Bethel Music's Amanda Cook has a deep desire to create worship music that goes beyond the usual boundaries of the genre. Her heart to listen before she sings creates exquisite and refreshing music to aid listeners in experiencing God. You can hear Amanda's anointed, emotive and prophetic worship in Bethel's "I Will Exalt" from Be Lifted High, "You Make Me Brave" and "Shepherd" from You Make Me Brave and "You Don't Miss a Thing" from We Will Not Be Shaken.

Amanda's debut solo worship album Brave New World is an excellent set of songs that focus on asking God to truly inhabit our inner being and allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, relying solely on the love of Jesus to mold our hearts and make us more like Him. I really love how expressive these songs are, written from a place of reflecting on what it means to be free from fear and to trust in God's plans for our lives. The project is intended to lead listeners to that place also.

Amanda loves a lot, and that is evident throughout her stellar "gourmet" offering. These are all stand-out tracks filled with overwhelming biblical truth, and they are companions in my personal prayer and worship time. The theme of trusting God completely weaves through all of the songs, a message that all believers need to hear. I had the chance to speak with Amanda in person before Bethel's Worship Night in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania about her anthem of trust, "Heroes."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

I love this song for many reasons. I've specifically been in a season of going to a counselor for my own personal healing and wholeness because there was disconnect in my heart from being the wife I always hoped to be, and I have been finding freedom in calling things what they are. I grew up in a beautiful Christian home, and I was in ministry when I was eighteen and found out who I was in the middle of ministry. This season has been a chance to find some breathing room and really evaluate my seasons and years of regret, hurt, bitterness, numbness and disappointments in my life. 

Calling my hardness of heart what it was and singing about disappointments in a song was permission-giving for me. I believe in prophesying and speaking over situations and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal what is on my heart and to worship through it instead of singing over it. Rather than singing to my heart as though my heart is the problem, in this song I'm singing from my heart, and in my worship I'm giving it away. I'm choosing God and loving Him through the disappointments in my life.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 57:7-9 (NIV): My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of You among the peoples.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 John 4:18-19 (NKJV): "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us."

Revelation 21:4-5 (NKJV): And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

What is the takeaway message?

The song was written with "heroes" of mine, Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury. The first line of the song, "let the heroes rest, let the striving cease," was one of the takeaway lines that set up the whole song to respond to that. I think we set ourselves up in ministry sometimes to present this heroic martyrdom. The reality to me is the reconciling of man to God, which is the ministry we are in, is about us partnering with the heart and will of the Father and feeling what He's feeling, expressing what He's expressing, getting close enough to hear His heartbeat and giving it all back to Him rather than trying to prove something. To me in the laying down and in the surrender and throwing down our crowns is where true ministry is found. 

We need to live on the breath of God and sing our breath back to God. It's a reciprocal love song from and to God. It's a full circle moment to sit with heroes and sing a song about resting in Him as God's sons and daughters. I hope the language that I've been given and the language I'm using in this song can then be shared with and minister to others.

Lyrics:
Let the heroes rest
Let the striving cease
I lay down my crown
Here at Your feet

I will trust 
Here in the mystery
I will trust 
In You completely

Awake my soul to sing
With Your breath in me
I will worship
You taught my feet
To dance upon disappointment
And I, I will worship

Let the weary rise
Lift their eyes to see
Your love crushing every lie
Every doubt and fear 

I will trust 
Here in the mystery
I will trust 
In You completely

Awake my soul to sing
With Your breath in me
I will worship
You taught my feet
To dance upon disappointment
And I, I will worship

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
You are making all things new

Awake my soul to sing
With Your breath in me
I will worship
You taught my feet
To dance upon disappointment
And I, I will worship

This album is best described as a worship experience with an ethereal tone. Amanda sings songs with an amazing passion, with unashamed praise and gratitude to our Savior that is very inspiring and emotionally moving. All of her songs are poignant and powerful with earnest, worshipful lyrics. Brave New World is one of the top worship albums of the year. "Heroes" is an incredible song for the Church. Like her great songs "I Will Exalt" and "You Make Me Brave," you'll worship Jesus right along with Amanda. 

This song and album celebrates the freedom we are promised in God's Holy Word (2 Corinthians 5:17): "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Christians are new creations on the inside. The Holy Spirit gives us new life, and we don't have to live anymore with our guilt, fears or worries. We are born again, and we need to live as children of God. Believing the words of this song is a great way to work on the disciplines of self-examination and prayer. You can know Jesus personally. Reach out to Him and know with certainty: "perfect love casts out fear."

Amanda has been writing and breathing her breath, given to her by God, into anointed new songs for the church. You'll be blessed by this powerful song, which is a stand-out anthem with a convicting declaration: "Awake my soul to sing, with Your breath in me I will worship. You taught my feet to dance upon disappointment, and I, I will worship." This song reflects the conviction and strength we can all have as God's army of dry bones who are filled with God's breath, and then we can breathe out as prophesied in Ezekiel 37.

For the saved in Christ, one day "God will wipe away every tear, there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying." As believers, we all need to live for Heaven and not get depressed or angry about our fallen world. Pain and suffering and disappointments point us to God and how much we need Him. If you have put all of your hope and trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation, you can sing along with a loud voice: "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, You are making all things new." Amen to that!

(Watch the lyric video here.)