Midnight Prayers and Meditations~Volume 2

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; Original Keyboard Instrumentals Inspired By The Holy Spirit ~ This album of Instrumental prayers inspired by the Holy Spirit is one of my favorites to listen to while painting, writing, or studying, or having my prayer time with the Lord and studying His word.

I love to listen to it when I fall asleep at night as I know that the music had its birth as my prayers ascending to heaven.

The 2020 Pandemic this past year has been a challenge for everyone all over the world. Night and day during these past long months, I have joined the many who have been praying for an end to the suffering.

The music on Midnight Prayers and Meditations evolved out of myriad prayers lifted to Heaven. For I’ve seen so many all around me go through the shadow valley of suffering over the past several months.

I well know this place for it seems I’ve dwelt here for many long years now as I’ve suffered from daily chronic migraines and fibromyalgia.

Just as the Lord has faithfully been with me throughout my sojourn in the Shadow Valley, it could also be called His Shadow Shelter referred to in Psalm 91, for those who will put their trust in Him despite all appearances that nothing good will ever happen for them anymore. That all will always be doom and gloom forever now because the suffering keeps coming day after day and there does not seem to be any hope on the horizon.

Trust Him. Abide under His shadow. For He is here with all of us during this Pandemic. We will look back someday and say with the Psalmist: “Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.” Psalms 77:19 KJV

Paths of Mercy: Comforting Christian Prayer Songs is the fifth published album in the Paths Collection of Prayers Songs that the Lord has blessed me with. It features 19 original prayer songs, plus the traditional hymn, “Oh For A Thousand Tongues,” penned by the great hymn writer Charles Wesley.

One night a few years ago I was out with my husband and friends who’s son was performing on the vibes at a local cafe. It was getting late, some young women soaked in perfume came in and sat near us. I immediately prayed that the Lord would protect me from getting a migraine. Scents are one of my fiercest migraine triggers. Suddenly as I was listening to the music, I became aware of all of the colors in the cafe; then everything I saw and heard poured like an uncontrolled river into my brain simultaneously.

I had no ability to focus on anything I heard or saw.

Now the cafe loomed up around me like a room crowded with thunder and giants in a blaze of unrestrained colors. I seemed to see every minute detail of everything ~the people and what they were wearing, every nuance of every color in the room, the windows, what was outside them, what was on the walls, the globe lights ~ and I could smell every odor~ the food cooking, the smoke from the grill, the smell of people and their colognes, shampoo, soap, as well as whatever they were drinking or eating ~ all of which was profoundly nauseating.

And all the while the music poured into my ears along with all of the other information without a director to focus my thoughts. It was like being in a madhouse. As panic arose in my heart, I prayed for the Lord to rescue me. Suddenly I felt His presence holding me close. Although my brain was still in a state of uncontrolled sensory input, now I was no longer afraid for the Lord was guarding my thoughts and helping me to view the experience from a different perspective.

For the Lord had suggested to me, “Isn’t this fascinating, you don’t often get to see and hear things like this. Just think of it as a story you are writing.”

So then I calmed down and was even able for a few seconds at least to focus on bits of conversations around me. If raucous laughter was like nails piercing my ears, even the barest whispers were strangely loud for I seemed able to hear every noise in the room along with the music.

One moment I was mesmerized by someone’s drama only to be attracted by someone else’s saga behind me, and then the music, then the colored lights, then BANG went my head exploding in pain, and the room went spinning and I almost passed out. I don’t even know how Mark got me home. I vaguely remember our friends asking if I were all right. Then Mark saying we had to leave.

“Hush, Be Still, Be Silent...” that is just the right prayer song for a migraine sufferer. :) There are just so many prayer songs on Paths of Mercy that are just right for someone who needs to calm down, to get quiet before the Lord, to return and rest in Christ.

From the beginning the Lord impressed on my heart that He wanted His children to be able to read and meditate upon the words of the prayer songs and the scriptures that inspired them, and to be able to pray them for themselves, applying them to their own circumstances.

I had desperately wanted to publish my Paths of Grace Illustrated Prayer Song Book (my prayer song album was released in 2018) ~ before releasing this Paths of Mercy album, but the Lord had other plans. It took me over a year to create my Paths of Hope illustrated Prayer Song e-Book after publishing my Paths of Hope Prayer Song music album ( 2017), and then a whole other year to publish the print version of my Hope prayer song book. For creating illustrated prayer song books, whether ebooks or print, requires an enormous amount of my very limited energy.

