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

Songs Stuck in Your Head

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head, with the same lines repeating over and over? I have—many times. Some researchers refer to this as a "brain itch," comparing it to a mosquito bite: the more you scratch it, the more it itches. When you hear a song, it stimulates a part of the brain known as the auditory cortex. According to research from Dartmouth University, when participants were played a portion of a familiar song, their auditory cortex filled in the rest—essentially, their brains continued “singing” long after the music stopped.

I personally believe God has given us this mental capacity for a greater purpose: so we can make melody in our hearts to the Lord, offering Him worship and praise (Eph. 5:19). We are the ones who choose which songs get stuck in our minds by what we allow ourselves to listen to. In many ways, our brains operate like computers—they are programmed by what we feed them. Whatever we take in through our ears becomes what our minds and hearts play back to us.

Sing with Your Mind

“What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” (1 Cor. 14:15 ESV)

Singing Praises with Your Soul

“My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” (Psalm 71:23 ESV)

God is Seeking Such People to Worship Him

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23 ESV)

Therefore

Let us be intentional about what we allow into our hearts and minds. By filling our lives with songs that glorify God, we allow worship to overflow in our thoughts, words, and actions—even when the music stops.

“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)

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

Songs stuck in your head

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head with the same lines repeating over and over? I have, many times. Some who have studied this phenomenon call it a “brain itch,” and similar to a mosquito bite, the more you scratch it, the more it itches. They say when you listen to a song, it triggers a part of the brain called the auditory cortex. Researchers at Dartmouth University found that when they played part of a familiar song to research subjects, the participants’ auditory cortex automatically filled in the rest—in other words, their brains kept “singing” long after the song had ended [source: Prokhorov]. I personally believe God has given us this ability for a very good reason, so that we can “make melody in our hearts to the Lord” so that we can worship and praise Him (Eph. 5:19). We are the ones who choose which songs get stuck in our heads by what songs we listen to. Our brains are similar to computers and are programmed by what we put into them. Whatever we put in through our ear gates, that’s what our brains play back to us. 

Therefore

“What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” (1 Cor. 14:15 ESV)

Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs

“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) 

Singing praises with your soul

“My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” (Psalm. 71:23 ESV)

God is seeking such people to worship Him

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23 ESV)