I have so many favourite worship songs, that it was very hard to just pick 5, but I found it so good and quite interesting to dig a little deeper and really look at what these 5 songs mean to me that I chose. As my faith started to grow more and more, I started to realise just how the things I was previously listening to with secular music, was affecting me mentally. A few of the things that I absolutely love about worship music, is that it’s filled with the love of God. The lyrics are so powerful, they are a reminder of just how much God loves us, how good and faithful He is and I always find worship music so uplifting, positive and it makes me feel so good. I love popping on a playlist during my quiet time with God and singing along, praising God, lifting my arms up in the air as I remember all that He has done throughout my life and all that He is doing and will do.
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5
I am so excited to have collaborated with David Barton on this post. You can check out his website here and you can also find David over on Instagram, his Insta feed is filled with so many wonderful and beautiful photos. Together we have each chosen 5 of our favourite worship songs that really mean something to us. At the bottom of this post you can find the songs on Spotify to listen to.
We would love to know in the comments what some of your favourite worship songs are?
5 Worship Songs Which Mean Something To Me
The Heart Of Worship
David – In the early 2000s, there was a big debate in churches about what worship actually was. Many of us were concerned that worship had become little more than a performance. I had a book which compared church to the theatre. It described the way in which, just like the theatre, as you arrived, you were given a programme and shown to your seat. The audience then waited in hushed expectation for the show to begin and the main star (the preacher) to appear on the stage. ‘Nightclub worship’, fresh expressions’ and ‘cafe church’ were buzzwords of the time.
It was about this time that Matt Redman’s song The Heart of Worship was gaining popularity. Like many good worship songs, it presents a challenge. It’s not just a challenge for worship, but for our whole lives. If we searched our hearts and stripped away everything in our lives that wasn’t needed, what would be left with? God calls us to simply come, and he accepts us just as we are. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” (Psalm 95:6 ESV)
Way Maker
Clementine – I remember when I first heard this worship song, the first thing that really stood out to me was the lyrics, “Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who You are.” This song reminded me of God’s promises, His goodness and faithfulness, that with all I may be going through, He is with me, and when I felt like giving up, it was a reminder that He is always working, even when we can’t see it or feel it. “Even when I don’t see it, You’re working, Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working, You never stop, You never stop working, You never stop, You never stop working”
God makes a way, He makes a way when there seems to be no way, He makes the impossible, possible. (Matthew 19:26.) A while back I was left feeling so broken, I felt so heartbroken, hurt, rejected, disappointed and used and I felt so much shame and regret. I felt so lost. But it was in that moment when I was feeling at my most broken self, that God met me right there. I was filled with so much anxiety, fear and worry, but God was working, and what I felt couldn’t get better, it did, it got so much better. God brought me closer and closer to Him, He made me see that this wasn’t the end, that He had so much more in store, but I needed to surrender, I needed to put my full trust in Him and I needed to put God first at all times. God can turn our heartbreak, our disappointment, all the hurt that we are feeling, and turn it into so much peace and joy. In that moment I realised that what I was going through, also became a season of growing and learning, and making my faith stronger. Throughout tough and difficult seasons throughout my life and including this one, a verse that I come back to in the Bible is from Genesis 50:20, that God turns all things to good. The things that come to try us, that leave us feeling so broken, God takes that and He uses it and turns it for good. (Romans 8:28.)
This song is a reminder that God will always make a way, that God works miracles, He keeps His promises and He is our light in the darkness, guiding our way, and no darkness will overcome it.
I Give You Now
David – I’ll admit that there have been plenty of times in my life when I’ve been what you might call a “part-time, lopsided Christian”. For many years, for me, being a Christian was about going to church. I was a Christian for a few hours each Sunday, but led a largely secular life the rest of the time. But, God calls us to be Christians 24/7, 365 days a year, forever.
I love these verses from Matthew’s Gospel: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). They’re mirrored in this song by Amy Rose which I have always loved. It’s subtitled ‘Go’, and the chorus begins simply “Go! Go into the world”. In many ways, it’s such a simple calling, but my goodness, isn’t it challenging? I always pray that I can live out God’s word in every part of my life, to simply take the message everywhere I go.
Graves Into Gardens
Clementine – Following on from the song above, that moment when I surrendered, when I just gave everything to God and I put my full trust in Him, it was during that time that I was filled with so much peace and strength, and I could see past all of the hurt that I was feeling. All of that fog that had clouded my mind so I couldn’t think straight, started to lift and things became so much clearer. I got straight into God’s Word, His truth and His promises, I stopped myself from listening to the enemies lies that were filling my mind and I let my mind be filled with God’s truth, who He says I am, that His promises are also for me and a verse that I absolutely love became one that really spoke to me and still does, from Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
For me, this is a song that reminds me of all that God has done throughout my life and continues to do, how He has helped me, brought me through the difficult times, how He has turned my life around and how He works miracles, and only God can do this. When we look at all of the wonderful miracles God did throughout the Bible, God’s miracles were not only for the people in the Bible, but they are also for us too.
