What does it mean to have a ministry that changes lives, moves hearts, and inspires the next generation of musical artists? In contrast, what happens when that ministry is put on hold, leaving many longing for its return?
In 2020, many ministries were upended by COVID-19, and many were left struggling to figure out their next steps as even the organizations meant to uplift were put on hold.
Christian singer and songwriter Lauren Daigle found a way to adapt her music ministry, even when she couldn’t tour. Lauren shared on her Twitter feed, “If the world is in a state of chaos, where can I bring a little peace?”
And solo artist Lauren Daigle has done just that. Her songs speak to many struggling to find a way forward and continue to change lives years after the songs were written.
But Lauren didn’t start out with grandeur. Before she began her music ministry, she grew up dancing around her kitchen, honing her now iconic voice by singing along to her favorite worship music. While her role as a singing camel in her Christmas pageant didn’t revolutionize the music industry, it did awaken a longing in Lauren to keep singing.
Her dreams of becoming a musical artist came to a screeching halt when she was diagnosed with a severe form of mono, cytomegalovirus, when she was only 15 years old. This disease made many of her daily tasks impossible, and she spent her days sleeping, watching television, and lying around the house, too weak to sing.
Even during her sickness, Lauren felt called to worship ministry, finding peace in God’s calling for her life.
As Lauren recovered, she started to pursue her dream of being a singer by auditioning for the television show American Idol. While she didn’t win the show, Lauren still grew as an artist and discovered her musical style as she continued to develop her passion for music ministry.
Keith Stevens, radio personality and host of the I Love That Song podcast, met Lauren at a retreat. In the podcast, he reminisced about the first time he heard her sing as back-up for Jason Gray. “I knew right away that she was going to be a star,” he said.
Lauren grew her ministry of Christian music over the years and now ministers to millions through her songs and online presence. In addition to performing throughout the United States, she is also featured on podcast episodes, television shows, and radio shows. Her music speaks to believers and stirs the hearts of many more through lyrics that speak of hardship and hope.
A KTIS listener was sincerely grateful for Lauren’s song “Trust In You” and the lasting impact it made on her life: “That song has brought me through many crisis days when I was totally at a loss of where to turn and what to do.” Lauren Daigle’s “Trust In You” speaks to individuals going through times when life doesn’t seem to make sense.
The song was written as Lauren wrestled with sorrow and heartbreak after her grandfather passed away. Lauren expressed how it felt to lose her best friend and biggest supporter right before the release of her Look Up Child album. But her faith in the Lord turned one of her hardest experiences into a proclamation of His faithfulness:
When You don’t move the mountains
I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When you don’t give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You
(Lauren Daigle, “Trust In You” lyrics).
Even in that hardship, Lauren was able to express the gospel, calling those in similar circumstances to trust in God. When God doesn’t answer each request with what we want to hear, Lauren asks us to lean on Him and trust that His plans are better than ours.
A listener shared how Lauren Daigle’s song “Rescue” brought her through a dark season:
“I had gotten to a point in my life where I felt like I had nobody or no one to turn to. And so I tried to end my life. While I was in the emergency room, there was a nurse sitting at my bedside, and she decided to play ‘Rescue’ by Lauren Daigle. In that moment, God hung there in that darkness and rescued me. I have been incredibly grateful ever since. And every time I hear that song come on the radio, it’s like a refresher … that my life is valuable.”
Lauren hoped to convey the promise that God will be with us during hardships, walk beside us through the challenges, and sit with us in our sorrows. She reminds us that Christ sees and knows the place we are in. She speaks to those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts, deep depression, and feelings of meaninglessness, and encourages all of us to lift our eyes to our rescuer:
You are not hidden
There’s never been a moment
You were forgotten
You are not hopeless
Though you have been broken
(Lauren Daigle, “Rescue” lyrics).
Lauren recorded the song with the story of her loved one fresh in her mind. She hoped her song would resonate with anyone who struggled to feel God’s closeness. Lauren speaks to a generation that can sympathize with the feelings of loneliness and despair and asks us to rest in Christ as our rescuer.
Lauren also writes her Christian music to those who are stuck in feelings of doubt and shame. A KTIS listener recalled:
“Her song ‘Still Rolling Stones’ pulled me out of a gutter. I was very depressed and having a hard time. All of the sudden, her song came on the radio, and I heard, ‘You’re still rolling stones … / I’m the one who dug this grave / But You called my name.’ And it changed my whole life. I am following God fully and completely. He’s my life. He’s my savior.”
While “Still Rolling Stones” experienced significant resistance because of Lauren’s performance of the song on The Ellen Show, “Still Rolling Stones” provides hope for many that Christ is still working on this earth, though we live in a largely secular society.
Out of the shadows
Bound for the gallows
A dead man walking
Til love came calling
Rise up, rise up
(Lauren Daigle, “Still Rolling Stones” lyrics).
Ephesians 2:4–5 says, “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
In Lauren Daigle’s Look Up Child album, she calls us to remember who we are. We were dead, destined for hell, but God saved us from death, raising us to new life in Him. Each song Lauren writes is an additional reminder of this wonderful truth.
As a Christian music artist, Lauren is focused on crafting an environment of worship and continuing to use her music as a ministry to change lives, move hearts, and inspire the next generation.
To hear more about Lauren Daigle’s music ministry, listen to Keith Steven’s I Love That Song podcast.