Chorus
Unheard voices, crying to the heavens
While those on earth refuse to hear
Unheard voices, rising to the heavens
While those on earth refuse to hear
God hears the unheard voices

Verse 1
The little children, sold to prostitution
Who will hear their voice
A billion people, living in poverty
Who will hear their voice
The voice of the suffering, cries out to the heavens
While those on earth refuse to hear
These are the ...

Verse 2
Millions die in abortion
While the world sits in silence
Who will hear their voice
Babies die of sickness,
AIDS and malnutrition
Who will hear their voice
The voice of the suffering
Cries out to the heavens
While those on earth refuse to hear
These are the ...

By Ng Wah Lok

I HAVE been writing songs for nearly 25 years. For most of my song writing experience, my focus has always been worship songs. In the early 80s, I wrote one song after another as the Holy Spirit inspired me. However, as I grew older, my thinking began to change and so does my concept of what worship really is.
     My convictions on worship really changed after I did an indepth study of the book of Amos. I taught the book of Amos at Tung Ling Seminary for 15 hours and God spoke to me about many things about worship. God spoke to me particularly from Amos 5:23,24,

     “Take away from me the noise of your songs. For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But Let justice run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

     I began to discover that God loves justice and righteousness more than our beautiful songs we write for Him. In simple words, if we are not living our Christianity practically, we can forget about singing any worship song because God will not hear our songs. It is noise to him. Worship is not just about singing songs. It is about living our Christian life according to God’s commandments. The book of Amos teaches about the injustices in the world and the cruelty of mankind towards the poor and oppressed and how God was very angry with it. God expects us to do something for the poor. This discovery had a major influence on my song writing.
     I got the inspiration to write “Unheard Voices” after attending the World Evangelical Fellowship Conference in Malaysia in 2001. Clive Calver, President of World Relief, spoke of the needs and the suffering of the poor in the Third World countries. While driving home, this phrase “Unheard Voices” flashed across my mind. I knew immediately that God wanted me to write a song for all the unheard voices who will never be heard; the babies who died of AIDS, the children sold to prostitution, the refugees caught in a war, babies aborted, the suffering of the poor all around the world. All these voices are never heard.
     A 10-year-old girl never chose to be a prostitute. A baby never chose to die of AIDS. What about the millions who are aborted? Will we ever hear that they wanted to live? Yet some people have chosen not to hear these voices. I get some comfort in knowing that God sees and hears all these voices and will one day come to judge the cruelty of humanity.
     “Unheard Voices” reminds us that we need to remember the poor and meet their needs. These are the messages God has called me to write.

Prov 31:8,9 “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”

(Note: Ng Wah Lok is pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle, Sri Damansara, and also principal of Tung Ling Seminary, Malaysia.)