“You turn mourning to dancing, You give beauty for ashes, You turn shame into glory, You’re the only one who can. You turn graves into gardens, You turn bones into armies, You turn seas into highways, You’re the only one who can, You’re the only one who can”
The lyrics to the song are also a reminder that nothing that this world offers can truly satisfy and fill us, only God can do this. The things that this world offers can seem like they will bring happiness and satisfy us, but they are only temporary, whereas what God gives us is eternal. Which is why He gave us His greatest gift, Jesus. Jesus came to save, to heal, to help, to give us hope and for us to know how truly loved we are, and that through Him we can spend eternity with our father in heaven. (1 John 1:9.)
“Then You came along, And put me back together, And every desire is now satisfied, Here in Your love”
God picked up every tiny little piece of me that was broken and put me back together. And it’s in His love where I feel happiness, I am filled with His strength (Philippians 4:13) and through Him I have hope. I put my full trust in Him and I know that He will guide me, protect me and be with me always.
And as the lyrics go, “Oh there’s nothing better than You, There’s nothing better than You, Lord there’s nothing, nothing is better than You.”
The Power of the Cross
David – I think that as Christians we can underestimate the power of the cross. We mainly associate the cross with Good Friday. During the season of Lent and Easter, many churches have wooden crosses outside in their grounds, which are quickly put away into storage once the season has passed. Even in the earliest chapters of Luke’s Gospel, we’re given hints as to what would happen to Jesus (Luke 3:20, 6: 11 etc.) It’s like a film where you know something bad is going to happen! Luke was actually pretty good at building tension.
This is a powerful song and it lays bare the grim reality of Jesus’ death. I don’t think it’s an easy listen, and neither should it be. But, it’s also a powerful song of hope, saying “oh, to see my name written in the wounds, for through Your suffering I am free”. That’s an amazing thing not to just celebrate at Easter, but all year round: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16 NRSV).
Battle Belongs
Clementine – For far too long, throughout most of my life, I tried to do things my own way, I tried to fix problems myself and I didn’t look to God. And every time when I tried to fix things myself, or looked to other people, it always ended up in tears and definitely not the outcome I wanted.
When I mentioned above about surrendering everything to God, that literally means everything. And it’s something that I do daily too. Whatever emotion I may be feeling, whatever problem I may be facing and whatever situation I may be in, I give it all to God, I hand over every single little and big thing over to Him, as soon as I wake up in the morning, throughout the day and when I go to bed at night. And God’s peace that fills me is truly amazing. As Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” He wants to help, for us to not carry everything ourselves, for us to be filled with His strength and His peace and to know that He will help us, He will guide us and that the battle belongs to Him. (John 14:27.)
“When all I see is the battle, You see my victory, when all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved, and as I walk through the shadow, Your love surrounds me, there’s nothing to fear now, for I am safe with You.”
Whatever I face, straight away I take it to God, I take it to God in prayer and I ask for His help, for Him to guide me and to let Him take control of the situation. (2 Corinthians 12:19.) And I have seen God’s miracles, not only in other people’s lives, but also in mine. When I give that situation, that problem to God, His peace fills me and each time He brings me through, He has answered prayers and I have seen His healing. God provides, He gives us what He knows we need and He delivers. And the lyrics to this song remind me of all of that and that God is so good, and no matter what we may be facing, God has got this.
“So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high, oh God the battle belongs to You, and every fear I lay at Your feet, I’ll sing through the night, oh God the battle belongs to You”
Great is the Lord!
David – I have always loved this song, but it’s a special one to me because of one line: “Lord I want to thank you, for the works you’ve done in my life”. We’ve all been through rough periods in our lives, and at times like those, it can be hard to hold on to the good things. I see it daily in our world, a media which thrives on bad news and gossip. Ironically, good news just doesn’t seem to sell. But even now, in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, there is so much good happening around us. We have so much to be thankful for, and so much to thank God for.
One of the things I pray daily is to thank God for bringing me this far. All the times when I’ve wanted to give up, He’s kept me going, and He’s never left me. I am so thankful for all God has done for me in my life so far, and for all that is yet to come. He is a great God! This song is based on Psalm 48, and I think these verses in the psalm are something we can really hold onto: “There are so many reasons to describe God as wonderful! So many reasons to praise him with unlimited praise!” (Psalm 48:1 TPT).
No Longer Slaves
Clementine – If you asked me what my most favourite worship song was, I think it would definitely be this one. And I absolutely love singing along to it. Fear is something that is so easy to feel, and it’s also something that can consume us.