Though it is the Lord’s will for me that every time I publish a prayer song album that I should also publish a companion book with the lyrics ~ it is not His Law. In other words~ He does not ever keep me to any strict rules or deadlines with any of the projects He inspires me to do, for we are under His grace and mercy. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 KJV

The Lord in His great mercy somehow eventually helps me get everything done that He wants accomplished. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...” Philippians 1:6 KJV

And as I wrote in my previous album notes, with each subsequent album release, my auto-immune illness and chronic migraines grew worse until I became housebound and mostly bedridden.

I accepted by faith that I always could only do what the Lord Jesus Christ did through me, as Jesus said, ““I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5 KJV)

Christ’s words became a miracle I had to walk by faith in if I were ever to allow Him to accomplish His work through me. Nothing was easy.

Every day, every moment became a steep mountain I had to climb. What Christ had said to Paul when he begged the Lord to remove his painful, strength limiting thorn became true for me too, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

The prayer songs on this album are some of the most encouraging songs that my Savior has ever inspired. Sometimes people ask why they have to suffer. There is a passage in the Bible I cling to that helps me put my own suffering in perspective every time I listen to the comforting prayer songs, poems, and music the Lord gives me.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. " 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 NIV

“Oh Lord, You Know The Way I Take,” is a prayer song that reflects my challenges in just showing up to any task by faith when I barely have any strength to get out of bed.

The“Prayer Song to Jesus My Good Shepherd,” is one I love to listen to and sing often because it encompasses so many of my challenges and presents my needs upon Christ’s Altar of Mercy and Grace.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 KJV

“Hush, Be Still, Be Silent...” the prayer song I referred to earlier, is one I praise and thank my Lord for always. This song truly presents my needs to God when I have migraines and all my thoughts are whirring about in my brain like a blender out of control, and only the Lord can push the stop button and reassemble all the fragments and corral them back into the fold of rationality.

And which of us cannot say that we don’t need to seek the Lord now while He can be found?

I know I harp on this but All of these songs were inspired by the Holy Spirit and the scriptures.

They came to me as gifts from the Lord and I am profoundly grateful and humbled by them.

God's gifts more than anything remind me of the truth of the scriptures that God indeed has no favorites. For if He can give such holy gifts to someone like me who is crippled by migraines and often experiences profound moodiness as a consequence~ He will give anyone any good gift He pleases.

16 "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:16-17 NIV

Why do I admit these faults and weaknesses?

Because some may imagine that God only bestows His favors upon those who live up to certain standards.

And I want you to know that I'm not some perfect saint that God gives His holy gifts to because I am somehow so very good.

No, I am a sinner just like everyone else~ I am far from perfect. Though I keep my eyes on Christ and try to follow His will daily, just like so many other Christians, I still stumble and fall and make many mistakes and have to go to Christ's Altar, confess my sins, and repent and ask my Lord to help me by His almighty grace not to make the same mistake again.

I know our Redeemer loves us all or He would not have died on the cross to save us from our sins. The prayer song on this album, "There is No Condemnation," is a perfect reminder of the suffering of Christ and how it cost His spotless blood to purchase our forgiveness and redemption.

God doesn't have any perfect children. just broken souls He needs to fix. He is using daily migraines right now to fix mine. It is very much a challenge to be sure. Yet I know He loves me. The pain won't last forever, but His love will. I focus on His beautiful love.

And as for the Prayer Song Book that accompanies not just this album but the one I still need to do for Paths of Grace, the Lord is helping me to get them done slowly but surely.

For it truly is the Lord’s will that His children be able to know and pray the scriptures that have inspired these encouraging prayer songs He has given me to share.

I ask you to keep me in your prayers always even as you are ever in my prayers. May God bless you and keep you ever in His holy love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

All praise, thanks, honor, and glory be to my Heavenly Father, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and Lord Holy Spirit forever for every comforting song on this album and for the holy scriptures that inspired them; may they ever glorify God and bless and encourage His people, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit celebrating the holiness, awe, and fear of almighty God through biblical references, multilayered abstract audible tonal imagery, spiritually challenging chords and rhythms with musical conversations driving deep into the heart

"All Glory To God Forever!" Original Instrumentals Celebrating The 25th Album of Music Inspired by The Holy Spirit since 2013 by Suzanne Davis Harden for The Glory and Honor of God

“But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.” Matthew 9:8

If someone were to tell me back in 2009 that someday I would become a musician and publish twenty-five albums of music for the glory and honor of my Lord Jesus Christ, I would have told them they were insane.

