Eschewing the typical small talk that usually happens before a conversation really gets started, Papa wastes no time digging into the heart of the matter. As an artist who isn’t interested in simply making music for music’s sake, Papa writes songs that center around God’s word and doesn’t consider his job done until the lyrics have taken permanent residence in a listener’s gray matter.
“If you can write a song that’s full of God’s word, and that song gets in someone’s head, that’s a powerful thing,” Papa says. “I often don’t remember a sermon I heard yesterday, let alone a year ago. But with songs, there’s a hook, and people remember it. So that’s why I want to write about Scripture. I don’t want to waste time.”
Staying right on point, the call to live intentionally is a theme that resonates deeply through the songs of Papa’s new Centricity Music release, Your Kingdom Come.
“The main thing that’s been on my heart is missions and how I can inspire students to be the hands and feet of Christ and go to the places where people haven’t even heard the name of Jesus,” Papa shares. “I heard someone say once that it’s easy to lift your hands before God in worship, but if you aren’t reaching those hands out to the world, those hands lifted to God are worthless. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not against lifting our hands in worship. But we also must love this world with those same hands.”
That idea of being flexible and available to do whatever God calls us to do—even if it’s (gasp!) inconvenient—is what inspired the album’s central thesis and first single, “Open Hands” that Papa co-wrote with fellow independent singer/songwriter James Tealy.
“You have to live before God with open hands. We may have our plans and ideas, but at any moment, Christians, unlike the world, have to be ready to drop anything and totally do something else if God is calling us to,” Papa says. “It’s a very strange life, yet it’s exactly how Jesus wants our hands to be—open and available. We need to embrace the idea of anything He wants to change, anything He wants to take, it’s Yours now.”
In addition to issuing a challenge for himself and fellow Christians to continually leave a lasting impression of God’s goodness and faithfulness wherever we are, Your Kingdom Come is also filled with several buoyant, unabashed declarations of praise on “Hallelujah, Our God Reigns,” “Trinity” and “Here Am I, Send Me.”
“With ‘Here Am I, Send Me,’ it was Isaiah who uttered those famous words after seeing The Lord, high and exalted,” Papa says. “The Church has forgotten to pray those words for too long. It is wonderful and necessary to demonstrate acts of kindness, service and love, but those by themselves aren’t enough. The world must hear the Gospel. They must hear the name of Jesus. And we, the Church, must surrender all we have and go tell them!”
But Papa’s message isn’t the only thing that’s bold about his work. Like his previous albums, Papa continues to draw from a progressive palette of musical genres. Incorporating classical timbres, earthy Middle Eastern textures and moments that are straight up rock ’n’ roll in the vein of Foo Fighters and Delirious, the tracks are rich, complex and beautifully showcase Papa’s diversity as a musician, worship leader, singer and composer.
When asked who his biggest influence was making Your Kingdom Come, however, Papa doesn’t namedrop a bunch of his favorite bands. Instead, he credits his bride, Lauren.
“My recent marriage was a huge part of this album,” Papa shares. “My wife has always had a big heart for missions, and for me, this album has reflected my personal journey of surrender. It’s not about me traveling around, going from place to place and making a name for myself. I want God to use me for His kingdom, not me using God for my kingdom.”
As Papa looks to his future in ministry, he acknowledges that his focus has shifted. In addition to playing his music, he’s also starting seminary in the fall.
“I’m going to be taking it slow, but I’m so excited because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Papa shares. “We [my wife and I] want to challenge and inspire students and be sending people to the nations. And whether it’s through what I’m learning in class or through these new songs, we want to fuel The Great Commission.”
God of Grace
Matt Papa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And to the broken you are able
And to the captives you are liberty.
To the the orphan you are father
And to the widow you are lover
And to the blind you give them eyes to see
You love us as we are
And all the weak and broken sing
We love you God of Grace.
