Some of the most powerful worship songs ever written weren't labored over for months. They were born in a single afternoon - sometimes in the middle of grief, doubt, or desperation. Here are eight that changed Christian music forever, and the stories almost nobody tells.
1. "Great Are You Lord" - All Sons & Daughters Written by David Leonard, Leslie Jordan, and Jason Ingram, the song that became a Sunday morning staple was written in one session. Leonard has said the lyric came from a place of exhaustion, not triumph - which is exactly why millions of weary people connect with it every week.
2. "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" - Matt Redman Matt Redman wrote this 2013 Grammy-winning song after meditating on Psalm 103. He has said it took only one writing session with Jonas Myrin. It went on to win both Grammy and Dove Awards and became one of the most-sung worship songs of the 21st century.
3. "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" - Hillsong United Recorded in 2012, "Oceans" spent 10 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart. Co-writer Matt Crocker has shared that the bridge - the most sung section - almost didn't make the final cut.
4. "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" - Chris Tomlin Tomlin added a new chorus to John Newton's 250-year-old hymn and turned it into a modern anthem. Newton himself wrote the original in 1772 - one day after reflecting on his own violent past as a slave trader who became a Christian abolitionist.
5. "Waymaker" - Sinach Nigerian gospel artist Sinach wrote "Waymaker" in 2015. She has said the song arrived quickly and simply - she wasn't trying to write a global anthem. By 2020 it had been covered by Michael W. Smith, Leeland, and Darlene Zschech and sung in churches across every continent.
6. "I Can Only Imagine" - MercyMe Bart Millard wrote the song in roughly 10 minutes after his father passed away. It became the best-selling Christian single in history and was later made into a film. Millard has said he never intended it to be released - he wrote it for himself.
7. "Reckless Love" - Cory Asbury Written after a conversation about the parable of the prodigal son, Asbury has said the song came together in one sitting. It won Song of the Year at the 2019 Dove Awards and sparked a worldwide conversation about what it means to describe God's love as "reckless."
8. "You Say" - Lauren Daigle Co-written with Paul Mabury and Jason Ingram, "You Say" went on to spend a record-breaking 107 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart - the longest run of any song in the chart's history, across any genre. Daigle has said the lyric came directly from her own struggle with identity and self-worth.
Every one of these songs was written by someone sitting in a room with a feeling they didn't know what to do with - and a faith that said it was worth putting into words. That's the mystery of Christian songwriting. The best ones don't feel written. They feel received.
