Led by Phil Joel, who is best known for his long-standing role as bass player and vocalist for the multiplatinum-selling band Newsboys, Zealand Worship has been carving out a path that has been both unique and entirely unexpected.

A lot of this path began with Phil Joel's changing perspectives. "I realized that leading worship is all about leading people's hearts to a place far beyond a stage or a melody," Phil has explained. "True worship isn't just about a moment; it's about a lasting movement in people's lives." 

Zealand Worship is continuing to faithfully walk the path God has set them on with Zealand Worship: The EP which features the standout songs, "You Awaken My Soul," "Good, Good Father," "Savior" and "Greener." I had the chance to speak with Phil Joel about "You Awaken My Soul."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

This song started from a little riff, and it was fun with a nice energy to it. I got together with Elias from the band The City Harmonic and let him know that I was writing songs for this Zealand Worship project and that I wanted every song to be a declaration and proclamation of who God is and what He does because I'm excited about it. The "awaken my soul" thought came from observing the opposite, in so many cases. 

It seems there are so many things that are taking life from us in culture right now. God offers the opposite. It's the same with His Kingdom: it's completely opposite to everyone who lives for this Earth, and we should be coming alive and be vibrant and excited and in some ways even younger and softer and less hardened as we walk with the Lord. His ways lead to life. 

I don't resonate with the concept of just hanging in until we die and then we get to be with the Lord. The Lord thinks we are fantastic, and He offers us a future and a hope, and He wants us to live and come alive and be awakened to the things that He has for us. That's how I live. The song flowed out of that.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Ephesians 5:14 (NIV): "This is why it is said: 'Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'"

Acts 26:18 (VOICE): "It will be your mission to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God. This is so that they may receive forgiveness of all their sins and have a place among those who are set apart for a holy purpose through having faith in Me."

Psalm 119:37 (NKJV): "Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way."

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

Romans 8:28 (NKJV): "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." 

Romans 6:23 (VOICE): "The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift--eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King."

What is the takeaway message?

The band formed as a worship band playing at youth camps for the past few years. We started playing this song a few years ago and it just resonated with kids. It's a great proclamation to make and a call to worship. If it's not happening, the words of this song are what should be happening as we walk with the Lord. 

Each one of these songs is near and dear to our hearts. We should be people whose eyes are open. We should be aware of the times in which we live. We should be able to ask the Lord what we need to see as expressed in Jeremiah 33:3: "Call to Me and I will show you great and marvelous things you don't know." I look at Daniel and his crew, and they knew the times in which they lived and the perils and dangers in their culture, and they managed to live in Babylon, but not have Babylon live in them. That was a big deal. That's us. 

We should be wide awake in the world. We need to be able to hear from the Lord and ask Him to show us different things that are trying to take us out and be aware so we don't fall prey to ridiculous lies or false hopes. We should be people who are awake. It makes sense as we walk with the Lord that we are more cognizant of what's going on and we can smell lies a little sooner and spot the counterfeit a little quicker as we walk with the Lord.

Lyrics:
Nothing holds a candle
To the beauty of Your ways
Standing here in wonder
In the aftermath of grace

Everything is new again
Colors coming out of black and white
Everything within me
Is coming alive

You awaken my soul
You awaken my soul
Oh I'm love
Yea I'm in deep
My heart is Yours
It's Yours to keep
Words just can't explain it
All I know
You awaken my soul

Breathing in the healing
Your Spirit inside us
Singing songs of freedom
We're dancing in this love

Everything is new again
Colors coming out of black and white
Everything within me
Is coming alive

You awaken my soul
You awaken my soul
Oh I'm love
Yea I'm in deep
My heart is Yours
It's Yours to keep
Words just can't explain it
All I know
You awaken my soul
Oh yea

Cuz I'm wide awake, wide awake
Oh-woah
I see You
Wide awake, wide awake
Oh-woah

You awaken my soul
You awaken my soul
Oh I'm love
Yea I'm in deep
My heart is Yours
It's Yours to keep
Words just can't explain it
All I know

Cuz I'm wide awake, wide awake
Oh-woah
I see You
Wide awake, wide awake
Oh-woah
I see You

You awaken my soul
You awaken my soul

Oh You awaken my
You awaken my
You awaken my soul
Oh You awaken my
You awaken, You awaken
Oh You awaken my soul

By reading the Bible every day, God wants us to have a daily reminder not to be afraid. The song also addresses the concept of keeping our eyes wide open, to remember our calling: "wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14). If you think about the type of faith we are called to have as believers, it is described as the faith of a mustard seed, and we are called to "walk by faith, and not by sight." That's the type of resolution we are called to have, and we serve a God who has infinitely more for us than we can think or imagine.

For me, the most encouraging part of the song is the message that I don't have to be perfect or rely on my plans, but that God knows me and loves me just as I am and wants to hear each of us sing "my heart is Yours, it's Yours to keep, words just can't explain it, all I know!" That is cause for celebration as we all have freedom to be ourselves, and He has great plans for us. 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). 

This song reminds me to have resolve as a follower of Jesus, to keep my eyes wide open and find ways to serve Him for our good and His glory. My resolution is to pray more fervent prayers, to have more faith and to have joy to the fullest. The world is still crying out desperately for a Savior, and our job as followers of Jesus is to tell the world that He came, He lived a perfect, sinless life, He died for our sins and He is risen! That's cause to celebrate and sing out loudly, "You awaken my soul!" Amen to that!

Listen to the song below.