I was passionate about my art and had been my whole life, completely secure that God had called me to be an artist/writer for children for God’s glory. There had never been any question. I’ve loved drawing from the time I could hold a pencil and was always known as “the artist” in our family. Never had I exhibited any special musical interest or talent the way several of my siblings had. I had quit piano lessons after a few required years due to performance anxiety. I dreaded the annual recitals. After about the third one, I informed my parents that no more would I endure those lessons. I just could not bear performing up on stage. What I enjoyed about my piano lessons were the illustrations in my lesson books. I loved the beautiful line drawings, and even the magnificent design of the grand staff and the notes parading up and down upon it.

One Christmas when our children were young, I asked the Lord to give me a tune for a poem I had written to go along with an illustration I’d made. I wanted to design it as a song like those in my childhood piano books, and include it in a Christmas gift I was making for my children’s cousins.
After the Lord gave me the simple tune for the poem, I remembered the basic notes from my piano lessons which I wrote above the words of the song. Then my sister Kelly, a gifted musician, helped me notate it correctly on the grand staff.

“The Forest Carol” became the first children’s song the Lord gave me in answer to a prayer so that I could illustrate my Christmas gift to my nieces and nephews. The song looked awesome to me, just like those in my old piano books! How I praised the Lord for answering my prayer for a musical illustration. But in no way was I asking Him to become a musician. Art was my passion. Music existed to inspire me.

Unless I got sick. Somehow whenever I suffered, the Lord used music to help heal me. He would give me what I then called “song poems,” that I would just sing privately to Him in my quiet times. But I had no kind of voice to sing well.

In fact, my son howled when I sang “Jesus Loves Me,” once. My husband always points out he was howling because the dog across the street was howling. Somehow this fact never comforts me.

My dad once said when I sang in my quiet time to the Lord, “Turn that blasted radio OFF!!!!” Once after making a joyful noise to my Lord in my own room with my door shut, my younger sister gave me a sour look and made a sarcastic comment. As I reflect on these things now I wonder if it was not so much how I sang that offended my family, as it was about my subject matter and what might the neighbors or passing golfers think if they discovered there was a young religious fanatic in the house? Yikes!!! !!!!!!!

However, in my teen years after I got saved I was not going to be deterred from singing to the Lord in my quiet times by anyone. In fact, I wore their low opinion of my worship as a badge of honor, deciding I was being persecuted by members of my own household for Jesus.

I was passionately in love with my Savior and worshiping Him was absolutely going to happen whether anyone liked it or not.

When I taught art I used artist’s biographies in an effort to teach my students that being talented in one area didn’t necessarily mean that God would use their special gift or talent in the main work He called them to do for Him forever.
This thought always haunted me. We studied the famous Bible Teacher Oswald Chambers who was an extremely gifted artist and had received a scholarship to study at a prestigious art school when he was young. But then God called him to the ministry. I would always thank the Lord that He had called me to be a children’s writer and illustrator -no question - and fervently prayed that He’d never change His mind. Every day I’d asked Him to use me as an author/illustrator for His glory since my teen years. I always knew that this was His will for me.

My favorite children’s book writer and Illustrator, Beatrix Potter, had up and decided to become a sheep farmer after she got married at around age fifty. Her story distressed me. “Oh Lord, please don’t ever let me change from being an artist.” I couldn’t go anywhere without drawing, or be without a sketchbook and pen. I had no peace if I couldn’t draw.

Then in 2009, I went up to the Altar after the Church Service to pray. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me. He spoke to my heart. He asked would I sing for Him. He asked three times. I was in utter shock. I told Him I’d rather Him take me Home. “My Suzy will you sing for Me?” He knew I could not sing, had no talent or gift for singing and that I was an artist. The Lord simply replied that I was whatever He said I was. “My Suzy will you sing for Me?” The Lord absolutely knew my heart and how I’d literally rather die than be a performer on a stage.

Now the Lord did read my thoughts on the subject for He assured me... I asked you to sing for Me...not perform.” “My Suzy I need your voice...” Well, as long as I don’t have to perform...This thought comforted me to the point where I could agree to sing. If all the Lord wanted was my voice. I figured He just wanted me to lay down my will. To give Him what I most feared. To surrender ALL of me.

Truly, I had no idea what He meant. But I knew I could trust the Lord for He loved me and would never do something to hurt me.

