In 2018, churches and believers around the world celebrated the release of Hillsong Worship's most recent album, There is More, which was one of my top worship albums of that year. If you haven't already, don't miss out on this incredible worship album. It, in fact, serves as a follow-up to their standout worship album, Let There Be Light, which featured their popular, Grammy-winning song, "What a Beautiful Name."
 
I have consistently been blessed by each album from Hillsong Worship, with their staples "Mighty to Save," "Hosanna," "Stronger," "Forever Reign," "Cornerstone," "Hope of the World," "God is Able," "This I Believe (The Creed)," "What a Beautiful Name" and "Who You Say I Am." Each and every song has been sung at church worship services worldwide, putting the Word of God into the minds, mouths, and hearts of Christians everywhere. I had the chance to speak with Hillsong worship leader Aodhan King about "Touch of Heaven," another God-inspired song from There is More.
 
Please tell me the personal story behind the song.

"Touch of Heaven" has become one of my favorite songs I've ever written. I think it's because of the journey of how it came to be. We started the song about four years ago, while working on a Young & Free record. We ended up not using it for that album. And then as we were finishing There is More, Brooke [Ligertwood] asked me if I had any songs that I was working on. We ended up recording it live the next day. 

It is a really special song. It's almost a prayer for me. I wanted a piece that expressed my desire to experience and know God more. Growing up in church and getting involved in writing songs, I found myself going at a rapid pace and wanting to take time and reflect on knowing God more deeply. 

I was in a writing session for another song, "Pursue," which I wrote with the same people who did "Touch of Heaven." I remember discussing that we sing songs about being desperate for God and pursuing Him. And, with, "Pursue," we talked about including lyrics that express the steps to getting closer to God, and a description of worshiping Him and being in His presence. "Touch of Heaven" is kind of like a part two after "Pursue." We sing about pursuing God. And this song is about being desperate for a corporate touch of heaven in a worship setting.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Philippians  3:8 (VOICE): "And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday's garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it's nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him."

Psalm 139:1-10 (NKJV): "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me."

Psalm 139:17-18 (NKJV): "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You."

Psalm 139:14 (NKJV): "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV): "I am God's workmanship, created in Christ unto good works."

What is the takeaway message?

To know God and to be known by Him is literally the heart cry that we all have--even those who don't know Jesus yet. We all have this longing to be known. We all are searching for acceptance. We are all in pursuit of what a lot of us know: We are seeking Jesus, but people still don't know Him yet personally. "Touch of Heaven" is a devotional, written as a worshipful response to wanting to be in the presence of God. 

As a worship team, we're in a big church. And, we're in church a lot. And, sometimes familiarity and routine of going to church can get in the way of going deeper with Him. This song intends to help us go that much deeper with the Lord. Together, let's take the effort to know Him more deeply. 

There are layers to going deeper with the Lord. And, there's always something fresh and new that God has for us when we're in His presence. As we draw closer to God, He will draw closer to us. We want to know Him more and that's when those layers unfold for us. Being undone is my favorite lyric in the song. We're so quick to think we've discovered things, and think we know things, and being undone is about being unraveled every time we're in God's presence.

Lyrics:
How I live for the moments
Where I'm still in Your presence
All the noise dies down
Lord, speak to me now
You have all my attention
I will linger and listen
I can't miss a thing
 
Lord, I know my heart wants more of You
My heart wants something new
So I surrender all
 
All I want is to live within Your love
Be undone by who You are
My desire is to know You deeper
Lord, I will open up again
Throw my fears into the wind
I am desperate for a touch of heaven
 
You're the fire in the morning
You're the cool in the evening
The breath in my soul
Oh, the life in my bones
There is no hesitation
In Your love and affection
It's the sweetest of all
 
Lord, I know my heart wants more of You
My heart wants something new
So I surrender all
 
All I want is to live within Your love
Be undone by who You are
My desire is to know You deeper
Lord, I will open up again
Throw my fears into the wind
I am desperate for a touch of heaven
 
I'll open up my heart to You
I'll open up my heart to You now
So do what only You can
Jesus, have Your way in me now
I'll open up my heart to You
I'll open up my heart to You now
So do what only You can
Jesus, have Your way in me now
I'll open up my heart to You
I'll open up my heart to You now
So do what only You can
Jesus, have Your way in me now
 
All I want is to live within Your love
Be undone by who You are
My desire is to know You deeper
Lord, I will open up again
Throw my fears into the wind
I am desperate for a touch of heaven
 
All I want is to live within Your love
Be undone by who You are
My desire is to know You deeper
Lord, I will open up again
Throw my fears into the wind
I am desperate for a touch of heaven

Closing Thoughts

"Touch of Heaven" stirs my heart into an immediate state of worship and takes it up a notch with the Brit-rock guitar riffs. This is one of my favorite songs of the year. I can't get enough of the Biblical truth of the song, and I love when artists take Gods' Word from the Bible and turn it into a great and catchy song filled with truth. I sing this song to God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.
 
Daily, we're presented with the choices of how to use our time, lifestyle choices, pursuit of riches, living for today not knowing what tomorrow has in store for us, and questioning our loneliness and looking for meaning. You can take comfort in these words from Philippians 3: "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."
 
Maybe we expect something in return instead of recognizing that nothing compares to the greatness of knowing Jesus. God's thoughts and love for us are deep, such as cannot be known. We cannot think how many mercies we have received from Him. As the Lord knows us thoroughly, and we are strangers to ourselves, we should earnestly desire and pray to be searched and proved by His Word and Spirit. There is great comfort in knowing Jesus and being known by Him in every detail of our lives. That's what this song is about, and how we can experience a "Touch of Heaven."
 
Faith is when we are empty of ourselves and filled with Him and His Holy Spirit. This song is all about trusting in God, confessing to Him and others when you fail or are clinging onto pride in your accomplishments. Lay those at the feet of Jesus and He'll take them from you and release you from that burden. I love singing this song of faith to Jesus and proclaiming, "I open up my heart to You now, do what only You can, Jesus have Your way in me now." Amen to that.