LIfe is inevitably difficult. We face challenges that frequently test our resolve to move forward. However, when the going gets tough, we can turn to a number of things to help us continue. One of these is by listening to music, and another example is by putting our faith in God.
Well, what if we combine these two? Yes, that’s what we’re going to talk about today. In this article, we’ll list down some of the best Christian songs of encouragement that you should add to your playlist. So, whenever you’re feeling down, exhausted, and defeated, give these songs a listen.
Best Christian Songs of Encouragement
1. “Shoulders” by For King & Country
This song came from For King & Country’s Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong, and it’s the last one from the album. Luke Smallbone, one of the singers from the duo, said that albums are like books.
Sometimes, you end up writing ten or 11 chapters, but in the end, you’d still feel that something’s missing. So, when they were on tour with the Casting Crowns, they knew they needed one more song, and that’s when they wrote “Shoulders.”
Smallbone wrote this from a place of experience. He once battled ulcerative colitis which put his life in danger. He said that when things didn’t go his way, he just had one question to ask himself, “Where does my help come from?”
That’s why the chorus of the song goes,
“My help comes from You
You’re right here, pulling me through
You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness
All on Your shoulders”
2. “There Was Jesus” by Zach Williams
Zach Williams was originally part of a rock band called Zach Williams & The Reformation which lasted five years. In 2012, Williams left the group because of the lifestyle they were living. It was also around that time that he grew his faith in Christianity.
He said that when he looked back, he realized that God was with him all the time, even though he hasn’t been a devout Christian back in 2007 and years that followed. That’s why the lyrics go,
“Every time I tried to make it on my own
Every time I tried to start and start to fall
All the lonely roads that I have traveled on
There was Jesus”
It’s a song about knowing that God’s presence is always with us, which is why we shouldn’t fear the roads ahead of us.
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3. “Battle Belongs” by Phil Wickham
The entire message of this song is to let all of us know that if we stand firm and surrender all our worries and battles to Him, God will fight them for us because He’s bigger than our problems.
The idea for the song came about when Phil Wickham was calling Brian Johnson, one of the founders of Bethel Music. They were talking about song ideas when Johnson mentioned a phrase he saw once in a tattoo; “I fight on my knees.”
That’s when Wickham began writing the song “Battle Belongs,” and that’s also why the chorus goes,
“So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You”
4. “Overcomer” by Mandisa
“Overcomer” is a song from Mandisa’s album of the same name. It was written by Ben Glover, David Garcia, and Christopher Stevens who also work with other artists like Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton.
It’s one of Mandisa’s biggest hits and was nominated for the Best Contemporary Christian Music Song in the 2014 Grammy Awards. Additionally, Mandisa’s album Overcomer also won the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.
The song is reminding you that God will not let your problems be bigger than you and that you can overcome all of them because God is with you. We see this in the lyrics,
“Whatever it is you may be going through
I know He’s not gonna let it get the best of you
You’re an overcomer
Stay in the fight until the final round
You’re not going under
‘Cause God is holding you right now”
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5. “Greater” by MercyMe
This song is about believing that you are enough because the “Greater” one is inside of you. It was inspired by the frontman Bart Millard’s son who was suffering from stutters. He said that his son regularly encounters being made fun of which makes him feel down.
That’s when he reminds him that there’s something inside of him that makes him different, special, strong, and beautiful. He told his son that whenever he feels down or made fun of, he should instead set his mind on the God above.
6. “The God Who Stays” by Matthew West
Matthew West wrote this song sort of like a message to himself. That’s why the verses are in the first person. It starts out as though he’s having a conversation with God. He said that it came to him while his family was asleep already and he found himself wanting to play the piano.
While doing so, he heard God whisper to him that He’ll never leave him. He says that when he got that message, it inspired him to write a song. He was thinking about how he always falls short of perfection and how he always beats himself up for his mistakes.
“‘Cause I feel like I’m beyond repair
Oh, but somehow You don’t see me like I do
Somehow You’re still here
You’re the God who stays”
It’s a song about believing in yourself that you can make it through because God believes in you first.
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7. “You Are More” by Tenth Avenue North
The first few lines of this song start with a girl who was crying and was feeling ashamed. It then goes to say,
“I’m not who I once was
I’m crippled by the fear
That I’ve fallen too far to love”
However, the song continues to encourage the listener or the girl in the song that she is more than what she thinks she is, perhaps because of God and Christ’s sacrifice to save the world from sins. It encourages all of us to move forward despite our troubled pasts. That’s why the chorus goes,
“You are more than the choices that you’ve made
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You’ve been remade”
8. “Gold” by Britt Nicole
This song of encouragement is about knowing your worth. While “Gold” does not necessarily speak about Jesus or God, Britt Nicole is a Christian artist, and her works are regularly influenced by her faith.
Nicole said that fans would often come to her at her shows and talk to her about getting bullied, parents divorcing, eating disorders, and cutting themselves. She said that she sometimes experiences these things, too. So, she wrote this song to tell her listeners that they’re worth more than gold.
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9. “It Is Well With My Soul” by Mahalia Jackson
“God gave me four daughters, but they’ve been taken away from me. Someday I will understand why.” These are the words Anna Spafford said after she lost her daughters when the ship they were boarded on collided with another ship and sank in 1873.
She sent a telegram to her husband, Horatio, who immediately boarded a ship to be with her in England. Upon passing the spot where her daughters perished, he wrote the lines for “It Is Well With My Soul.” An artist by the name of Philip Bliss then used the lines to write this song, with one of the most popular renditions coming from Mahalia Jackson.
It’s a song about losing someone, yet trusting God’s plan to encourage yourself to keep going forward.
10. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas Chisholm
Thomas Chisholm wrote more than 1,200 poems and songs, with a majority of them about his Christian beliefs. He was a Methodist minister, but eventually had to resign because of his declining health. The title of this song came from the 23rd verse, third chapter of the Book of Lamentations in the Old Testament
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Chisholm wrote the text around these lines and sent them to William Ruyan who’s also a minister. Ruyan was the one who integrated music into the words. The song is basically about seeing God’s mercy in all of us, every day, providing us with everything we need. That’s more than enough to encourage us to live our lives in faith.
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11. “Thy Will” by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family
Love Remains is an album based on faith by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family, and “Thy Will” is its debut single. It talks about something that almost all believers and Christians go through, which is to question God.
Hillary said that the song aims to tell people that it’s totally fine and normal to have doubts about God, and that sometimes it’s really hard to be faithful. However, the song goes on to say that God’s plan is still and will always be the best one for all of us.
There might be times that we don’t fully understand what’s happening around us yet, but God sees the bigger picture. Because of that, we should all have the courage to strive through the hardships, and that someday, God will show us what our struggles meant.
12. “Holy Water” by We The Kingdom
We The Kingdom is a group of musicians who believe that God’s kingdom does not necessarily mean it’s up somewhere in heaven, but is actually here with us, hence the band’s name.
The song “Holy Water” is the result of the collective effort from all the members of the band. Basically, it talks about forgiveness, especially from God. That despite our sins and our mistakes, God’s mercy still shows us how much He loves us.
However, the song is also about not abusing God’s mercy by continuing to sin. Instead, this mercy should humble us and encourage us to become better versions of ourselves.
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13. “Show Me Your Glory” by Third Day
This song from Third Day is about encouraging people to see God’s glory, so it’s a message for those who are skeptical or have doubts about God. The band wrote this after being inspired by Moses and Peter from the bible.
Both of these characters were able to witness Jesus in His glory in a biblical event called the Transfiguration. After this, both of them have significantly changed. Third Day believes that this is true for all Christians and even non-Christians. That when they see God in all His glory, they will not be able to settle for ordinary things.
Third Day’s album Come Together, from which “Show Me Your Glory” came from, won the Best Rock Gospel Album in the 2003 Grammy Awards.
14. “This Is Your Life” by Switchfoot
Switchfoot is very open about their religion, and they say that their beliefs are rooted in Christianity, albeit their genre might divert from it once in a while. With their works being influenced by their faith, “This Is Your Life” is a great Christian song of encouragement.
There was no mention of Jesus or God in the song, but it still delivers an important message to its listeners. It’s about reigniting the passion within you for living a fruitful and meaningful life.
Switchfoot believes that this desire is within us when we’re young, but we somehow lose it as we grow older. “This Is Your Life” is about taking control of your life and living it the way you want it to be, and becoming who you want to become.
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15. “Graves Into Gardens” by Elevation Worship
This song was written by Chris Brown, Tiffany Hammer, Steven Furtick, and Brandon Lake. It was inspired by a sermon from Steven Furtick about a biblical event concerning Elisha.
When Elisha was buried, some raiders entered the country, and the Israelites who were burying another man had to throw the dead body on top of Elisha’s tomb in a haste. After getting into contact with Elisha’s bones which still had God’s miracle, the man rose and came back to life.
“Graves Into Gardens” encourages us to unveil the “dead” areas of our lives unto God. If we believe His powers, He will resurrect these areas and bring life into them. That’s why the 2nd verse of the song starts with,
“I’m not afraid
To show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord, You’ve seen ’em all
And You still call me friend”
16. “Strangely Dim” by Francesca Battistelli
This song was written by Francesca Battistelli with Mia Feldes from Hillsong and Seth Mosely from Me In Motion. It’s about believing that the source of all our peace is God, and it encourages us to leave our eagerness to control everything and let Jesus take the wheel.
That’s because when we do, all our problems will not matter anymore. Hence the lines,
“When I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim”
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17. “Dare You To Move” by Switchfoot
For new listeners, they might not understand the first lyrics to the song just yet. However, if they know that this song actually has a Christian theme, they’d understand what it meant.
“Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence”
It’s about how we were all born with sin, but what matters most is that we move forward and be better. It also encourages us to bridge the gap between who we are and who we could be. At the core of it, “Dare You To Move” talks about how God wants us to get back up and keep moving after falling down and making errors in life.
18. “Raise a Hallelujah” by Bethel Music
This song already encourages its listeners right at the beginning.
“I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies
I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me”
This song was written by Bethel Music after hearing that the son of the CEO of Bethel Music was in a potentially fatal situation. It encourages us to have faith in God, believe in his divine plan, and sing praises for Him, whatever battles we’re fighting.
Thankfully, Jaxon Taylor, the son of Bethel Music’s CEO, was able to fully recover.
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19. “Footprints In The Sand” by Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis came from a show called X Factor. She’s more involved in secular music, which is why a lot of people were surprised when she made a public announcement that her beliefs are rooted in Christianity and that a lot of her songs were influenced by it, as evidenced by “Footprints In The Sand.”
As we all know, the poem Footprints in the Sand talks about how we may not know it, but God carries us during the difficult times of our lives. This song is a rendition of that poem. It encourages us to keep going and keep facing life’s hardships because God will be the one to guide us when it gets difficult.
Conclusion
Life is ever-changing. Some days, we feel blue, and other days, we feel jolly and motivated. The only thing that’s constant in our lives is Christ. That’s why whatever it is we’re going through, especially when it gets really challenging, we need to put our faith in God.
So, the next time you don’t feel like yourself and need a little push to take one step forward, be sure to listen to the best Christian songs of encouragement we’ve listed here.