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/
Secret Weapon
Petra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Based on Romans 1:9, 2 Corinthians 10:4
I've waited patiently for your reply
You say you'll come around by and by
I've tried to show the way into the light
But I just won't let you go without a fight
You think my hands are tied
I've got you in my sight day and night
(Chorus)
I've got a secret weapon
I'll pray for you
I've got a secret weapon
Gonna get through
I really care about you
I'll pray for you
I've told you everything you need to know
But you still fluctuate to and fro
You just can't push yourself over the edge
So I will pull the rug behind the hedge
How can you ever lose
This deal you can't refuse
So with your hands up high
Reach for the sky
I won't give up on you
I'll pray until the night is through
And you surrender to the light
Come on surrender
The lyrics to Petra's song Secret Weapon address the persistent perseverance of someone who cares about another person and their spiritual journey. They have waited patiently for the person's response, but they have been met with indecision and inconsistency. The singer has tried to show the person the way to the light but has been met with resistance. Despite this, they refuse to give up on the individual and are determined to keep them in their sight day and night.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's unwavering commitment to pray for the person and their spiritual transformation. They view prayer as their "secret weapon" and are confident that it will allow them to break through the person's resistance and bring them to surrender to the light. The lyrics suggest that the person has been offered a "deal" that they cannot refuse, but they are still hesitant to fully commit. This is where the singer's persistence and prayer come in, as they refuse to give up on the person until they surrender to the light.
Overall, the song is a message of hope and determination in the face of resistance, emphasizing the power of prayer and the unwavering commitment of those who care deeply about another's spiritual journey.
Line by Line Meaning
I've waited patiently for your reply
I have waited for you to respond to my efforts to guide you towards the light.
You say you'll come around by and by
You have expressed a willingness to change, but you have yet to act on it.
I've tried to show the way into the light
I have made several attempts to help you find your way to the light.
But I just won't let you go without a fight
I care about your soul and will not let it slip away without a struggle.
You think my hands are tied
You believe that I am powerless to change your behavior.
But you will never hide, no
Despite your attempts to hide, I will always be aware of your actions.
I've got you in my sight day and night
I am always watching out for you, and my thoughts and prayers are always with you.
I've got a secret weapon
My secret weapon is prayer to help guide you towards salvation.
I'll pray for you
I will turn to prayer as a way to show you compassion and support you.
Gonna get through
I will help you get through these tough times and guide you towards the light.
I really care about you
I genuinely care about you and your well-being.
I've told you everything you need to know
I have shared with you everything I believe you need to know to find your way to the light.
But you still fluctuate to and fro
Despite my guidance, you continue to struggle to determine the correct path for yourself.
You just can't push yourself over the edge
You struggle to make the final decision to commit fully to following the light.
So I will pull the rug behind the hedge
I will take action to help you make that final decision and commitment.
How can you ever lose
If you fully commit to the light, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
This deal you can't refuse
The choice to follow the light is ultimately yours, but it is one you should not refuse.
So with your hands up high
Raise your hands in surrender to the light and let it guide you.
Reach for the sky
Embrace the light fully and let it guide you towards salvation.
I won't give up on you
No matter what, I will continue to support you and show you compassion and love.
I'll pray until the night is through
I will continue to turn to prayer to help show you the way towards the light.
And you surrender to the light
When you fully surrender to the light, you will find peace and salvation.
Come on surrender
Let go of your hesitation and commit fully to following the light.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: BRENDA RUSSELL, BRENDA GORDON RUSSELL, JEFFREY HULL, JEFFREY B. HULL, SCOTT CUTLER, SCOTT MICHAEL CUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
st th
An awesome band 20yrs ago. still awesome music glorifying the living God
Jennifer Pruitt
petra's the greatest rock group to ever grace the stage! they preach the Gospel and keep it real! God bless petra!
Timothy Washburn
Andrew Nichols Where do you see that in the Bible? I might be missing something, but a roaring lion and Angel of light are the only descriptions I remember off the top of my head. Oh, and father of lies.
AnnaMarie w
Very powerful message from within thank you
Alice Koetsier
great song💝💝
Bibih
woow, what a message 🙌
Jorge Luiz
Sinto unção do senhor
YEHSHUA BENDAVID
THE BEST, ESCUCHANDOLO EN FLORES CABA BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA,...TODA LA GENTE ME FELICITA SE DA VUELTA Y DICE::: ESA MUSICA TIENE ALGO ,ME QUIEBRA, QUE ES????
mike BENOIT
AMEN Brothers 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 thank God for you and Rock and Roll for JESUS
Donald Barnharti
Pulled my from a dark place in my life. Then went to see the w newsboys years ago. Gave my heart to GOD. Life has been up and down since but I am proud today to b a Chaplin and on my way to a pastorial degree