Born in Orange County son of well-known worship leader John Wickham. He moved to San Diego in the middle of junior high school, which spawned his career. Asked by his youth pastor to lead worship at the age of 12, Wickham accepted, encouraged by his father then a worship pastor at Chuck Smith's Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.
By 18, Wickham had released his debut CD, Give You My World, including the hit song "Shining." Surprised by its good reception, he began working on twelve new songs for his self-titled album, which was released on April 25, 2006 with Simple Records.Wickham's second release with Simple/INO Records, Cannons, was released in 2007. Cannons was inspired by cannon explosions and C.S. Lewis's book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from The Chronicles of Narnia series. Wickham stated in an interview with ChristianityToday.com that the album is "about how the universe is exploding with the glory of God, and how we are compelled to join in with its song." The 10th track from Cannons, "Jesus Lord of Heaven", has been translated into seven different languages. On August 8, 2008 Wickham released a live worship album titled singalong, recorded at Solid Rock Church in Portland, Oregon with 3000 fans present. The album was released as a free download, only available from his website, and received over 8,000 downloads within a week of being released. After the release of his singalong album, his self-titled debut climbed to No. 25 on iTunes Top Christian Albums chart (2 years after its initial release).
Wickham visits churches across the nation to play his music.
He recently (June 2008) performed at the Frenzy one-day Christian music festival, in Scotland.
Messiah
Phil Wickham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With secret battles inside our minds
Who can last
God we need your strength to find
Your light to guide us through the night
You're our only chance
Messiah, Messiah, Messiah save us
Run, I want to run to your open hand
But father I can barely stand
On my own
Now, like the children of Abraham
We're reaching out for the promised land
For our home
You are our only hope
You are our only hope
You are our only hope
The first verse of Phil Wickham's "Messiah" sets a tone of struggle and desperation. The road to salvation is not easy, and we all face internal battles that we must overcome in order to find our way. The singer calls out to God, acknowledging that they cannot make it alone, they need God's strength and guidance to make it through the darkness. The use of the word "chance" implies that without God's help, there's a possibility they may not make it at all.
The chorus of "Messiah" is a cry for salvation. The repetition of the word "Messiah" emphasizes the need for a savior, someone who can lift us up when we are weak and save us from our struggles. The added plea of "save us" highlights just how dire the situation is.
In the second verse, the singer continues to express their vulnerability and need for God. They want to run towards Him with open arms, but they feel as if they can barely stand on their own two feet. The mention of Abraham's children and the "promised land" ties in biblical references, alluding to the idea that we too are searching for our own heavenly home. The final repetition of "you are our only hope" confirms that there is no other way out of our struggles, we are entirely reliant on God's mercy to lead us to salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
Look, the road is narrow and hard to find
The path to righteousness is difficult and not easily identifiable
With secret battles inside our minds
There are internal conflicts and struggles that we face privately
Who can last
It is a challenging journey that tests our endurance
God we need your strength to find
We require the divine strength and guidance to navigate this path
Your light to guide us through the night
We need illumination to overcome darkness and uncertainty
You're our only chance
God is our sole opportunity for salvation
Messiah, Messiah, Messiah save us
We plead to Jesus Christ to rescue us from sin and worldly vices
Run, I want to run to your open hand
We seek to find refuge in the forgiving and loving arms of Christ
But father I can barely stand
We acknowledge our weaknesses and failings in the face of God's greatness
On my own
We cannot overcome our struggles independently
Now, like the children of Abraham
We look towards our spiritual ancestors from the Old Testament for inspiration
We're reaching out for the promised land
We aim to reach heaven, our ultimate goal
For our home
We aspire to enter God's kingdom and dwell in eternal peace
You are our only hope
We have complete faith and reliance on Jesus Christ for salvation
You are our only hope
We have complete faith and reliance on Jesus Christ for salvation
You are our only hope
We have complete faith and reliance on Jesus Christ for salvation
Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
simy muresan
My favorite song. I've been looking for it for 5 years. First time i was listening to it from my brother and i didn't know hwo is singing or the name of the song, as it was on a cassette. I fell in love with it and for years i was searching but only thing i remembered from the song was Messiah (at that time i didn't even know hot to spell it).
After five years of searching, while visiting my sister in Spain, i was listening to a CD in her car and i found this song again. I was sooo happy that for the next few days this was the only song I was listening to.
Thank you, Phil, for such an inspiring song.
Gabriela Virgínia Simões Ramos
Linda letra ! Amei <3
Maxwell Mooney
There’s something so raw and visceral about this first record.
I miss this style.
David Macias
Right? I miss the artistry in Christian music.
Martin
What a great song! Being looking for it for months!
David Baltierra
Martin Wainaina q
Rena Sassine
This is SO BEAUTIFUL!! I dont know why it doesnt have any views :o
Rachel Kwezi
Oh my God... beautiful beautiful song😍
Lionel MB
My favorite song ...Glory to God by the name of Jesus..Amen 🙏💗✝️
Hunter Baker
Messiah Jesus we need you Father we run to your open hand