Music To Pray By

Ron Johns
  • 4.8 (178)
  • Christianity

To Inspire Gods People to Pray!

  1. 3d ago

    Music To Pray By Podcast 96

    I took this past week off from live streaming, mostly because of travel for work, which I mentioned back in the Podcast 93 post. I plan to keep taking one week off after every seven weeks of streaming, and any week I’m traveling for work. The next one is the week of November 9th. I’ll be at XPERTS in Nashville, TN, so there won’t be a live stream that week. Working ahead, and the album I’m still working toward having at least two weeks of content scheduled for posting. Right now I’m running about one week ahead, so as I write this on September 26th I haven’t started on the album yet. I’m hoping to use the time I would normally spend streaming to work on it. LED bar, version 3 Work on version 3 of the LED bar is still going, and if everything goes according to plan it should be finished in time for Podcast 97. I’ll try to post some pictures. A prayer from Psalm 100 I’m thankful for everyone who has been listening and praying along. If you know anybody who could use some inspiration during their prayer time, please share this with them. Since I’m feeling thankful, I’ll close with a recent Pray the Bible Short from Psalm 100, A Prayer to Enter with Thanksgiving. Take a couple of minutes and pray along. Watch the Psalm 100 prayer on YouTube. Thank you for listening, and thank you for praying. The post Music To Pray By Podcast 96 appeared first on Music To Pray By.

  2. Sep 26

    Music To Pray By Podcast 95

    This is the first podcast recorded with version 2 of the LED bar, and I’m not thrilled with how much light is reflecting off the keys. On the live streams it does light up my fingers better, because the light is more focused, but it really shines over the keys rather than down on them. I’ve continued work on version 3, which angles the bar at 45 degrees so the light lands on the keys instead of just passing over them. I’m also trying to get through as much editing as I can so that I have at least two weeks of direct focus on the album. Still aiming for next month, but we’ll see how it goes. Who this is for Sometimes it’s a little discouraging not to see much growth at all across social media or in the podcast, but I’m trying to keep my focus on who this is for. Yes, it’s supposed to encourage people to spend more time in prayer, but this whole ministry is first and foremost service to the King. It is an act of worship. My mind drifts from that purpose when I get busy with the mundane stuff like video editing, so please keep me in your prayers. A prayer from Psalm 123 That’s why I’m closing this week with Psalm 123, A Prayer with Eyes Lifted to You. “As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master.” Take a couple of minutes and pray along. Watch the Psalm 123 prayer on YouTube. Thank you for listening, and thank you for praying. The post Music To Pray By Podcast 95 appeared first on Music To Pray By.

  3. Sep 19

    Music To Pray By Podcast 94

    I finished Podcast 94 right at the beginning of the week. I’m trying to get a little ahead so I can shift my full focus to the Hallowed Be Your Name album. It feels good to have this week’s podcast ready and waiting instead of still working on it at the last minute. A few pictures from the LED bar work I’m hoping to have the final version of the LED bar ready for Podcast 95. The plan is to try it on a few live streams before then, so I can see how it behaves on camera and make any last adjustments. These are some pictures from the test fits and troubleshooting. There’s been a lot of checking the fit, measuring clearances, and seeing where the light actually goes. The pictures below are the work in progress, not the finished installation. Prototype LED boards fitted into a black printed holder. Checking light spill during a prototype LED test fit. Testing the LED rail beneath the piano keys. Measuring the clearance around the LED prototype. Piano music whenever you need it I first mentioned the continuous streams in the Podcast 77 post, but they’re worth another mention. Music To Pray By runs 24/7 on Twitch and Rumble, replaying the live worship piano sessions. I’ve been glad to see those channels grow. If you want some inspiration for prayer, you can just turn the music on. You don’t have to search through the live streams or pick a particular podcast first. Leave it playing while you pray, or come back to it whenever you have a little time. A prayer from Psalm 70 I’ll leave you with a recent Pray the Bible Short, A Prayer of the Poor and Needy, from Psalm 70. It’s a prayer for God’s help when we know we need Him. Watch the Psalm 70 prayer on YouTube. Thank you for listening, and thank you for praying. The post Music To Pray By Podcast 94 appeared first on Music To Pray By.

  4. Sep 11

    Music To Pray By Podcast 93

    Tuesday evening I had a business dinner, which is why I didn’t stream Wednesday morning. I also have a business trip to Denver on the 29th and Dallas on the 1st, so I will not be live streaming the week of the 28th. That week is a good time to announce a change in the streaming schedule. The plan is to stream seven weeks, then take a week off. The week of the 28th happens to land right there, because it will have been seven straight weeks. I also took Monday off for Labor Day, and that will stay. I will not stream on major holidays. I think this will help with burnout, and it should let the podcasts catch up a little with the live streams. Podcast 93 is made from live streams I did in June, specifically the June 19 and June 22 mornings. Even with the week off, I’ll probably still have a backlog, which should be fine. It also gives me time to focus on the albums. Pray the Bible: A Prayer for Your Light and Truth I’ll close with Psalm 43 and A Prayer for Your Light and Truth, with music from Podcast 92. Take a couple of minutes to pray along. If the video doesn’t load, watch the Short on YouTube. Thank you for listening, and thank you for praying. The post Music To Pray By Podcast 93 appeared first on Music To Pray By.

