I’m sure most people have listened to a song and thought to themselves, “I felt that”, right? It’s almost like that song was speaking to exactly what you were going through. My wife Blakely and I were laughing at a meme we saw the other day that had the lyrics of an Avril Lavigne song above a teenage girl laying face up in a puddle in a rainstorm that said “14 year old me.” We laughed and laughed at the thought of her and her teenage friends relating to this after a sad middle school breakup. But really, isn’t that the beauty of music? It seems that we can always find the right lyrics or melodies that meet us right where we are.

There is something special that happens when we gather in worship. People from all walks of life come together, each with their own unique situations. Some who just celebrated the birth of a child, some who just got a promotion at work, some who rejoice in the marriage of their child and some who just lost a loved one, who just received a bad diagnosis, or lost a job. Although we all come in holding onto life’s celebrations and challenges, we gather with a unified purpose--to lift up the name of Jesus! Because of the abundant grace and forgiveness given to us through Him, no matter what we are going through we have a reason to sing and give thanks to God.

We read in the Psalms the many songs of David--songs of praise, songs of lament, songs of God’s love and salvation. David had quite the way with words to express what he was feeling or what he was going through. His songs were more than just a journal to spill out his emotions. They were a canvas painted with the nature of God, an illustration of His desired relationship with his creation, and reminders of His sovereignty over all things. Although we don’t sing these psalms the way they were intended to be sung, the Church (universal) continues to create and center new songs around them as a reminder of who God is and all that He’s done for us. In corporate worship we strive to sing songs saturated with the truth of God’s Word that reveal His character, His promises and His work of salvation so that we can be in right relationship with Him. We sing songs that speak to a variety of emotions and struggles that we face, but the overall theme helps point us to the Living God!

I want to offer you a list of songs that we worship through together that I hope will help speak to your current situation whether good, not so good, or just flat out awful. As you listen to these I encourage you to always listen to and sing them from a posture of praise. Remember the words of Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”; a truth that is unshakeable and is above anything that we experience in this world!

Songs of Praise: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.”--Psalm 150:6
We Praise You - Brandon Lake
Praise the King - Corey Voss
Grateful - Elevation Worship
Hallelujah for the Cross - Chris McClarney
O Praise the Name - Hillsong Worship
Raise a Hallelujah - Bethel Music
Great Are You Lord - All Sons and Daughters
Yes I Will - Vertical Worship

Songs of Hope: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”--Romans 15:13
Living Hope - Bethel Music
Won’t Stop Now - Elevation Worship
Fill This Place - Red Rocks Worship
Good Grace - Hillsong United
Jesus I Need You - Hillsong Worship
King of My Heart - Bethel Music
Abba - Jonathan David Helser

Songs of Healing: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."--Revelation 21:4
Welcome the Healer - Passion
Whole Heart - Hillsong United
Place of Freedom - Highlands Worship
This is a Move - Brandon Lake
Heal Our Land - Kari Jobe
Anything Can Happen - Jesus Culture

Songs of God’s Love: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”--Ephesians 3:17-18
God You’re So Good - Passion
Stand in Your Love - Josh Baldwin
How Great is Your Love - Passion
How Beautiful - Mosaic MSC
How Deep the Father’s Love - Austin Stone Worship
Graves into Gardens - Elevation Worship

Songs of God’s Faithfulness: “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”--1 Corinthians 1:9
Do it Again - Elevation Worship
God of the Promise - Elevation Worship
This We Know - Passion
My Defense - Vertical Worship
May God Be Everywhere I Go - Mosaic MSC
Here Again - Elevation Worship
Another in the Fire - Hillsong United

Songs about the Gospel Story: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”--Romans 5:8
Overcome - Elevation Worship
Then He Rose - Elevation Worship
Man of Sorrows - Hillsong Worship
Cornerstone - Hillsong Worship
Death Was Arrested - North Point Worship
King of Kings - Hillsong Worship
Jesus You Alone - Highlands Worship
Undefeated - Celebration Music
What a Beautiful Name - Hillsong Worship

These are just a handful of the many many great songs written to draw us closer to Him. I pray that these songs would speak life into your situation and that above all you would seek Him first and praise Him through it all!

Love you all, Jackson

Jackson is the Contemporary Worship Leader to the community of saints, in Christ, at Nashville UMC.