Having written Behind-The-Song devotional articles for the past fifteen years, I’m often drawn to songs that challenge me to grow in my faith and to allow the Holy Spirit, as Romans 8:11 puts it, “to cast the light of life into our mortal bodies.” I’m often drawn to worship songs that challenge me to grow in my faith.
The core of our faith as Christians is in John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the only way. Despite what secular culture tells us, all roads don't lead to heaven. It’s important to follow Jesus and boldly celebrate His triumph over sin.
Do you feel like you're growing in your faith? God wants us to keep growing spiritually and turn away from our old ways. In this article, I list worship songs that can help you deepen your connection with the divine and grow spiritually. These songs reflect the peace we receive when we don't rely on our own understanding but wholly trust in the ability of Jesus to lift us—no matter our circumstances. Jesus calls us to depend on Him and the power of His resurrection to remember that He has overcome death and fear. These worship songs echo the traits listed in Galatians 5:22-23, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Lift your gaze to God and entrust Him with your faith and hope. Listen to these musical prayers of submission and ask for God's help and comfort to draw closer to Him.
Shane & Shane - “Psalm 90 (Satisfy Us with Your Love)”
“Psalm 90” is a personal testimony to the power of redemption. It’s a stirring anthem about what it means to have hope in Christ. The song is one of my daily devotional prayers of thankfulness to God for showing me grace and forgiveness, despite my flaws. We serve a loving and merciful God who accepts us as we are, not who we pretend to be. God's mercy is not based on our actions but is poured out daily. Trusting in Jesus is the only way.
Sometimes it is difficult to comprehend that God loves us and desires to fill our hearts with love. He knows our brokenness inside and out, and because of what Jesus did on the cross, He sees us as righteous. God sees us as He sees His Son. It's not our righteousness, appearance, talent, or gifting; it is just Jesus. That gives us cause to remember and sing out to Him: “The wrath of God poured out for sin/On Jesus crucified Consider Him our hiding place/Our shelter is alive/Because He lived and died for us/When the sun comes up satisfy us/Before the day has passed us by/Before our hearts forget all your goodness/Satisfy us with your love."
Rend Collective – “Hallelujah Anyway”
“Hallelujah Anyway” reminds me not to worry about things I can’t change or control. I recently had the privilege to sing this song with the band in person after going through a significant mental health crisis—stress, anxiety, fear, worry, and trauma—involving changing jobs. When the band sang, “Even if I’m lost, I know I’m found,” I felt the presence of God relieve my anxiety and worry. This song is on many of my mindfulness playlists and provides me with comfort and music therapy. I connect with the song's opening lyrics: “I’ll find a way to praise You/From the bottom of my broken heart.”
We need something to bring. Jesus is a man of sorrows and acquainted with our grief. When we kneel before God, like Job, raising our empty hands, we are closest to Him (the Hebrew word 'bless' literally means "to kneel"). This is a gift He wants all of His children to have. What a blessing and promise to know that He makes beauty out of our ashes. That's worthy of all our praise. I have adopted the anthem as my daily prayer: “I hear a hymn of triumph/In the wilderness of my lament/In the lowlands or the mountain tops, I won’t forget/All that goodness that You have shown me/The promises that You have kept/There’s better days on the horizon up ahead.” Amen to that.
Bethel Music – “Holy Forever”
Nothing we have been given is more valuable than our salvation. “Holy Forever” makes me reflect on how much Jesus endured for His bride, the Church, to purchase us from the grave. This song is a foretaste of that beautiful ending that we are all running toward as we finish the race set before us. Worship is about giving God our best, offering all of ourselves to Him. He created us to worship Him. When you abide in His grace, you won’t be the same. His grace takes away anxiety, guilt, and shame. Know that being His is enough. This is an incredible song for the Church and a beautiful picture of our hope in Christ.
When we give ourselves to the Lord and bless Him, He overwhelms us with love and mercy. Jesus commands us to trust God's Word completely, regardless of circumstances, personal distractions, or concerns. The chorus is a heart's cry with a fantastic reminder: “Hear Your people sing holy/And to the King of kings, holy/And You will always be holy/Holy forever/You will always be holy/Holy forever.” Amen to that.
TAYA – “For All My Life”
“For All My Life” encourages us to see ourselves as God sees us. Too often, we get wrapped up in our circumstances and get down on ourselves with negative thoughts, allowing the enemy to define self-worth. He has a voice and speaks to us, but God's Agape Love speaks louder. Jesus died on the cross to free us from the battle of our minds, from sin and death, and He wants us to have abundant life in Him. What a wonderful, encouraging truth.
This song has a great redemption message: Grace is an unmerited favor and a gift. When you abide in His grace, you won't be the same. Know that being His is enough: “Some days are long/some work is tough.” And by leaning on His understanding, the lyrics attest, “Whatever I lack/You make it up.” Join contemporary artist TAYA in expressing total surrender to God’s plan in the moving chorus: “I won’t lean on/My own/Understanding/I will let go/Follow/Empty handed/You say Your yoke is easy/You say Your burden’s light/So I’ll let You/Lead me/For all my life.” Amen to that.
Phil Wickham – “Battle Belongs”
“Battle Belongs” gives me much joy; my heartbeat is to please the Lord. I love songs that allow me to have fun and praise God simultaneously, and this song certainly does that. I enjoy how my love of fun, uplifting music, and biblical truth is perfectly married in this song.
God wants us to know that He's faithful to complete what He's started in all of us who've put our hope and trust in Jesus for our salvation. The Lord is more significant than any calamity that we experience in this world. He blesses us during our trials and uses them to remind us to rely on Him. This song represents our victory over battles by trusting that God goes before us and wins, regardless of earthly outcomes. Remember that if God is for us, who can be against us? We can confidently lift our hands to God and know His mercy is unfailing.
The song reminds us that our circumstances don't define our joy. Our position in Christ and His unending faithfulness is worthy of our gratitude and adoration. A sincere desire to experience God’s presence can be heard in this instant classic. You’ll want to exclaim: “When all I see are the ashes/You see the beauty/Thank You, God/When all I see is a cross/God, You see the еmpty tomb." Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time Christian music fan and an avid collector. He credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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