Revitalized Singer Flying Solo and Lov… Read Full Bio ↴Trent Monk in the Here and Now...
Revitalized Singer Flying Solo and Loving It
At some point among the crashing plates and angry customers, Trent Monk realized he was missing his calling.
“I was going to culinary school to be a chef. I was working in a restaurant and went, wait, what am I doing?” he said. “The learning curve was years ahead of me to become a great chef. Did I want to leave behind all 10 years that I had put into music? That’s when I began to realize why I started doing music in the first place. God starting doing things with my heart.”
Monk’s musical sabbatical ended there. He picked up his guitar and hasn’t looked back.
“It feels good, feels right. I have more passion and excitement than I’ve ever had.”
Monk had survived and thrived through the music industry grind for more than a decade. Success came through a pair of Nashville record label deals and Top 5 hits. He recorded Dancing with the Angels in 2005 and The Twenty-First Time in 2008 as half of the Monk and Neagle duo.
The records drew industry acclaim.
"I've worked on a lot of great records," said Ed Cash, Gospel Music's 5 time Producer of the Year, "and the special ones you can usually identify. From the beginning, the songs to me on this record are simply at another level... It's been amazing, watching these guys bring them to life."
But a few years later, Monk says he was dried up and burned out. He walked away.
“I’ve always said that I would give it up and go in a different direction if God wanted me to. I guess I had to get to that place and really prove it before I could be used by God.”
A re-energized Monk is enjoying life touring as a solo artist. He released a studio album, "Dreamer," in August 2011 and a live record "Trent Monk Live," in February 2012. His new single, "Beautiful You," was release to radio on April 13, 2012 and continues to climb the charts. He describes the music as “soulful acoustic pop with a message.”
And what is the message?
“My writing lately seems to have a theme throughout it,” he said. “Not that every song sounds the same but I think it’s about allowing God to steer you in the right direction from an unpleasant place to a place of peace where you are supposed to be.”
All words spoken by an artist whose music has a mission larger than entrees and appetizers. “I would love for people’s lives to change in some way and to be encouraged,” he said. “What I’ve walked through in my life and the way that God has used those things, I feel like people can relate with their own stories and let God do something in their lives.”
Pray
Trent Monk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the only thing that saved our lives
So we give ourselves to Him
But we say there's only so much time in the day
It's sometimes too hard to find the time to pray
So many other things we think we need to do
But all we see and all we hear
Look at the road the world's gone down
Can't we see time'
(Chorus)
To let his praise resound
As we all gather 'round
Let's lift our hands and pray
And call His name
As we fall down on our knees to pray
It seems this world I tumbling down
Can we even turn this thing around?
You might ask yourself
'Can He really hear what I have to say
And have I really been called to pray?'
With all we see and all we hear
Can't we see the signs are clear?
Look at the road the world's gone done
Can't we see that it's time'
(Chorus)
Teach us oh Lord, how to pray
And be more like You
Cause we want to stand before You
Having done what You have called us to, yeah
And now it's time to pray, yeah
It's time to pray, yeah
So let His praise resound
As we all gather 'round.
Let's lift our hands and call his name
As we fall down on our knees to pray, yeah
In the first verse of Trent Monk's song "Pray," he sings about sacrificing ourselves to God and the importance of prayer. He acknowledges that sometimes it can be difficult to find the time to pray due to the many distractions and responsibilities of daily life. However, he reminds listeners of the clear signs all around us, such as the state of the world, that indicate the need for prayer. In the chorus, Monk urges listeners to come together, praise God, and pray, acknowledging that the world seems to be falling apart and desperate for change. He asks God to teach us how to pray and helps us become more like Him so that we can stand before Him having done what we were called to do.
The song "Pray" was released in 2008 as part of the album "Love In A Different Light" by Christian rock band Avalon.
Line by Line Meaning
The sacrifice we realize
We understand the sacrifice that was made for us
As the only thing that saved our lives
We recognize that the sacrifice is what saved us
So we give ourselves to Him
We surrender ourselves to God
But we say there's only so much time in the day
We often use lack of time as an excuse not to pray
It's sometimes too hard to find the time to pray
We struggle to make time for prayer
So many other things we think we need to do
We prioritize other things over prayer
But all we see and all we hear
Despite what we see and hear around us
Can't we see the signs are clear?
We should recognize the signs that point to the need for prayer
Look at the road the world's gone down
The world is headed in a troubling direction
Can't we see time'
It's time to pray
To let his praise resound
We should give praise to God
As we all gather 'round
When we come together as believers
Let's lift our hands and pray
Let's physically demonstrate our devotion to God
And call His name
Direct our prayers to God
As we fall down on our knees to pray
Again, a physical demonstration of our humility before God
It seems this world is tumbling down
The world is experiencing many problems
Can we even turn this thing around?
We wonder if things can get better
You might ask yourself
We might question ourselves
'Can He really hear what I have to say
We might doubt whether God is listening to us
And have I really been called to pray?'
We question our own duty to pray
Teach us oh Lord, how to pray
We ask for divine guidance in prayer
And be more like You
We want to emulate God's character
Cause we want to stand before You
We aspire to be in God's presence
Having done what You have called us to, yeah
Having fulfilled our purpose in life
And now it's time to pray, yeah
Once again, the urgency of prayer is emphasized
It's time to pray, yeah
We should not delay prayer any longer
So let His praise resound
Reiteration of the importance of giving praise to God
As we all gather 'round.
Reiteration of the importance of coming together as believers
Let's lift our hands and call his name
Reiteration of the importance of directed prayer
As we fall down on our knees to pray, yeah
Reiteration of the importance of humility before God
Contributed by Camden S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Judi Paris
This song is so "beautiful" - I listen to it every day - thank U for your "beautiful" lyrics - God is good and so are you :-)
Jeremy Scherr
Amazing song.
Jameleh Forooshani
I could not believe or imagine life with God the Father God the son and God the Holy spirit!!!