If you go to church this weekend, chances are good the worship leader might lead the congregation in “Build My Life” by the band Housefires. Chances are also good you’ll sing a worship song by Hillsong Music or Chris Tomlin. These song preferences are according to data published by Faithlife Proclaim, a cloud-based presentation software company that has been tracking data from churches across the United States for three years now.
The data “shows how music unites regardless of size, denomination or location,” Faithlife CEO Bob Pritchett says.
The company tracks the popularity of songs in real time and makes the information available online. The Faithlife Proclaim website states it is used by over 10,000 churches. Of course, the data it provides about popular worship songs does not account for what every church in the United States is singing—only those who subscribe to Faithlife’s presentation software. However, it does give a good snapshot of the things a lot of churches are singing right now.
Songs are ranked according to how many churches use them in worship sets that particular week. Currently, there is even a hymn in the top ten songs. At the time of this article’s publishing, the following ten songs are the ones being used the most by churches who use the software:
- Build My Life by Pat Barrett
- What a Beautiful Name by Hillsong
- Ten Thousand Reasons by Matt Redman
- Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) by Chris Tomlin
- Great Are You Lord by David Leonard, All Sons and Daughters
- This Is Amazing Grace by Jeremy Riddle, Bethel Music
- Who You Say I Am by Hillsong
- Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow by Charles Wesley
- Lord I Need You by Christy Nockels, Matt Maher
- How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin
The Most Popular Song: Build My Life
A lot of worship songs are written by a handful of people—not just one musician. “Build My Life” is no different. The authors include Brett Younker, Karl Martin, Matt Redman, Kirby Elizabeth Kaple, and Pat Barrett. In an interview with HIS Radio in 2018, Barrett said the song came together “in pieces over the years” with the help of fellow worship leaders and friends. Barrett says he wrote it over a period of his life in which he experienced a lot of change. He was a new parent and “wanting to be the best parent.” Barrett says he was “looking for steadiness” in his own life, which prompted him to write the lyrics about building one’s life on God’s love.
The lyrics for the song speak to God’s faithfulness and his steadiness. It’s a beautiful song that expresses God’s uniqueness and holiness.
Worthy of every song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
Jesus, the Name above every other name
Jesus, the only One who could ever save
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
Holy, there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
Show me who You are and fill me
With Your heart and lead me
In Your love to those around me
I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
You can check out the songs that take up the other nine slots on the top 10 list below. Perhaps you’ll sing one of them at church this weekend.
What a Beautiful Name
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Great Are You Lord
This Is Amazing Grace
Who You Say I Am
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Doxology)
Here are a few renditions of the doxology that we love.
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