  5. Sep 5

    Music To Pray By Podcast 92

    The biggest change for Podcast 92 is one you’ll be able to see: the podcast videos are now in 4K. That’s four times the pixels of the old 1080p videos. I’m hoping they look four times better too, especially if you’re watching on a bigger screen! Getting the picture right I’ve spent quite a few weeks working on what you see while the piano plays. Podcast 86 was the first finished episode with Piano VFX layered over the real piano footage. By Podcast 88, I was adjusting the effects song by song in Final Cut Pro to keep them lined up with the keys. Then came the LED strip, which adds actual light to the piano as it plays. I’ve also started using an OBSBOT video conferencing camera in the setup, along with a new lens on the Canon so I can shoot in 4K. Getting the framing and lighting right has taken some experimenting. In this episode Four Selahs from the June 16–18 live streams. These timestamps match the video version. 0:00 Selah in G — from 6-16-2026 Song 6 4:22 Selah in B — from 6-17-2026 Songs 4–6 17:09 Selah in G — from 6-18-2026 Songs 3–4 25:11 Selah in B — from 6-18-2026 Song 5 The morning I forgot Logic If you joined the August 27 live stream and couldn’t hear anything, that one was on me. I forgot to open Logic, so there was no audio going out. I went ahead and played the Disklavier’s MIDI recording back completely raw, without the usual editing, so there would at least be something to listen to. I believe I also ran into Internet trouble toward the end. The good news is that the MIDI was captured. The original pieces from that morning will likely turn up in a future podcast, even though the live itself didn’t go as planned. One more print, hopefully the last I’m still tweaking the lighting around the current LED strip while construction of its replacement moves along. Today I finished what should be the final print for the new setup. After all the test pieces and small adjustments, I’m hoping to start putting it together this coming week. I won’t call it finished until it’s built and working, but I’m ready to get there. Hallowed Be Your Name I now have enough songs to move ahead with Hallowed Be Your Name. Before I start on the album, I want to get two or three more podcasts produced so I can give it some time without falling behind here. I expect the album will take a good two or three weeks of work. My hope is to have it finished by mid-October. We’ll see how it goes, but I’m looking forward to finally working on it. Twenty-two years at the keys The Connection Church just celebrated its 22nd anniversary. It’s crazy to think I’ve been there playing keys since the beginning. I’m truly grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to be part of it all these years. Here’s to 22 more! Pray the Bible: A Prayer to the God Who Keeps Forever I’ll close with Psalm 146 and A Prayer to the God Who Keeps Forever, with music from Podcast 91. After thinking back over twenty-two years at church, a prayer about God’s faithfulness feels like a good place to end. Take a couple of minutes to pray along. If the video doesn’t load, watch the Short on YouTube. Thank you for listening, and thank you for praying. The post Music To Pray By Podcast 92 appeared first on Music To Pray By.

  6. Aug 29

    Music To Pray By Podcast 91

    Podcast 91 is here with six new Selahs. School officially started this week. The kids are back, and we are trying to settle into the rhythm of another school year. The morning streams have helped keep at least one part of the week steady. In This Episode 0:00 Selah in D — from 6-11-2026 Song 5 3:40 Selah in D — from 6-11-2026 Song 6 8:31 Selah in B — from 6-15-2026 Song 2 14:19 Selah in D — from 6-15-2026 Song 3 20:10 Selah in D — from 6-16-2026 Song 2 25:43 Selah in D — from 6-16-2026 Song 3 Carlen, Jesus MOB, and a Hot Mix As this post goes up, Carlen Charleston and I are spending the day together making music. I mentioned last week that he was coming over. Our last Jesus MOB album was produced more than twenty years ago, so it is good just to have an old friend back in the room. We are experimenting with AI as part of the collaboration and seeing whether it gives us a starting point for something new. I do not know whether we will finish with a hot mix or spend most of the day catching up, but I am glad we made the time. Hopefully something good comes from it. The LED Rail Is Finally Taking Shape After a lot of measuring, test prints, and revisions, I now have printed mounts and bar sections that work. That gets the temporary metal ends out of the picture and gives me a real foundation to build on. Now I am working on cartridge spacing. Each section has to aim its LEDs at the correct piano keys, and a few millimeters is enough to make the alignment look wrong from the overhead camera. The first section is working well enough to keep, so I am moving through the keyboard a section at a time. Pray the Bible: A Prayer Before the Throne This week’s Pray the Bible Short comes from last week’s podcast music. It is built around Revelation 7: a multitude before the throne, and the Lamb who shepherds them. If the embed is not loading, the direct link is youtube.com/shorts/qMtvT1TpJvw. Thank you for listening, and thank you for praying. The post Music To Pray By Podcast 91 appeared first on Music To Pray By.

