Unbroken Praise is the latest live worship album by our generation's most influential worship leader, Matt Redman, available everywhere June 16. As the writer and singer of "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)," "Holy," "Never Once," "Blessed Be Your Name," "Better is One Day" and "You Never Let Go," along with Passion's "Our God," "Here For You," "Lay Me Down" and "Jesus, Only Jesus," worshippers worldwide have been consistently blessed by Matt's "heart of worship." 

This new album is not to be missed, with 11 new and fresh Spirit-filled songs for the Church recorded at the historic Abbey Road studio. The album is centered on our unbroken praise of Jesus. The idea of an entire album filled with songs declaring our unbroken praise is a devotional challenge. What's especially cool about this new album is how every song is true to that biblical concept. These great new worship songs really set me in the proper mindset to praise God for loving me so much that He gave His life away for all that was lost. 

I really enjoy the exciting musical vibe of this album, and the melodies and lyrics on Unbroken Praise are all catchy and biblical, reflecting unashamed faith in Jesus. Don't miss out on this incredible worship album, one of the best of the year for sure. Unbroken Praise is a must-have for your praise and worship collection. This is a truly excellent set of songs for the Church, a foretaste of our eternal unbroken praise for followers of Jesus. I had the chance to speak with Matt about "It is Well with My Soul."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

It is an amazing hymn, and it is no surprise to me that Horatio Spafford's song has made it through all of these years. First, it's full of truth, but also it's full of heart. He lost his children, and the telegram that he received from his wife said "saved alone." It is astounding to me that someone could be in that moment and be in a place of praise and a place of trust, to be able to say "it is well with my soul." In other words, he probably didn't understand why everything was happening, but he knew that God cared about him, that God was looking after him and had plans and purposes for his life. I think those kinds of offerings of worship are the most powerful kind that you can bring.

I was writing my little song, and I had the verses, and I was looking back on my life and thinking about seeing God's hand at work even when I didn't know it at the time-- those reminders of what you went through and how God brought you through it. The bridge of this song sings "You make us fruitful, in the land of our suffering." That's a picture of when Joseph says in the Bible "God made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." 

You get to see that God is not only kind enough to get you through those times, He's kind enough to make sure you get something good out of them. So often the soil of our suffering is where He plants good things in our lives. For me, I love songwriting and worship leading. I wouldn't be doing what I do without things I faced earlier in life. I can really trace what I do way back to my childhood, when I lost my father at the age of 7. It was one of the first things that really had me seek after God. "Blessed Be Your Name," "You Never Let Go" and "Never Once" all trace way back to my past. It's the same with this song, as the roots go way back.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Genesis 41:52 (NIV): The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

Psalm 62:5 (NKJV): My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV): Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Job 1:20-22 (NKJV): "Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.' In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong."

What is the takeaway message?

I think in the natural world, a great example is the nightingale. They say it is one of the only birds that sings after dark. I think that is a great way to think about worship. A lot of us can sing in the daylight, when things are going well and we can see everything. What about when you are in the dark and can't see in front of your face? When you don't understand what you are going through, what about those moments? Can we still find a way to a place of praise? Another example in the natural world is an evergreen tree. The time you find out it is evergreen is in the winter. That's the same with worship. 

There's something about those moments in life of tragedy and turbulence. That's when we can have songs of hardships and trust, turbulence and praise, struggle and strength. There's something about a certain kind of worshipper that has a buoyancy to them so that they don't stay under the water for long. Even when they go under, they are going to find their way to the surface. That Horatio Spafford song is the ultimate example of never sinking.

Going back to my childhood, I've had to learn to trust God. Even when I can't see Him, I need to trust Him and see that He's present with me and holding me. I couldn't find a chorus for this song, and one day spontaneously after singing out the verse I started singing the chorus of the old hymn, and it fit perfectly. I thought that if I could borrow these old words of worship and use them for the chorus of my song it would be a really powerful thing. 

There's something about worship beyond just a "me and Jesus, here and now" activity. It's more than that. We are singing to the God of yesterday, today and forever. We are singing to the God who was and is and is to come. 

A smart man named Graham Kendrick taught me that when you write songs, you should try to have a timeline in them. If you can write songs that has reenactment, realization and anticipation, then you can look back, apply to your life now and look ahead, knowing that there is more to come. I love that we can sing about God in that way. 

Worship is the ultimate reality check. Whatever you are facing in life, there's an ultimate reality that God will always be on His Throne, and He's watching over you and cares about you. From our fragile places we check in with the Rock of Ages. I can't promise your circumstances will change, but I can promise something inside of you can change when you worship God.

Lyrics:
Our scars are a sign
Of grace in our lives
Oh Father, how You brought us through
When deep were the wounds
And dark was the night
The promise of Your love You proved

Now every battle still to come
Let this be our song

It is well (It is well)
With my soul (With my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Weeping may come
Remain for a night
But joy will paint the morning sky
You're there in the fast
You're there in the feast
Your faithfulness will always shine

Now every blessing still to come
Let this be our song

It is well (It is well)
With my soul (With my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

You lead us through battles (You lead us through battles)
You lead us to blessing (You lead us to blessing)
And You make us fruitful (And You make us fruitful)
In the land of our suffering, God
It is well, it is well with my soul

It is well (It is well)
With my soul (With my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

I trust Your ways (I trust Your ways)
I trust Your name (I trust Your name)
It is well, it is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

Matt's update of the hymn "It is Well with My Soul" takes listeners on an emotional and spiritual journey. The Horatio Spafford-penned chorus is very stirring and convicting. Like Matt's classic song "Blessed Be Your Name," the hymn "It is Well with My Soul" is a reminder that our worship of God should not be based on our circumstances, but based on who God is. 

I think God included the book of Job as a reminder of how He wants us to handle trials. In that Scripture, Satan is testing God's servant, Job, to see if he can cause him to lose his faith by causing him pain and suffering. Job's friends counsel him that he must have un-repented sins that are causing him the calamities of losing his family and his health.  Commit your life to Jesus and offer Him your heart and your life as you sing along with this great song.

There's a lyric in the song: "Now every battle still to come, let this be our song." That's the bottom line. We have nothing to bring to our battles except the Lord. When we are on our knees before Him like Job, raising our empty hands, we are closest to God. That's a gift God wants all of His children to have. What a gift and promise to know that He makes beauty out of our ashes. That's worthy of all our praise. We need to live each day knowing that despite circumstances, God has a plan for "those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). Join in and sing along, "You make us fruitful in the land of our suffering." Amen to that!

(Watch the lyric video here.)