1) Petra is a Christia… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Petra is a Christian Rock band formed in 1972 by Bob Hartman, Bill Glover, John DeGroff, and Greg Hough. "Petra" means "rock" in NT Greek, making the band name a triple pun. Rising from the Jesus music movement, and initially signed to [recordlabel]Myrrh Records[/recordlabel], they fought to gain acceptance and recognition in a church culture that at the time believed rock music to be off-limits. Over time they eventually won over most of their critics, thanks to a steady approach and some solid adult contemporary airplay hits like "The Coloring Song," outside of their usual rock fare. By the mid-80's, when lead singer Greg X. Volz left the band and was replaced by John Schlitt, Petra had solidified their place as the foremost Christian rock band in the industry with a string of hit albums and singles and strong touring. The release of Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out marked a turn towards modern-sounding worship music that would soon explode into the modern worship movement.
Petra was nominated for and won numerous Grammy and Dove Awards. In 1991, after the release of their acclaimed Beyond Belief record, Petra became the first rock band ever to win for Group of the Year at the Dove Awards. They were also the first Christian rock band to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
For three decades Petra continued to produce albums despite changes in their line-up as well as the genre and market. On May 24th, 2005 Petra announced their retirement after 33 years of ministry. They recorded one of their final performances in Franklin, Tennessee to release it as their last album, Farewell. Their last performance finished in the early hours of January 1, 2006 in Murphy, North Carolina. Bob Hartman and John Schlitt continue to tour under the moniker II Guys From Petra.
Lineups through the years:
Early 80's Captured in Time & Space lineup: Bob Hartman, Greg X. Volz, John Slick, Mark Kelly, Louie Weaver, John Lawry
Late 80's "Beyond Belief dream team" lineup: Bob Hartman, John Schlitt, John Lawry, Louie Weaver, Ronny Cates
Late 90's Petra Praise 2 - We Need Jesus lineup: John Schlitt, Louie Weaver, Lonnie Chapin, Pete Orta, Kevin Brandow
Farewell CD lineup: John Schlitt, Bob Hartman, Greg Bailey, Paul Simmons, with special appearances by Greg X. Volz and John Lawry
More members: Rob Frazier, Jim Cooper, David Lichens, Trent Thomason, Bryce Bell, Quinton Gibson, Justin Johnson
See also http://www.petraband.com/
Praise Ye The Lord
Petra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Lord is reigning, you people rejoice
The Word of the Lord is a two-edged sword
He's placed it in our hands
Praise ye the Lord
Praise ye the Lord
Praise ye the Lord forever
The word of the Lord shall endure forever and ever
His merciful kindness is great toward us
Is with us to the end
Now let us go on to perfection
Leaving behind the old carnal mind
Press toward the mark of the high call of God
Which is the fullness of Christ
Praise the Lord for His mercy
Praise the Lord for His love
His everlasting love
Praise the Lord for His kindness
Praise the Lord for His Son
Jesus is Lord
Jesus is Lord
Jesus is Lord forever
The song "Praise Ye The Lord" by Petra is a call to all people and nations to give glory and honor to God. The opening lines express this message as the psalmist did in Psalm 117, saying, "Praise ye the Lord, all ye nations; praise him, all ye people" (KJV). The following verses talk about the power of God's Word, which is like a two-edged sword. This sword of the Spirit is given to believers, who are charged with spreading the Good News of salvation through Christ to all who will receive it.
The chorus of the song repeats the call to praise the Lord, emphasizing that this should be our response to God's greatness forever. The third verse encourages believers to move beyond their old ways of thinking and to strive for perfection in Christ. The mark of the high call of God is the fullness of Christ, which we can only attain by His grace and through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Overall, "Praise Ye The Lord" is a joyful and exuberant song that celebrates the goodness of God, His power to save, and the call to follow Him with all our hearts. It is a reminder to all people that God is sovereign over all creation, and the only way to find true fulfillment and purpose in life is by seeking and following Him.
Line by Line Meaning
Praise ye the Lord all ye nations
Let us all give praise and worship to the Lord, no matter what nation we come from. His greatness is universal and knows no boundaries.
