A friend was telling me about books written in a “how to” way on subjects like prayer, etc. He warned me that they can miss a focus on Christ and how it relates to him, because they focus on the mechanics of what they’re teaching instead.

I came across some rules for psalm singing from The Practice of Piety by Lewis Bayly (p154-155), I think they help point us towards a right attitude. I found them very interesting and I hope you do too:

• Don’t sing divine psalms just for fun, mixed in with all sorts of unholy songs. They are God’s word: don’t take them lightly.
• Sing David’s psalms with David’s spirit (Matthew 22:43).
• Practice Paul’s rule: “I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the understanding also.” – 1 Corinthians 14:15.
• Behave appropriately, with a suitable reverence as though you were in the sight of God, singing to God with God’s own words.
• Make sure that the content makes more melody in your hearts (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16) than the music in your ear; for it’s singing with grace in the heart that pleases the Lord.