  7. Aug 22

    Music To Pray By Podcast 90

    Twenty weeks in. Podcast 90 is here. This week was mostly the light bar. In This Episode 0:00 Selah in A — from 6-8-2026 Song 6 6:16 Selah in B — from 6-9-2026 Song 2 10:48 Selah in A — from 6-9-2026 Song 4 15:21 Selah in C — from 6-9-2026 Song 5 24:47 Selah in F — from 6-10-2026 Song 4 27:48 Selah in G — from 6-11-2026 Song 3 A Printer, Printed Mounts, and a Dark Bar I got a 3D printer this week so I can keep improving the LED bar. The next step is printed mounts that sit in the piano’s existing fallboard supports, instead of the angle iron pieces I had been using. Those metal ends worked, but I was never comfortable leaving that kind of hardware that close to the piano, even though I had felt tape on the ends. I also added a second LED strip. Fitting that, plus printing and reprinting the mounts, took longer than I expected. The bar was out of commission for the first two live streams this week. I am still iterating. The goal is the same as last week: a removable rail that shows more of the movement in the music, without attaching anything to the finish or the keys. When it is on, it adds a really cool dynamic while I play. Carlen Next Weekend Carlen Charleston with Jesus MOB is coming over next weekend to record. I have a lot to get ready so Podcast 91 and the shorts stay on schedule. A Journal for My Boys I have also started using AI to help me keep a journal for my boys. I talk it out. It writes it down. I keep the original recording and only clean up the obvious speech-to-text mistakes. That has made it easier to actually do it, instead of waiting until I have a free hour to sit and type. Pray the Bible: A Prayer When God Feels Far This week’s Pray the Bible Short comes from last podcast. It is Psalm 13: an honest lament that turns back to trust. It went up yesterday from the Podcast 89 music. If the embed is not loading, the direct link is youtube.com/shorts/vr6JFXVHMVw. Thank you for listening, and thank you for praying. The post Music To Pray By Podcast 90 appeared first on Music To Pray By.

  8. Aug 15

    Music To Pray By Podcast 89

    Nineteen weeks in. Podcast 89 is here. Six new Selahs this week, along with the first finished look at a project I have been wanting to build for a while. In This Episode 0:00 Selah in F — from 6-4-2026 Song 2 4:36 Selah in E — from 6-4-2026 Song 4 10:49 Selah in B — from 6-4-2026 Song 5 18:21 Selah in D — from 6-5-2026 Song 2 22:48 Selah in E — from 6-5-2026 Song 4 26:03 Selah in A — from 6-8-2026 Song 3 Williamsburg and Home Again Our family vacation to Williamsburg, Virginia, was awesome. It was good to get away, spend that time together, and come home with plenty of memories. I could easily turn the trip into a much longer post, but for now I will just say that I am grateful we were able to go. A New Light Across the Keys The biggest visual change this week is the new LED rail across the piano. It is a removable aluminum bar that uses the piano’s existing fallboard supports, so nothing is glued to the finish or keys. A Raspberry Pi listens to the MIDI performance and drives individually addressable lights across the keyboard. The goal is not just to add color, but to let the overhead camera show more of the movement and shape inside the music. The piano opened up while I fitted the removable aluminum rail. A look at some of the power, data, and LED work behind the new light bar. This is the first working version, not the last one. I already have ideas for matte-black 3D-printed clips and baffles that will hide the emitters and focus more of the light onto the keys. I am also leaving room for a second strip once I rebuild the power path for it properly. The current result is exciting, but there is still plenty of room to make it cleaner and better. Finding the Rhythm Again Getting back into the rhythm of the morning live streams after vacation has been harder than I expected. If a few extra flubbed notes have slipped through this week, I apologize. I am settling back in, and next week should be better. Pray the Bible: A Prayer for Direction This week’s Pray the Bible Short comes from Psalm 25. It has been one of the more-watched prayers in the series, and it is a fitting one for any season when the next step is not completely clear. If the embed is not loading, the direct link is youtube.com/shorts/JLsfFKj5Tzk. Thank you for listening, and thank you for praying. The post Music To Pray By Podcast 89 appeared first on Music To Pray By.

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4.8
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About

To Inspire Gods People to Pray!

Information

  • Creator
    Ron Johns
  • Years Active
    2008 - 2026
  • Episodes
    96
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2002-2026 Ron Johns
  • Show Website
    Music To Pray By

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