Don't Stop Praying

Matthew West's “Don't Stop Praying” speaks to someone worn down by waiting. The opening questions are direct: “What's your impossible, your 'I need a miracle,' what's got you barely hanging by a single thread.” The singer acknowledges that you may have “cried and cried till your tears run dry” without an answer, and that you may wonder whether to “bow your head even one more time.”

The chorus is the encouragement: “Don't stop praying, don't stop calling on Jesus' name, keep on pounding on heaven's door, let your knees wear out the floor.” It adds that “mountains move with just a little faith” and that the Father has heard every word. The bridge goes through a list of things to keep praying for, among them the prodigal, addictions, the sick, and “the kingdom come.” The list is concrete enough that most listeners will find their own situation in it.

Closeness to the brokenhearted is Psalm 34:18. Mountains moving by faith is Matthew 17:20, and the call to persist in prayer matches Luke 18:1, where Jesus tells a parable about praying and not giving up.