Lindsay McCaul has pure and strong vocals that remind me of Brooke Fraser and Audrey Assad, my favorite female vocalists of all time. Her Reunion Records debut If it Leads me Back was one of the most captivating albums I've ever heard, and one of my Top 10 Albums of 2012. After an almost three year wait, Lindsay has changed labels and returns with her Centricity Music release One More Step, eleven vibrant and insightful songs available everywhere August 19.

The opening track and lead single "Empty Handed" is an engaging song, with Lindsay's passionate vocals setting the tone for this exceptional effort. The album tells the story of redemption as each song gives a glimpse of how Lindsay offers her Psalm-like prayers to God. This reflective opener has a super catchy musical vibe and is a wonderful prayer-song capturing Lindsay's heart for God. I had the chance to speak with Lindsay about the song.

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

It is definitely a prayer. I based the song on something Paul says in Philippians 3, where he says if anyone had a reason to think they are confident in their flesh and accomplishments, he had more. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, and a Pharisee, and did everything he could to keep the law, but once he encountered Jesus and came in contact with Him, he realized that everything he thought he brought to the table on his own was worth nothing compared to knowing Jesus and being found in Him.

I think it can be easy for all of us, even believers, to fall into a slow, sneaky sin called pride. It sneaks into our lives in different areas and is always most difficult to see in ourselves. It is so easy to spot in other people. Especially I can relate to that. I went to Bible College, and God has been gracious in giving me the ability to memorize things. It's funny and sad and humbling— in the middle of a discussion with my husband where I am about to quote a Bible verse to try to get the upper hand against him, so many times through my sweet husband God has shown me what humility is. He is always the first person to apologize and say he was wrong while I'm still caught up in the middle of wanting to be right. I've seen so much of Paul's humility, and what he's talking about in Philippians 3, and the humility of Jesus, especially in my husband. Every day we need to come to Jesus, very aware of how much we need Him.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Philippians 3:7-11 (NIV): But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV): Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV): Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

What is the takeaway message?

Those words from Philippians 3 also make me aware of all that we have in Jesus. It is a balance of both recognizing that we come to Jesus with nothing, empty handed, with filthy rags. We need to recognize that we desperately need Him, but at the same time, we have every Spiritual blessing. He says that in Ephesians for everyone found in Him. We need to know that we have nothing to bring, yet at the same time Jesus loves me and accepts us. He is ready when I come to Him in humility to pour out His grace on my life.

I have loved that section of Scripture for a long time, and I'm thankful that I've finally written a song about it. Something that God has been working on in my heart for a while, which is fairly obvious in the music industry, is this constant underlying pressure to fight for yourself and prove yourself and promote yourself. In the first line of the song, "all the banners I have waved," I felt it was important to confess that I've been guilty of that. I feel like that is the culture we are living in: love yourself, put yourself first, and then you'll be able to love other people. I hear that in the Christian music community. That's a lie from Satan, because that's not what Jesus says at all.

In Philippians 2:3 it says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility value others above yourselves." Jesus gave us the ultimate example of true love and true humility. It is not enough to just recognize a lie. You have to combat against that lie with the truth. Satan is sneaky and tricky and knows how to get into our hearts and lie to us. Mandisa is passionate about that, and she has grown a passion in me to combat lies with God's Word and Truth. That's what I'm trying to do with "Empty Handed."

Lyrics:
All the banners I have waved
For my glory and my gain
Empty promises of fame
But I see the truth

I give up all I had to prove
I turn my back on my pursuits 
'Cause there's no worth in all the world
Compared to You

'Cause all You are is all I need
You fill the deepest part of me
And all I have that I can bring
Was never meant to belong to me
You overflow from who You are
And overwhelm my heart
So I come as I am
Empty handed

Not a credit to my name
Nothing earned that I can claim
No position I could trade
But You're beckoning

You take my nothing and my need
And place a crown on poverty
You gave Your life for me so I could see that
You are everything

'Cause all You are is all I need
You fill the deepest part of me
And all I have that I can bring
Was never meant to belong to me
You overflow from who You are
And overwhelm my heart
So I come as I am
Empty handed

You're worth everything
I won't count the cost
All I thought was gain
Count it all as loss

'Cause all You are is all I need
You fill the deepest part of me
And all I have that I can bring
Was never meant to belong to me
You overflow from who You are
And overwhelm my heart
So I come as I am
Empty handed
Yes I come as I am
Empty handed

Lindsay pours her heart out in every single song, which allows listeners to hear her expressing directly to God her deep feelings, insecurities and desire for holiness and sanctification. This is a great new collection of heartfelt and inspirational songs about the journey of life we are all on as pilgrims keeping our eyes on the prize of eternal life in Jesus Christ. Musically, the album features a great mix of confessional ballads and singer-songwriter pop music. I hang on every single word and the stirring vocals, prayerful lyrics and musical arrangements are all breathtaking. This is a Spirit-filled and emotional listening experience. One More Step is my inspirational album of the year.

Daily we are presented with the choices of how to use our time, lifestyle choices, pursuit of riches, living for today not knowing what tomorrow has in store for us and questioning our loneliness and looking for meaning. You can take comfort in these words from Philippians 3: "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

Our American version of Christianity may not be totally connected to the idea that we have nothing to bring to God, and maybe we expect something in return instead of recognizing that nothing compares to the greatness of knowing Jesus. Faith is when we are empty of ourselves and filled with Him and His Holy Spirit.

This song is all about trusting in God, confessing to Him and others when you fail or are clinging onto pride in your accomplishments. Lay those at the feet of Jesus and He'll take them from you and release you from that burden. I love singing this song of faith to Jesus and proclaiming "'Cause all You are is all I need / You fill the deepest part of me / And all I have that I can bring / Was never meant to belong to me / You overflow from who You are / And overwhelm my heart / So I come as I am / Empty handed." Amen to that!

(Watch the lyric video here.)