Sisters Tal & Acacia grew up in Portland, Maine, in a Christian household and attended an inner-city school their mom and dad ran for underprivileged youth. Tal & Acacia first began songwriting and playing guitar in their teen years, while the family spent an insightful year in Russia aiding a humanitarian orphan ministry. After returning from Russia, the sisters developed a stronger sense of the world during separate collegiate pursuits in opposite regions of North America.

Now, in their early twenties, Tal & Acacia aim to create songs that wake listeners and refresh the soul. The songwriting duo’s music ministers and inspires. Realizing that sometimes we slumber in our walk with God and take a hiatus from His presence, Tal & Acacia desire to stir listeners to become alive again. Musically, Tal & Acacia resemble female vocalists Feist, Norah Jones and Leigh Nash. Their debut album, Wake Me was released digitally in October and physically in January.

“Yahweh” is a beautiful ballad and a prayerful song. The song cries out “let time pass away, as I simply praise Yahweh... with my hands raised, my knees they fall, as I simply praise Jehovah.”

“Yahweh” is a great and sincere song of faith and praise and has a fantastic bridge expressing faithfulness: “Do I believe that You’re My God, that You’re All I Need, All I Need?”

I got the opportunity to interview Acacia about “Yahweh.” You can listen to our entire interview here.

“Yahweh” talks about God’s grace in the midst of wandering and doubt. Would you please tell me the story behind writing this song?

I wrote the song when I was 18 years old, and I spent time in Vancouver Canada at The War College with people struggling with addictions. It’s hard to explain, but it is a ministry where you spend time living with people who are drug addicts, alcoholics, and basically, broken people. It’s about building relationships with people. It was an awesome year for me. It was the first year of the ministry. For me, personally, I got closer to Christ. The song came out of the longing to be like Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus. The missionary training was so intense that you really could get caught up thinking like Martha and just become too busy. So, with all the distractions trying to keep us from preparing for the kingdom, I realized that all those works are futile if you don’t develop a mind-set like Mary and you don't spend time worshiping Christ. With that in mind, it is now my heart's desire to sit at the feet of Jesus and just spend time with Him.

Please tell me about any Bible verses that you used to write the song?

Luke 10:38-42: Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

What do you consider to be the take-away message for listeners?

I compare it to relationships we have now. We need to go out of our way to spend time with people. For you, being married and having 3 kids, to think about making time to go on a date with your wife. If you don’t make that time, other things will get in the way. For me, I have to go out of my way to give my first fruits to Jesus. I have to give Him the first part of my morning every day and spend time with Him. The song is about giving Him that time and being intentional in our worship and freeing our mind and being with Him. Lay down on the floor and meditate on His Word. That’s how we can have a sense of His Holiness and experience Him. He created the universe! He wants to spend time with each of us individually.

Here are the lyrics:

Gaze, I want to gaze at You
Soak, soak in all You do
Sit, so simply at Your feet
Listen, to Your voice so sweet
And let time pass away as I simply praise

Yahweh, My Lord, I cry
Jehovah Elyon, The Lord Most High
And with my hands I raise
My knees they fall
As I simply praise, Jehovah

Cry, as I see Your bloodstains
Overwhelmed, as I see Your pain
And I'll dance, dance, dance, because I am set free
You are my conqueror
Jehovah Nissi
So let time slip away as I simply praise

Yahweh, My Lord, I cry
Jehovah Elyon, The Lord Most High
And with my hands I raise
My knees they fall
As I simply praise, Jehovah

Do I believe that You're my God
That You're all I need, that You're all I need
Do I believe that You'll sit down and be crowned my King for eternity
Do I believe that You're my God
That You're all I need, that You're all I need
Do I believe that You'll sit down and be crowned my King for eternity
Do I believe that You're my God
That You're all I need, that You're all I need
Do I believe that You'll sit down and be crowned my King for eternity
So let time pass away as I simply praise

Yahweh, My Lord, I cry
Jehovah Elyon, The Lord Most High
And with my hands I raise
My knees they fall
As I simply praise, Jehovah

My Daddy, My Abba, My Best Friend
Yahweh

The bridge of this song completely wrecks me. Acacia really asks a personal question that each of us as believers need to ask ourselves: “Do I believe that You're my God, That You're all I need, that You're all I need?” What a powerful expression of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. He is all we need.

Acacia shared that the rest of the song was a journal entry and when she returned home from her year at The War College, she was told that she needed to write a bridge for the song. She got to Nashville and had a lot of health problems and felt that her life was falling apart. She felt insecurity and lies coming at her. She felt so broken and knows now to not despise brokenness. She now embraces brokenness and embraces her wretchedness. The doubts and trials led to writing that emotional bridge. Christ is real! Christ is coming back for His bride! We have to proclaim Truth in our times of doubt! You can have the head knowledge of Scripture but have you embraced your brokenness? Have you cried out to God, “Yahweh, My Lord, Jehovah, My Daddy, My Abba, My Best Friend, Yahweh?”