Music and Prayer

I'm wondering about something.

Have you ever been in a worship service where music was played during a prayer? Does that increase your involvement in the prayer or distract you from it?

I first noticed my problem with music during prayer at our Common Grounds service. Music is usually played as we pray. I realized that as the music played, I was hearing the words that were not being sung or hearing the tune instead of the prayer. I cannot hold two strands of thought in my head at one time, so it was hear the music or hear the prayer.

Last Sunday, during a prayer for our visioning process, the organist played "Be Thou My Vision." I could pray the words of the song as it was played, but could not form my own prayer, unless I kept it very simple.

Am I unusual in this?

On the other hand, I prepared a ppt prayer for Sunday school last Sunday. I flashed names from our prayer list on the screen while I played Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. I noticed that as the names began to appear on the screen, the words of the song faded away.

I spent some time (a little bit) in the Sanctuary with my iPod on Saturday, praying about the upcoming beginning of the unveiling of the vision to the congregation. Instead of forming my own prayers, I listened to certain songs on the iPod. Praying music instead of praying with background music. It brought me close to God.

So, all of that really tells me nothing and is probably not interesting to you at all, but I wonder if other people have this problem with music during prayer or not.

Image: Our church in the unexpected (by me) snow this morning