To the homeless you are shelter
And to the thirsty, living water
And to the lame you give them feet to Dance
And to the helpless you're a brother
And to the hungry you are bread
And to the sinners you are second chance
God of Grace you took our place
You love us as we are
And all the weak and broken sing
We love you God of Grace
Merciful and all your ways
How could we cease to sing you praise
You became sin for us
And oh how great is your love
God of Grace you took our place
You love us as we are
And all the weak and broken sing
We love you God of Grace
God of Grace you took our place
You love us as we are
And now redeemed your children sing
We love you God of Grace
And bells will ring your proud will sing
We love you God of Grace
The lyrics to "God of Grace" by Matt Papa touch on the universal need for love and compassion. The song celebrates the all-embracing nature of God, who is there for everyone, from the faithless to the broken, the homeless, the hungry, the orphaned, and the captive. The notion that God has a special place in his heart for those who are struggling and vulnerable is a powerful message that resonates throughout the song.
The opening lines of the song, "To the faithless you are faithful, and to the broken you are able," suggest that, no matter what a person may go through, God is always there for them. The lyrics then go on to list different scenarios where God is present, such as when He is providing love, protection, and security to the orphan or the widow. The lyrics also note how God gives the blind eyes to see, and the lame the ability to dance. These images capture the transformative power of God's love and grace, which can be a powerful force of healing and restoration.
Overall, "God of Grace" is a song that celebrates the expansive embrace of God's love, which is available to all who seek it. The song is a reminder that, no matter how challenging life may seem, God is always ready to provide comfort and support for the weak and the broken.
Line by Line Meaning
To the faithless you are faithful
Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful to us.
And to the broken you are able
When we are broken and despairing, God is able to comfort and heal us.
And to the captives you are liberty.
God frees us from any kind of bondage that we may be enslaved to.
To the the orphan you are father
For those who have been abandoned, God steps in to be their loving Father.
And to the widow you are lover
God loves and cares for the one who has lost their spouse.
And to the blind you give them eyes to see
God gives those who are spiritually blind the ability to see and understand the truth of his Word.
To the homeless you are shelter
God provides a safe haven for those without a home.
And to the thirsty, living water
Jesus gives us spiritual nourishment that quenches our thirst and refreshes our soul.
And to the lame you give them feet to Dance
God restores and gives strength to those who are crippled, allowing them to dance again.
And to the helpless you're a brother
God is a compassionate and caring brother to those in need.
And to the hungry you are bread
Jesus is the bread of life, satisfying our deepest hunger and nourishing our souls.
And to the sinners you are second chance
Even when we fall short, God offers forgiveness and a new beginning.
God of Grace you took our place
Jesus took our sins and died in our place so that we could be reconciled to God.
You love us as we are
God loves us unconditionally, no matter what we have done or how we feel about ourselves.
And all the weak and broken sing
Those who are weak and broken sing praises to God, knowing that he is their source of strength and healing.
Merciful and all your ways
God is fully merciful in all his dealings with us.
How could we cease to sing you praise
We have so much to be thankful for that we cannot help but sing praises to God.
You became sin for us
Jesus took our sins upon himself, so that we could be made righteous before God.
And oh how great is your love
God's love for us is immeasurable and beyond our understanding.
And now redeemed your children sing
We have been redeemed through Jesus, and now sing praises to our Heavenly Father.
And bells will ring your proud will sing
Even inanimate objects will glorify God, and all who are proud realize their need for him and similarly sing his praises.
We love you God of Grace
All those who have experienced God's grace and love cannot help but love Him in return.
Writer(s): Mike Donehey, Matt Papa
Contributed by Leah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paige Cowell
on The Lord Is a Warrior (feat. Shai Linne)
Revalation 19
Heaven's open behold a white horse amazing the view
The one sitting on the horse called faithful and true
He judges and makes war, the reign of messiah
His eyes flames of fire, strange his attire
His robe dipped in blood but his name is not Joseph
His aim is explosive God's fame is denotive
Flashback long before this moment would end
He loved his opponents when he made atonement for sin
Resurrected at the Father's right hand he sat down
Well he's back now and found on his head a mack crown
Smack down
The sights and sounds amazing
A sharp sword's in his mouth to strike down the nations
Today is the day thats he's welcoming the foreigners
Well bet and believe that he hung up on the cross for ya
Otherwise you'll read him as a holy right distorter
Somebody call the (?)
The Lord is a warrior