That was in 2009. The Lord absolutely was true to His Word and miraculously did give me a gift to sing and play music as He had promised. At first all I wanted to do was sing. I took singing lessons to learn breath control as my husband suggested and these were great fun. They also provided much relief from my chronic migraines. So much so that I began to believe that the Lord gave me my singing gift as an alternative pain reliever for my migraines. Then He blessed me with the gift to play instrumental music. I took piano and guitar lessons for a while. The Lord taught me how to play my dulcimer and little Zither. But instruments I had to tune I disliked. I was in awe of “real” musicians whenever I had to tune the guitar, dulcimer, or the very worst to tune ~ that handmade beautiful sounding little zither. Oh, if anything could make me want to curse it was tuning that little instrument with the wooden pegs~ I never could seem to get it perfect. How did those people do it? I gained a profound respect for musicians that I confess I never had before as I always was of the opinion that Artists were superior to Musicians in every way. God certainly was humbling me with this music thing.

No matter how many lessons I took I could not seem to play by the notes without a major effort. I could play the prayer songs that the Lord gave me and that was His gift. I did not have to do any work to make those songs. They just came as His gifts. He was creating them, not me. I finally had to accept that was His will. Not to learn to be a musician, but to let Jesus be a musician through me. Three years later He asked me to start sharing some of the songs and instrumentals He’d begun to give me from the time He’d asked me to sing for Him.

My first album published in 2013 was “God’s Rainbow Promise” followed by my holiday release, “Christmas Joy.” These works were great fun to produce as the Lord taught me everything about recording and post audio production so that I would be able to produce each album myself. At first I was able to accomplish so many things by God’s almighty grace despite my auto immune illness.

I knew virtually nothing about the music business. My teenage experience was filled with memories of persecution about my voice. I thought I was going to be thrown to the lions. But I loved the Lord Jesus Christ and trusted Him. I had to either believe He is true or walk away in unbelief. So I chose to walk by faith. “We walk by faith not by sight.” 1 Corinthians 5:2 I received very little encouragement in my decision to follow the Lord’s path for me to pursue music.

The astonishing thing was that as I published each of the albums and the corresponding prayer song books that went with them, my auto immune illness grew worse. Somehow despite my deteriorating strength and energy the Lord continued to do many things through His Holy Spirit working within me. Each album, each book, each post on my blogs, everything I created was a miracle from the risen Lord Jesus Christ and for His glory, for I battled and continue to battle daily with chronic migraines, CFS, fibromyalgia, allergies, asthma, and various other afflictions. In the past two years these health challenges have been so severe as to all but isolate me in my home and practically keep me bed ridden some days. But for the grace of God I could do absolutely nothing at all.

From 2013 to 2019 the Lord has given this visual artist ~ who is only a musician through the power and grace of the risen Lord Jesus Christ in me ~ 368 Published songs and 25 Albums of music for His glory and Honor. His immortal songs have gone out to all this world to proclaim the Holy praises of the Most High God. A young woman once suggested to me that the works that the Lord accomplishes through me are not miracles because they don’t compare with the astonishing things she sees people do with merely natural gifts in popular Talent shows on TV and in viral YouTube videos about amazingly gifted people all over the world.

Indeed, the works God does through me may not appear special when compared to those who are gifted performers. The difference between entertainers and myself is that the risen Lord Jesus Christ has imparted a special gift in me that I don’t naturally possess apart from His Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s work. These works are holy creations born out of worship unto the Lord God and are not performances done for the pleasure of man. They exist to honor and glorify God and to communicate a message from Him to all who will listen.

Please know that the Lord Jesus Christ wants all the world to believe that it is HIM and not Suzanne Harden doing these works. He has allowed my body to suffer so that all those who see and hear what He has given me to share will give HIM glory for these works that His Holy Spirit has done in and through me.

I have said “Yes, Lord, You may use my voice and all of me as You wish.” There was no turning back after I gave Christ my voice. I surrendered everything to the risen Lord Jesus Christ so that He could be glorified in me through His miracle anointing of music.

I did not ask anything of Him in return, for a true sacrifice does not seek a gift in return. Jesus Christ gave all of Himself to me already: On the cross at Calvary. How could I not give Him all of me on the Altar that day in Church? How dare I ask Him to give me anything in return but simply to honor Him? And if it means I must suffer and die to myself in order to bring Him glory, then may His will be done.

Privately at home I sometimes attribute my works as done by Jesus really to remind me of the true Composer and Musician within me. In public, when you see that a work is done, “by Suzanne Davis Harden” may you mentally insert “by the Risen Lord Jesus Christ really.” For the Lord Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit is the true author, illustrator, composer, and musician of all I create. All Glory To God Forever!

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, “I believed, and therefore have I spoken;”

We also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:

for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 KJV