The highly anticipated sophomore album from critically acclaimed songwriter/artist/missionary Daniel Bashta, The Invisible, releases Feb. 5 from Integrity Music. The album follows Bashta's 2011 debut, The Sounds of Daniel Bashta, which sparked the worship anthem "God's Not Dead (Like A Lion)" that was also recorded by Newsboys, David Crowder Band and others, and continues to circle the globe in church services, on radio and in concert halls everywhere.

 

Produced by Jonny MacIntosh and J.T. Daly (Paper Route), The Invisible is musically layered with Bashta's explosive, raw vocal interpretation that isn't so much corporate worship as it is a full-tilt revelation that it's time to get real. "Just Give Me Jesus," inspired in part by Melody Green's book, No Compromise, sets the tone for the entire project. "My whole life, I've been part of these revival meetings, seen healings, all these crazy, beautiful things happen," Bashta says. "Even in all that, I'm still searching for the real Jesus in my life....The Invisible is full of songs for a generation sick of singing songs. They don't really care about building mega churches. They care about revolution. They want to see their cities changed. God is looking for a generation full of conviction."

 

The Invisible also filters the prophetic cry of Bashta's debut album through a new primal lens. His impassioned call to wake this generation has been tempered by a season of hope and healing in his family's life and in his new role: fatherhood. "I've been moved from this John the Baptist cry; from waking hearts of this generation to an unknown place," says Bashta. "When I became a dad, God poured out this brand new anointing over my life, gave me this father's heart, and for me that's massive, epic.... The church needs more fathers, more pastors... There's so much hurt happening all around us and not enough nurturing fathers among us to reach out."

 

This story of healing for the Bashtas breaks through on The Invisible in the song "Let Hope In," which expresses Daniel's literal, spiritual devastation of infertility and the miracles that sprang out of this desert. Song after song, the album gives voice to the faith of a generation willing to open the door for the miraculous, redemptive work of God to infiltrate everything. I had the great opportunity to interview Daniel about his stirring song "Let Hope In."

 

Please tell me the story behind writing the song "Let Hope In." 
 

Married five years, my wife Taylor and I had experienced infertility and were checking into our medical and adoption options. We created our family profile and turned it in to Bethany Christian Services. Within a few weeks we received a call from a birth mother that had chosen us to be her baby's family. Months later, in the hospital on the day of our son, Phoenix's birth, we were sitting there with the birth mother, and my sisters brought in a little stuffed lion. I told Phoenix's birth mom, We don't do teddy bears in our family, we do lions. And then she told us a part of her story we had not heard. She'd been given an ultimatum: either have an abortion or get out of the house. So she moved to Atlanta, heard about Bethany Christian Agency on MTV and had the courage to walk in and check it out. Around that same time, a friend took her to a church called Passion City, she said, and some guy on stage (Chris Tomlin) started singing some song about a lion and a roar. She remembered it clearly because during that song, she felt a presence come over her. 'I never knew you could feel God, like I felt God in that moment,' she said. She sat down and started journaling the lyrics to the song, 'Like A Lion.'

 

We all started crying in the hospital room. I looked at her and said, Well actually, I wrote that song. Then she jumped up and started crying and saying what an impact the words and presence of this song had on her. To know that my son has such a calling in this life, even before he was born and that his dad's song was being sung over him before he even knew who his father was... I thought I knew what God was capable of, but we experienced His faithfulness in such a miraculous way. And that miracle led straight to another. Within a few months, my wife Taylor pregnant, later giving birth to our daughter, Bravery Annette, and she just turned one. God brought one miracle that led to another miracle.

 

2 Kings 2:20-22: And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.'" So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

 

We were doing a show one time and after I sang "Like A Lion" a lady came up to me after the show and was shaking. She told me she didn't know I wrote the song, and she told me the year before she was struggling with depression and was contemplating suicide. She got in her car and turned on the radio, and when she heard the words of the song she felt God's presence and a freedom come over her life. It's amazing how God uses songs in such a powerful way to bring healing and freedom into people's lives. In our lives we see God show up in certain situations and in our circumstances. In Scripture, Elijah called fire down from heaven and all of God's enemies scattered. Then he ran into the desert and was tormented and depressed and asking for God's presence. Even after he saw God's miracles.

 

We saw God's miracle in our lives with our adoption of our son and we were blown away by God's faithfulness. My wife especially had struggled with doubts about herself and how we couldn't have children naturally even after God had brought us the miracle of adoption. She felt God bring a peace into her heart. She felt God telling her that she didn't have to worry, or answer every question but her job was just to let hope in.

Letting hope in brings freedom, brings life and brings healing even if it's not the way you thought it would be. She told me about that encounter she had with God, and that led to this song. The song is very personal as I sing "I speak to barrenness." How many people come to church with torments in their hearts and minds? They don't have hope. The words of the song are like a command to speak to the things that are tormenting and holding me back because we have the resurrection authority inside of us to command life within. If we as the Church and the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of God can grasp letting hope invade every situation in our lives, hope will break down every wall and conquer every circumstance, even in the midst of all of our struggles, doubts and pain. Our sin is defeated. I felt like God was telling me that this song can bring freedom and healing to people. God can't help but bring miracles into people's lives.
 

 

Daniel Bashta's songs are all musically layered with his explosive, raw vocal interpretation which are suited for corporate worship and are a full-tilt revelation of God's presence. I am very impressed by this album and it is already in heavy rotation for me in my personal time of worship and reflection. The song "I Want It All (Just Give Me Jesus)" is one of the best expressions of faith and devotion I've ever experienced and sends tingles down my spine as I lose myself in prayer and adoration of my Savior. 

 

Daniel has taken the next step forward in establishing his unique brand of vulnerable, sincere and gourmet worship songwriting. If you like the charismatic worship artists Jesus Culture and Jeremy Riddle and Bashta's hit song "Like A Lion," then don't miss out on The Invisible. The album is loaded with meaningful and moving songs for the Church.

 

"Let Hope In" is very convicting and a sobering reminder that God brings trials to remind us how much we need Him. This song and album also give many glimpses of the authentic reality of life and our experiences, good and bad.  Things don't go as we want or even how we pray for God to work in our lives. I am very moved by this song. I find myself raising my hands in worship and then I'm compelled to reach out horizontally to help show others the love of Jesus.

 

This song is filled with the Truth that as Christians, we need to have full reliance on God to deal with the struggles of life. The song perfectly expresses that sentiment and you can sing along at the top of your lungs: "So let hope in, Open up your walls, Hope conquers all, There goes all my doubts, There goes all my pain, On that day You rose again, Sin no longer stains, There goes all my questioning, There goes all my fears, On that day of reckoning, Hope has reappeared." Amen.

 

(Here's the lyrics video.)