“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Eph. 5:19 ESV)

Ella Fitzgerald, known as the “Queen of Jazz,” once said that she lived “With a Song in My Heart,” the title of her 1959 jazz classic, to express the deep joy and happiness she felt from music. The Apostle Paul, in the passage at the top of the page, described singing psalms and hymns as “making melody to the Lord in your heart.” The literal translation of the Greek phrase “making melody in your heart to the Lord” is “to sing praises from one's inner self to the Lord; sometimes with accompaniment of strings or other instruments.” From the earliest days of the church, singing and making melody to the Lord continued to be an essential part of the believer’s life and worship (see Matt. 26:30; Acts 16:25).

Therefore

“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.” (Col. 3:16 ESV)

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” (Psalm 57:7 ESV)

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!” (Psalm 149:1-3 ESV)