Music
Worship is a mighty weapon of warfare for the people of God. I have been a musician my entire life but not until I got sober and saved did I understand the true power of music. Prior to my conversion music was a safe place for me. A place where I found belonging and meaning. When I got saved I finally understood why music was such an escape.
I spent almost two decades in Hollywood living wounded and wild. I initially moved there from Orange County in the early 80’s to pursue music. I worked with many talented and amazing musicians over the years but the drug culture got me. Drugs took over every aspect of my life and almost killed the music in my heart not to mention ME. By the end of my life there I could barely even listen to music anymore because it hurt my heart so much. It seemed I had died a thousand times and music just reminded me of what I had lost.
Through a very intense series of events the Lord brought me out of there in 2000. I got sober and saved in 2001 and have never looked back to the drug life.
Shortly after that I started attending a small church in Oceanside where I lived and loved for for 13 years. This church had a wonderful collection of incredibly talented musicians/worship leaders. Thus began my 12 year journey as a worship leader. These were some of the best years of my life and I will forever call that church my home and my family.
Music is in my bones. Writing and playing music has been my passion since I was a young girl. I am always writing new music that springs from my heart. I write songs of the battle with words of hope and restoration that come to me from the Holy Spirit. He is my Holy Ghost Writer in Jesus Name!
You can contact me via email to order my albums, Teruah/Dialogue and Jill Shankles/Armor of Light.
Albums Teruah/ Dialogue and Jill Shankles/Armor of Light
I have made two albums as a Christian musician. They are both full of songs that the Holy Spirit wrote through me. I give Him all the credit and thank Him for a heart overflowing with a good theme and allowing my tongue to be the pen of a ready writer. I write my compositions to the KING!
Psalm 45 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
I got to record my first album entitled “Dialogue” with the very people who raised me up to lead worship. We called the project Teruah which is the Hebrew word for warcry.
This is a great big rock album with a broad range of musical emotion and lyrics that I believe will make the listener perk up. These are what I would call “God songs”. There are warfare songs and songs of following Him and songs that ask questions that every believer probably asks at some point.
Every musician who contributed to this record poured out their hearts and talents to make it the great collection of songs that I believe it is. One of my favorite songs on this album is entitled, “Won’t Back Down”. It is a warfare song that declares we are an army with Jesus beside us. You and Jesus are enough!
My more recent project has a slightly different feel. It is a more acoustically driven album as I find myself playing without a band a lot of the time now. This one is called “Armor of Light” named to coincide with the Armor of Light curriculum. These are also God songs with visions of hope. Songs of the battle.
Some of us have been so devastated by life that we need songs from Heaven to get us through. Music for people like me who needed to know that it was not too late. Lyrics that told me I was not some dirty drug addict who God has forgotten about. Melodies with stories that told me I was wanted by Him, the God of the Universe. Verses that declared I was loved by the lover of my soul who made me, who knew I would answer the call and come home one day. So I sing and write from this place. I sing to the ones who need to know even if your Mother and Father reject you the Lord will take you in.
Psalm 27: 10, 11 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
The song,”Who Can Be Against Me” is one of those kind of songs. The first lyric is this.
“You were called to something greater, you were made for something better, than a brokenness demanding your destruction. You are called to the battle where the Lord has set a table for you right in the midst of your enemies” Jill Shankles Armor of Light the album
I pray that these albums bless you, minister to you and stir your heart to sing. We are an army with Jesus beside us. I see hands raised, I see souls saved, I see freedom filling the room.
I sing from where I was saved from. I remember how dark it was without Him and I will always sing from my soul. I just can’t help it
“Devil came on persuasive, trying to tell me who I am. Trying to plant doubt in what My Father’s about, I told him where I stand. Accuser came to tempt me, trying to peddle his bill of goods. Trying to rattle my cage, make me afraid but oh my God is good I say, “I won’t back down, I won’t back down. I won’t back down I’m an army with Jesus beside me!”
See Jill’s music video, “Who Can Be Against Me” by clicking on the image below!
Check out Jill’s music on her youtube channel!
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BREAKTHROUGHS?
Do you long to receive the love of God but just can’t seem to get it past your head to your heart? Have you tried to serve or give your way out of problems that plague your life as a believer?
