Lifesong

Casting Crowns' “Lifesong” is a prayer that asks whether worship matches the way a person lives. It opens with the line “Empty hands held high, such small sacrifice, if not joined with my life, I sing in vain tonight.” Singing alone is not what the singer wants to offer, and the song continues with a wish that his words and actions would bring a smile to God.

The chorus supplies the title: “May the words I say and the things I do make my lifesong sing, bring a smile to You. Let my lifesong sing to You.” The verse continues with the idea of ending each day with a clear conscience: “I want to sign Your name to the end of this day, knowing that my heart was true.” The second section is a commitment, “Lord, I give my life, a living sacrifice, to reach a world in need, to be Your hands and feet.” The word hallelujah comes near the end, and the final line repeats the title, tying the song back to a life lived as an offering.

Presenting your body as a living sacrifice is Romans 12:1. Doing everything in his name is Colossians 3:17, and letting your light shine is Matthew 5:16.