Lord Jesus Christ who lives in my heart, was composing His music through me just the way He wanted it.

I had to trust Him that it was good enough.

This was going to take a significant leap of faith and courage.

When I had been working as a professional artist, I would never submit anything unless it rose to my “perfectionist” standards.

To me, my piano prayers were a beautiful gift from the Lord that I played back to Him in worship. They did not have to measure up to any human standard of musical taste or preference for I knew that Jesus had made them, loved them, and accepted them.

Now the Lord was asking me to share His songs with the public who did measure its music to a standard. I had no idea what those musical standards or preferences were. I had absolutely no musical knowledge. It was not something the Lord told me to study or learn about. He just asked me to play His songs~then share them.

“Oh Lord, I’m just an artist, not a real musician. Do You really want me to share Your songs?”

Suddenly I realized I could say, “Yes or no, Lord,” to His beautiful gift.

But then, He had laid down His life for me. He had said to His Father when faced with a humiliating, agonizing death on the cross just to bear all my sins, to be made a curse for me so that I might have eternal life with Him, “Father, not My will but Thy will.”

He knew people would make fun of Him, scorn Him, reject Him, that He would even have to face the cold dark waters of death, the stench of hell where His beloved Father, from whom He had never been separated could not come. He faced all of this to pay the ransom for my soul.

How could I, if I truly loved my Savior, not lay down my life, my will for Him? How could I not share His songs, come what may?

True love lays down its life for Jesus.

I realized then, it’s not about me, or my will, but what God wants to do through me, even if I end up looking like a fool.

Love obeys her Lord and Savior no matter what He asks her to do for Him.

The most amazing thing I’ve learned through this experience is that God would choose an ordinary sinful woman like me, saved only by the almighty grace of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and say, “Here is a gift. All you need to do is receive it by faith.”

Just like the gift of salvation He offers each of us in Christ.

And then it terrified me that He would take that same ordinary Christian woman, and say, “Now use that gift for My glory!”

I’m not perfect, far from it, nor is any of my music.

But God uses imperfect vessels.

God up and turned me into a musician for HIS glory-not mine.

He put in me a gift I knew absolutely NOTHING about.

How I thank the Lord for the way He has used the gift of music to lovingly humble me in all of my other gifts.

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20-21(The Message Bible)

Most of the music the Lord gives me is inspired by the Bible.

The songs all begin as prayers, and I will praise the Lord forever for giving me this wonderful way to worship Him.

This music is very special for it truly is a gift from God. It never ceases to amaze and humble me how He plays His music through me.

My fervent prayer is that many people will be blessed and encouraged by this gift of God’s music. For all of the songs are essentially prayers ascending to heaven in a musical form breathed into life by the God who lives in me.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, may You use this music and story to bless and encourage someone today to step out in faith to trust You and believe that with God all things are truly possible, and that when we walk by faith, we honor and glorify You, even as Abraham did so long ago, who, “staggered not at the promises of God…” Thank You, Lord, In Jesus name, amen.