My Favorite All-Time Worship Song

“Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing…”

I was Superintending a small Christian school (K-12) in eastern Washington state a few years back, and I was personally struggling with all the old traditional songs and hymns we sang at our weekly student chapel. I think the other staff and students were struggling as well. We needed something new and energetic, something engaging, and something exciting to spark our precious worship time.

“My Jesus, my Savior…”

Then out of Australia comes this new bolt-of-lightning song called “Shout to the Lord,” by Darlene Zschech and Hillsong Music Australia, 1993. The students heard it first and learned it so they could perform it at the next chapel. Then the rest of us got to hear it live for the first time the following Wednesday. It changed everything.

“Lord there is none like You…”

Students who did not sing very loud sang louder and louder with each refrain. Students who did not sing at all finally started singing with the rest of the school. We sang it in chapel for months. It was the first song on every new set. And singing it once was not enough. When the song came to its end, we wanted to sing it all over again.

“All of my days I want to praise…”

It was like the Holy Spirit was unleashed within us. We felt a fire we had not felt in quite a while. We felt the Holy Spirit’s power. Many of us left chapel that day singing to ourselves, “Shout to the Lord…let us sing…” We sang it going home that day. We sang it into the evening. We sang it going to bed that night.

“The wonders of Your mighty love…”

Even now when the worship team at church sings this classic, something comes over me. I get tingly. My hairs stand up. I am eager to start. I want to get loud. For me, this song is the standard upon which all other worship songs are measured. This song leads to that energetic, engaging, and exciting worship I was talking about earlier.

“Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing.”

What I have since come to understand is that it is not the song that brings out the worship in us. That kind of worship is only possible through the Holy Spirit. But a song like, “Shout to the Lord,” can most certainly be a great vehicle to draw out that kind of deep emotion, and prompt you to respond with such fervor. It did for us.