As I mentioned above about when I would try to sort things out myself rather that look to God, in the past my immediate reaction to when things wasn’t going as I had planned or hoped, and everything around me came crashing down, my first response was how can I fix this, my mind would start racing with all the things I could do to sort this mess out, my emotions would be all over the place, I would end up saying things that I would later regret, doing things I would later regret and the only voice I was listening to and taking notice of was my own, which was being filled with the enemies lies and the fear, panic and worry that the enemy was feeding me.
Although it can still be a struggle sometimes, because my immediate reaction to things is that I want to sort this out now and my old ways try to kick in. But now I remember God’s Word, His truth. I pray, I ask God for His help and for His guidance. And I remember that God is in control, I put my full trust in Him, I pray for His strength and peace and I thank Him. (Philippians 4:6.) I no longer feel afraid because I know that God is in control. When I was younger death really did scare me a lot. But I’m not scared of that anymore because I know what God promises us.
But it’s definitely taken me many many years to change my way of thinking, to trust, believe and accept God’s truth. But when we do, we can have a life filled with peace, joy, strength and a life free from fear.
Although the world is filled with so much darkness, so much evil, hatred, corruption, negativity and so much more, there is also so much good. I want God’s will for my life, to always follow Jesus and to not follow what everyone else is doing because that’s what everyone else is doing and thinks is right, I will always do what I am guided and led to do by God, because I trust Him, and I will always put my trust in Him and not in man. (Psalm 118:8.) He is in control and He is so faithful and so good. With God, there is no need to fear the things in this world. (Psalm 118:6.) Fear does not come from God and I will always choose faith over fear. (Joshua 1:9.)
“I am surrounded, by the arms of the Father, I am surrounded, by songs of deliverance
We’ve been liberated, from our bondage, we’re the sons and the daughters, let us sing our freedom
You split the sea, so I could walk right through it, my fears are drowned in perfect love, you rescued me, and I will stand and sing, I am a child of God.”
This worship song is such a wonderful reminder that with God, we have nothing to fear in this world, because God is our protection, (2 Thessalonians 3:3) our ever-present help in trouble, (psalm 46:1) He is our strength, (Isaiah 41:10) He will never leave us (Deuteronomy 31:6) and we are daughters and sons of the Most High King. (2 Corinthians 6:18.)
What a Faithful God
David – Some of the darkest times in my life, when I’ve felt at my most broken, have been when I’ve felt God’s presence the strongest: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4 NRSV). Amidst everything, God has always remained faithful. Even the times when I’ve gone my own way, seeking the things of this world, He has always been there to welcome me back to Him, arms outstretched. As this song says, God is faithful in every way. It calls us to tell of His great love for as long as we live: “But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, he united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by his wonderful grace!” (Ephesians 2:4-5 TPT). What a faithful God have we.
Who You Say I am
Clementine – So many times I have felt not good enough, that I can’t do this, that I’m all the things who this person said I am, that I am my past, my mistakes and I was holding on to all the shame and regret, the hurt, the things that people have done to me. My mind was constantly filled with all of this, I was believing all the lies of the enemy.
“Free at last, He has ransomed me, His grace runs deep, while I was a slave to sin, Jesus died for me, yes He died for me
Who the Son sets free, oh is free indeed, I’m a child of God, yes I am, In my Father’s house, there’s a place for me, I’m a child of God, yes I am”
When I hear this worship song it reminds me to think about my true identity, my identity in Christ and that I am a daughter of God. Jesus came to save, He came for the lost, the broken, the sick and to save us from our sinful ways. We are made new and we are a new creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17.) We are not our mistakes, we are not our past, we are not all the things that that person said we are, we are who God says we are. God knew you before your earthly parents knew you, (Jeremiah 1:5) you are made in His image, (Genesis 1:27) you are fearfully and wonderfully made, (Psalm 139:14) you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13.) and God knows the plans that He has for you, and they are plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11.)
“I am chosen, not forsaken, I am who You say I am, You are for me, not against me, I am who You say I am”
When I knew I’m who God says I am, when I read His Word, His truth, it really changed how I saw and felt about myself. I was able to fill my mind with God’s truth, to throw away all of the enemies lies, and to let go of the past, to let go of all the shame, regret, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness that I had held on to for so long. I was able to fully see God’s goodness, His faithfulness, and I was able to forgive those throughout my life who have hurt me and I was able to forgive myself. When I gave my life to Jesus and when I truly knew my true identity, it changed everything.
I pray that you will know and remember just how loved you are and that whatever you may be going through, God’s got this. He never stops working, He loves you with an ever-lasting love, He is your strength, your protection, your help and He is with you always. I also pray that you will always remember who God says you are, you are a son and daughter of God, you are a wonderful, amazing and beautiful child of God and you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.
I really hope that you have enjoyed finding out what some of our favourite worship songs are. You can find the playlist to listen to them below. Don’t forget to let us know what some of your favourite worship songs are in the comments below.
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