Casting Crowns – One More Song For You (Devotional)
One More Song For You
One of the questions I get a lot is what is it like singing in front of thousands of people? When you get up on stage and you just see faces all over the room. How does that feel? This is going to seem like the strangest answer, but IΓÇÖm not really sure how it feels because when I get on stage, I am singing for about four or five people. IΓÇÖve been praying for them since the beginning of the concert.
WeΓÇÖre praying for families, weΓÇÖre praying for people that arenΓÇÖt saved yet that need to be. WeΓÇÖre praying for believers that are running or might be seeking God for something
Before we go on stage we have a devotional moment in front of the auditorium before people come in. We get into the Word together, sometimes in small groups, but the way it always ends is we walk through the chairs praying for people before they come. WeΓÇÖre praying for families, weΓÇÖre praying for people that arenΓÇÖt saved yet that need to be. WeΓÇÖre praying for believers that are running or might be seeking God for something, and while IΓÇÖm walking through those chairs IΓÇÖm praying for those people.
In the first two songs of the night I find my people. IΓÇÖm always looking through the crowd. IΓÇÖm always looking for someone who has their hands in the air. ItΓÇÖs like Jesus is right there standing next to them when they talk because I want to talk to that guy, but thereΓÇÖs also the person that looks like they got drug in there, right? ItΓÇÖs a person who looks like they came because they love somebody, ΓÇ£Okay, IΓÇÖll come.ΓÇ¥ ItΓÇÖs usually somebodyΓÇÖs husband and IΓÇÖm always looking for that guy, the guy checking his watch, the guy looking around waiting for this to be over. I find about 3 or 4 people that night and for the rest of the night theyΓÇÖre who IΓÇÖm talking to. Every time.
I donΓÇÖt know how to talk to a crowd but I know how to talk to people. So when I give the story about ΓÇ£Voice of Truth,ΓÇ¥ itΓÇÖs the same story that night – but not every night because now IΓÇÖm telling it to that guy, right? So through the night IΓÇÖm trying to share the gospel in every way possible because I want to see that man love his family, and be closer to Jesus when he leaves.
IΓÇÖm looking at this piano in my living room and I remember the songs that have come from moments with just me and Jesus sitting at this piano.
So howΓÇÖs it feel when IΓÇÖm writing songs? The exact same way. The things that IΓÇÖm writing are coming out of what IΓÇÖm teaching at my church, when IΓÇÖm pouring out to teenagers at my church; but every time I sit down at the piano, IΓÇÖm looking at this piano in my living room and I remember the songs that have come from moments with just me and Jesus sitting at this piano. IΓÇÖm not a really good piano player – I probably only play four or five chords, just enough to write, so I can get it to Megan and she can make it sound good, right? – but while IΓÇÖm sitting there IΓÇÖm remembering songs like ΓÇ£East to WestΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£Voice of TruthΓÇ¥ and all these moments where it was just me and Jesus and usually one person on my mind while IΓÇÖm writing.
The win for me is one person taking a little step closer to Jesus then they were when they got there. Someone looking up when they werenΓÇÖt before.
I was sitting down to start the record and this song was one of the first to come to mind. I was like, ΓÇ£Lord, why am I writing this song? Does the world really even need another song? Is there room for another four minutes of music and message in this world? How do I know that itΓÇÖs worth doing this? What is the ΓÇÿwinΓÇÖ in this?ΓÇ¥ The win for me is one person taking a little step closer to Jesus then they were when they got there. Someone looking up when they werenΓÇÖt before. That is my goal. ThatΓÇÖs a win you donΓÇÖt always get to see, because thatΓÇÖs a win that only Jesus can make happen, right? ThereΓÇÖs so many times when God pushes us into something where we serve him or we share our story or we start a ministry and the fruit doesnΓÇÖt bloom right there; but our job was never to bring fruit, our job is to know him and make him known.
Where are the people around you right now that only you can get to? Are you seeing your purpose there?
Every time I write one of those songs, I write from my broken places. I sing to people that are real about situations that are real and I ask God to do something that only He can do. As long as IΓÇÖm in the church, IΓÇÖll have something to say. IΓÇÖve never come to a record and thought ΓÇ£WhatΓÇÖre we going to talk about?ΓÇ¥ When I come to a record, it’s ΓÇ£How am I going to get all of this into these songs?ΓÇ¥ because this is real. These arenΓÇÖt thematic little spiritual thoughts. People are hurting, they need hope, they need to be challenged, and this song isnΓÇÖt going to get to all of them. So my question to you is, where are the people around you right now that only you can get to? Are you seeing your purpose there? Are you realizing that the job you have might be just so you can work with that person in that moment? Just like this song is for you.