Singer Phil Wickham’s music has helped millions around the globe connect to the Lord through worship services and Christian airplay.
Wickham — whose latest album, “I Believe,” dominated Billboard’s Top Christian Albums list after its release — told CBN’s Faithwire he always aspires to be “faithful to the calling” God has on his life.
And that calling, he said, is to “write … some songs for the church to sing, some new prayers.”
“[I write] songs that light my heart up — just ancient truths,” Wickham said. “New ways to sing ancient truths about who God is and who we are in Him.”
Watch the performer discuss his life, career, and musical process:
The award-winning singer said the Lord continues to give him “little seeds of songs” that spark his music process. Wickham knows his music is revered in churches as a tool to connect with the Almighty — and it’s a responsibility he takes quite seriously.
“I’m just really doing the same thing I was doing when I was 15, which is just trying to write songs that people can sing together in a church environment,” Wickham said. “And also songs that would expose people to the Jesus that I know.”
He said it’s a “huge honor” to know his music is played inside churches during worship services, and detailed his journey to fully embrace God’s plan for his life.
Wickham wasn’t always on the worship music path. In fact, he initially wanted to be in a band and even tried to write pop songs at one point, but, in the end, it always came back to Christian music.
“I was getting these emails from people like, ‘Hey, we translated your song into Portuguese’ or singing in the Brazilian church, or in Mandarin, and in these Chinese house churches,” Wickham recounted, adding people expressed their gratitude for his songs and music. “Twelve people in the front room of a house singing these songs, and my heart just lights up. It’s what God has put in me to want to do, and not because I’m like some … extra holy guy, or doing the best spiritual thing.”
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The singer said he’s simply following God’s calling on his life.
Wickham made it clear he has no need for people to associate his name or likeness with the music, and said he merely wants to make a Gospel impact on the lives of those who encounter It.
“The older I get, it makes my heart explode with thankfulness and such a heightened awareness of God’s grace in my life,” he said. “Because I’m such a … sinner, and I just can’t believe … he gives me the opportunity to say ‘yes’ to him to write songs for the church.”
Wickham said he’s hoping “I Believe,” his 10th album, inspires listeners with its focus on the Gospel message.
“I believe there’s one salvation, one doorway that leads to life,” he said. “I believe there’s one confession. I believe in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in a crucifixion. I believe in the resurrection.”
Wickham continued, “My goal was to passionately, joyfully, thankfully, proclaim those things and to call everybody in to sing them with me.”
In the end, he wants to see people have a “greater sense of faith” and gratitude for who God is — and to more diligently and closely follow Jesus.
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