My Favorite Worship Songs…and why.

Good Morning, sweet friends! Meeting you here on Palm Sunday with a post that’s been on my heart for a while now. Today I’m sharing my favorite worship songs, how each one helps me daily and how we even ended up here. I have quite a few posts similar to this sitting on my heart and I’m hoping that this one opens the doors a bit for me to write more about my faith journey. It’s always such a vulnerable topic and one that I was never sure that I’d write about because after all this was a lifestyle blog. The fact is that being a Christian is so woven into my life that it feels weird NOT to write about it at this point. I’m starting with worship music because that’s where a pivotal change occurred.

Two years ago with a newborn baby in my arms I resorted to Spotify for some sort of rendition of Amazing Grace to play for Lawson to lull her to sleep. I sang Amazing Grace to both of my babies, but Lawson was such a stinker to put down (no shocker there, right?! 🙂 that I would get hoarse from signing it so much in an effort to get her down. Chris Tomlin’s version on Spotifiy became my new go-to at nap and bedtime for her and she ended up loving it. As I sat there rocking her, subsequent worship songs would play on Spotify and I found myself really tuning in. I would listen to them and smile, cry and pray over my sweet baby and feel my cup being filled as I affirmed the words I was listening to. That time in the chair became my favorite time of the day and slowly but surely I began to seek these songs throughout my day to readjust my sights and set them back on God.

I didn’t grow up listening to worship music (in fact, I can probably recite any and every rap song that was made between 1994-2010 back to you word for word on demand), but it began to change my life in the most gentle way. I was in a crazy phase of life…newborn baby, pending move across the country and knowing that I needed to give more to get more out of my faith. Often times I found myself wanting and needing to pray but literally didn’t know where to start. That’s when I turned the worship music on and it was the most beautiful and easy form of prayer and signing the words was such an affirmation of my faith throughout the day, keeping my sights set on the Lord and really readjusting my perspective. It always fills my cup and I’m truly so so thankful to have opened my heart to it. Now it’s all I play in the car (if you have sirius radio “The Message” is our favorite channel) and let me tell you there’s nothing like hearing your babies sing it from the back seat. I’m also SO thankful to have found a Church where worship music and these songs are a huge part of our service.

Over the years on Instagram, I’ve been sharing little clips of me rocking a sleeping Lawson girl with whatever worship song we are listening to playing in the background. It’s always something that you guys seem to like and also always followed by tons of questions asking about songs, playlists and the music as a whole…which is where the idea of this post came from. If you are feeling like you want a little something extra, want to pray more throughout the day or are just in a rough spot, listen to these songs. No matter what’s going wrong (or right) about my day, I always welcome being uplifted by the words. Here’s my current favorite worship playlist, the lyrics that really hit home for each and a link to listen to each. I’ve also created a Spotify playlist if you want to subscribe to it.

Crowns | Hillsong Worship

‘My wealth is in the cross There’s nothing more I want Than just to know His love My heart is set on Christ And I will count all else as loss The greatest of my crowns Mean nothing to me now For I counted up the cost And all my wealth is in the cross’

Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in what everyone else has…money, things and possessions. This songs always refocuses me when I start counting what I DON’T have and shows me what I DO have…eternal salvation because Jesus died for us on the cross.

Do it Again | Elevation Worship

“Your promise still stands Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness I’m still in Your hands This is my confidence, You’ve never failed me yet”

If you are going through a rough time this is such a great one to remember that the Lord is always faithful. He’s never failed you before and won’t fail you this time—keep the faith.

Reckless Love | Cory Asbury

“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Verse 2 When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me You have been so, so good to me When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me. You have been so, so kind to me.”

This entire song wrecks me. It’s all about the never ending pursuit and overwhelming love of God…

Who You Say I Am | Hillsong Worship

“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’m feeling misunderstood or unworthy—this is the absolute best song to recenter my focus. The Lord is the only one who can say who I am.

Known | Taureen  Wells

“It’s hard truth and ridiculous grace To be known fully known and loved by You I’m fully known and loved by You”

It’s so reassuring and beautiful to be fully known by the Lord—regardless of your phase of life.

So Will I | Hillsong United

“If the stars were made to worship so will I If the mountains bow in reverence so will I If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I For if everything exists to lift You high so will I”

I love how this song backs out and looks at the big magnificent picture and how absolutely divine creation is.

Build My Life | Pat Barrett 

“Worthy of every song we could ever sing Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe We live for You”

Stand in You Love | Josh Baldwin

‘When darkness tries to roll over my bones When sorrow comes to steal the joy I own When brokenness and pain is all I know I won’t be shaken, I won’t be shaken Chorus My fear doesn’t stand a chance When I stand in Your love’

I know that when I’m grounded in the love of Christ, nothing else stands a chance…

Control | Tenth Avenue North

“God, You don’t need me, but somehow You want me Oh, how You love me, somehow that frees me To take my hands off of my life and the way it should go Oh, God, You don’t need me, but somehow You want me Oh, how You love me, somehow that frees me To open my hands up and give You control I give You control”

I love how this one talks about giving up control to the Lord, which is such a freeing and beautiful thing. It all unfolds perfectly thereafter.

Hills and Valleys | Taureen Wells

“No matter what I have, Your grace is enough No matter where I am, I’m standing in Your love On the mountains, I will bow my life To the one who set me there In the valley, I will lift my eyes to the one who sees me there When I’m standing on the mountain aft, didn’t get there on my own When I’m walking through the valley end, no I am not alone! You’re God of the hills and valleys! Hills and Valleys! God of the hills and valleys And I am not alone!”

Only Jesus | Casting Crowns

“Make it count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself Dream your dreams, chase your heart, above all else Make a name the world remembers But all an empty world can sell is empty dreams I got lost in the lie that it was up to me To make a name the world remembers But Jesus is the only name to remember”

When it’s really easy to get caught up in your career or your social media or whatever it may be…listen to this song. I hope to live this life not to make a name for myself but to glorify the name of the Lord.

Counting Every Blessing | Rend Collective

‘I am counting every blessing Counting every blessing Surely every season You are good to me”

I love listening this as a pick me up, regardless of if I’m having a good or bad day because I know that I’ve been so blessed regardless and He is good to me in every season.

Christ Be All Around Me | I like this version by All Sons and Daughters

“Above and below me Before and behind me In every eye that sees me Christ be all around me”

Nobody Loves Me Like You | Chris Tomlin

“Nobody loves me like You love me Jesus I stand in awe of Your amazing ways I worship You as long as I am breathing God, You are faithful and true Nobody loves me like You”

I created a Spotify playlist called “SYS Worship 2019” and you are welcome to subscribe to it. I’ll add songs to it as I find new ones that I love. Here’s the desktop link: SYS Worship 2019 on Spotify

I hope that this post was a bit of sunshine during your day and that you have a blessed Holy Week. I also want to say that I know and appreciate that we all come here from different points of life and religious backgrounds. If these posts aren’t what you’re here for, I ask for you to gracefully skip over them. It’s been on my heart to incorporate a bit more about my faith journey on the blog because this platform is one of the biggest blessings in my life and if I’m not using it to glorify to Lord—what am I even using it for then? I’d love to hear more faith based topics that you are interested in…