The Lord is reigning, you people rejoice
The Lord is in control and governing all things according to His perfect will. We should all be filled with joy because of this.
The Word of the Lord is a two-edged sword
The Word of the Lord is powerful and can both defend us from the enemy and cut through our own hardness of heart. It is a sharp and effective instrument of truth and righteousness.
He's placed it in our hands
God has entrusted us with His Word and given us the responsibility to use it well. We should cherish and treasure it, and allow it to guide and shape our lives.
Praise ye the Lord
Let us continue to give praise and exalt the Lord for all His goodness and mercy toward us. He is worthy of all honor and glory.
Praise ye the Lord forever
Our praise and worship of the Lord should never cease, but continue forever and ever, throughout all eternity.
The word of the Lord shall endure forever and ever
The Word of God is eternal and unchanging, and will always remain relevant and powerful no matter how much time passes.
His merciful kindness is great toward us
God's mercy and grace toward us is immeasurable and unfathomable. He is always kind and compassionate, even when we don't deserve it.
Is with us to the end
God is always with us, guiding us and protecting us even in the midst of trials and difficulties. He will never leave us or forsake us.
Now let us go on to perfection
Let us continue to press forward in our spiritual growth and development, striving to become more like Christ every day.
Leaving behind the old carnal mind
As we grow in Christ, we should strive to put away our old sinful and selfish ways of thinking and living, and embrace a new mindset that is focused on righteousness and holiness.
Press toward the mark of the high call of God
Let us aim high in our walk with God, always seeking to fulfill His will and purpose for our lives, and reaching for the ultimate goal of becoming one with Christ.
Which is the fullness of Christ
The ultimate goal of our spiritual journey is to become completely and fully united with Christ, experiencing the fullness of His presence and power in our lives.
Praise the Lord for His mercy
Let us give thanks and praise to the Lord for His abundant mercy and grace toward us, even when we fall short and make mistakes.
Praise the Lord for His love
We should always remember and acknowledge the unfailing and unconditional love that God has for us, and give Him praise for it.
His everlasting love
God's love for us is eternal and never-ending, and will abide forever through all of life's trials and challenges.
Praise the Lord for His kindness
God's kindness and goodness toward us is an endless source of comfort and joy, and we should always give Him thanks and praise for it.
Praise the Lord for His Son
Above all else, we should give God praise and thanks for sending His Son Jesus Christ to redeem and save us from our sins.
Jesus is Lord
Jesus Christ is our Lord and Master, the one we serve and worship with our whole hearts and lives.
Jesus is Lord forever
Christ's Lordship over our lives will never end, but will continue on for all eternity in the fullness of His glory and grace.
Lyrics © WESTRAX MUSIC PUBLISHING, Capitol CMG Publishing, Spirit Music Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tim Chesonis
As a 15 year old, this particular song so lifted my spirit . . . . especially the live version on "Captured in Time and Space"!
lazygreed
Jesus reigns forever! Amen!
mkcmg
My favorite Christian album! They eloquently proclaim the Kingdom of Christ! I remember seeing this tour in Houston back in the early 80s. I sat on the second row, center seat. Good times.
Michael Sarricchio
Wow, its so cool reading everyone's posts about Petra and how God has used them to encourage us. These guys are a gift to the Church! May God richly reward them!!
Brent Haught
Saw Petra live in 1982 at some high school auditorium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Greg Volz and the lead guitar, Bob Hartman, had a duel. Greg killed it. A profound vocal range. Got the opportunity to meet him afterward.
Keith Watson
Brent Haught awesome
The River Pirate 13
Petra had some of the coolest looking album cover artwork. You just dont see this anymore. This song is such a great praise song.
hraith
Lot of good songs on this album, but you can hear why this one always stood out.
Jim Chumley
Saw Petra 7times and their Farewell Tour. 😔 Awesome band and Bob Hartman was such a prolific writer and wrote biblicly based songs that are like Bible studies. What can I say, Petra was the best ever. Another great band is Kutless. Kutless cd titled Know That Your Alive in my opinion one of the best Rock cds ever produced. Every song is incredible.
Kathy Buck
I seen Petra in northern Illinois and it was an awesome concert! I was sad when Greg left the group. No one can ever replace his singing. Petra was the best!