DAY 20 – DANCE TO A FAVORITE SONG

THEME: JOY IN MOTION

FOCUS: RECLAIMING MOVEMENT, FREEDOM, AND DELIGHT AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

PRACTICE:

Put on a song that stirs something inside you—joy, energy, nostalgia, or peace—and dance. Move in your kitchen. Sway in your living room. Let your body respond however it wants. Don’t overthink it. Don’t worry about looking silly. This is between you and God. Let it be playful, prayerful, freeing.

If full-on dancing feels too vulnerable, even a gentle sway, a tapping foot, or raised hands can be enough. The invitation is simply to move to the rhythm of joy.

REFLECTION:

For many of us, dancing gets tucked away with childhood or saved for weddings. But the act of moving to music is deeply human—and deeply holy. Scripture is full of dancing: Miriam danced after crossing the Red Sea. David danced before the Lord with all his might. The Psalms invite us to praise God with tambourines and dancing.

So why do we so often feel ashamed or reserved in our joy?

Dance is more than celebration—it’s release. It’s embodied prayer. It’s letting go of control and giving your body permission to speak. Today, let dancing be your declaration: I am alive. I am loved. I am free.

You don’t need to wait for a reason to celebrate. The music is reason enough. Let yourself be moved.

SCRIPTURE:

“You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”

— Psalm 30:11 (NRSV)

This verse reminds us that God is not only with us in sorrow, but also calls us into joy. Our dancing is a form of praise, of healing, of reclaiming the beauty of being human.

PRAYER:

God of Joy and Movement,

Thank You for the rhythm in my heart and the music in my soul.

Shake loose the burdens I’ve been carrying.

Remind me that joy is a holy offering, not a luxury.

Let this dance be a prayer—free, honest, full of life.

Amen.