Fall is officially in the air. Can you feel it? Leaves are crunching under our feet, and pumpkins are brightening up our front porches. Sweater weather is finally here. PSL season is in full swing, and we’re not mad about it. The abundant harvest of autumn is a reminder that change is a part of God’s good design as fall fuels our favorite time of year and fills that beautiful gap between summer and winter. Shorter days and cooler nights call for an updated worship playlist to make all those glorious evenings, tailor-made for fires and s’mores, just a little bit sweeter. It’s high time for some pumpkin spice and praise. Here are seven songs for fall days.
“God I’m Just Grateful,” Elevation Worship & Chandler Moore
Elevation Worship expresses enduring thankfulness on “God I’m Just Grateful,” the closing track on the award-winning group’s latest album, “SO BE IT.” Led by Chandler Moore — who co-wrote the song with Pat Barrett, Steven Furtick, Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr and Joshua Emanuel Coleman — the power ballad begins with a slow, sincere nod to undeserved grace before bursting into a chorus that overflows with gratitude for all God has done and is yet to do. “‘God I’m Just Grateful’ reminds us of the power in choosing thankfulness, even when our timing doesn’t match His,” Elevation Worship collectively shares. “Our prayer is that in every season — whether He says ‘yes’ or ‘wait’ — you would still choose to celebrate what He’s doing right now.” The explosive collaboration just cracked the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first entry for both Elevation Worship and Moore on the all-genre chart.
“Look At What God Has Done,” Lost & Found
New England indie collective Lost & Found’s radio debut, “Look At What God Has Done,” is an upbeat, arena-ready anthem of praise. The acoustic-grounded Americana-pop offering introduces the fresh worship outfit and their contagious harmonies, alongside youthful lead vocals from Micah Palacio. Palacio, a former contestant on “America’s Got Talent,” wrote the joyful track with buzzy songwriter-producer Zac Lawson, who’s collaborated on major hits from Brandon Lake, Josiah Queen and Forrest Frank. With its high-energy message of redemption, “Look At What God Has Done” serves up a joyful declaration of gratitude the group calls “an anthem for our generation.” Fans were on board from day one with one listener commenting the song “reminds me of church camp” and a second remarking, “This is what the joy of the Lord sounds like.”
“How Good God Is,” Brandon Lake
Brandon Lake shifts his point of view by focusing on God’s promises on new song “How Good God Is.” The buzzworthy original is already breaking records as the track became the first single to debut at No. 1 on the Mediabase Christian Impressions chart in the listing’s history. The award-winning artist penned the moving offering with Jonathan Smith, Emily Weisband and Derrick Southerland. The vulnerable selection starts quietly before crescendoing into an honest, gritty anthem that finds Lake choosing to look at life’s difficulties as opportunities to experience new facets of the Lord’s character. “If God has been anything to me in this life, He’s been good,” the South Carolina-based musician shares. “Through every valley, storm, test and trial, I find that He is teaching me something and using it to make me a little more like Him.”
“Father’s House,” Elevation Rhythm
Serving up a sacred moment of worship, Elevation Rhythm delivers “Father’s House.” Led by the collective’s newest vocalist, Violet Knull, the piano-laden selection offers a song of pure adoration that turns our attention toward Jesus. Penned by the group’s Josh Holiday, alongside respected worship writers Abbie Gamboa and Naomi Raine, “Father’s House” crescendoes into a genuine declaration of praise that invites listeners into the presence of God. “‘Father’s House’ has become my personal prayer and anthem to our Heavenly Father,” says Knull, who led the ballad for the first time at Elevation Church’s annual youth camp. “This song is both a reminder and a declaration that He is the reward. More than anything else we could receive, just being in His presence and being called His daughter or son is the gift.” The slow-burning original, permeated by descriptive lyricism and Knull’s airy vocal, was inspired by Psalm 27:4: “The one thing I ask of the Lord — the thing I seek most — is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His Temple.”
“Valley Of Worship,” Seph Schlueter
Seph Schlueter wrote his new single, “Valley Of Worship,” in the wake of losing his daughter. His wife was pregnant with their first child, and the couple went to her 20-week ultrasound appointment only to discover there was no longer a heartbeat. The raw “Valley Of Worship” — which Schlueter crafted with David Leonard, Ethan Hulse and Jacob Sooter — finds the newcomer pouring his doubts and fears out in song, questioning God’s goodness in the midst of unfathomable grief. The lyrics reveal a heartbroken father grappling with the ache of reality in the face of what he knows to be true of God’s character. Ultimately, the “Turn It To Praise” singer draws the conclusion that while he might not ever fully understand the reasons behind the significant loss, he has experienced the nearness of the Lord in a tangible way as he and his wife have walked through this season of acute pain and confusion. “Even in the valleys, God is still worthy of our praise,” he says of the overarching message of the original track. “I pray that ‘Valley Of Worship’ helps you lift your eyes to Him, wherever you are.”
“Everyday Hallelujah,” Phil Wickham
From the vibrant colors of a sunrise to the warm embrace of his children, Phil Wickham discovers joy in life’s ordinary moments on “Everyday Hallelujah.” Wrapped in genuine gratitude, the slow-building pop anthem feels like a deep exhale. Penned alongside revered songwriter Paul Duncan, “Everyday Hallelujah” was inspired by Wickham’s latest devotional of the same name. “We tend to separate the spiritual and the physical into two different categories…but I don’t think we were made to separate these things. All things can become worship when we live intentionally in response to a gracious and loving God. Every breath, every step and every conversation can be a hallelujah,” Wickham explains of the impetus behind the fresh cut. “Writing this song was a reminder to myself that God is worthy of our praise in every moment. I hope listening to it does the same for you.” The SoCal native gave listeners an initial taste of “Everyday Hallelujah” when he buried a rough demo as a hidden track on his “Song Of The Saints (Deluxe)” edition. The finished recording released this summer ahead of the accompanying book, comprised of 36 brief reflections that encourage readers to make worship a way of life.
“Amazing!,” Elevation Rhythm & Josiah Queen
Elevation Rhythm and Josiah Queen team up to share the Gospel on new anthem “Amazing!” A subtle nod to traditional hymn “Amazing Grace,” “Amazing!” celebrates forgiveness, mercy and new life in Christ across an exuberant moment of praise. The song’s meaningful lyrics are backed by an infectious melody and the youthful spirit both acts naturally exude. Written by Josh Holiday (Elevation Rhythm), Queen, Steven Furtick (Sons of Sunday) and Zac Lawson, “Amazing!” appears on Elevation Rhythm’s new nine-cut collection, “Washed,” and is also slated to be a part of the tracklisting for Queen’s third studio effort, “Damascus Road,” releasing Oct. 23. Wasting little time with an intro, Queen jumps in immediately to lead the energetic verses and a resounding chorus that takes cues from the Apostle’s Creed. Elevation Rhythm’s Nate Diaz steers the memorable bridge, declaring, “Hallelujah to the man on the middle cross. ’Cause He didn’t owe the debt, but He paid it off.”
