Worship poetry is the hardest and easiest poetry to write. There are so many different aspects of God to worship and admire but God is above and beyond words - I have limitless topics but no material.
Enough
The Black Knight
Father God, I need You now
There’s so much I don’t know
So much I don’t understand
Lord, please show me how
To live a life where Your love shows
To hold tight to Your mighty right hand
Remind me of Your majesty
Of Your power without end
Of Your awesome, matchless might
Teach me to come in fear, silently
To humble myself and enter in
Before the King of kings, ruler of day and night
Lord, I need Your guidance
Your wisdom and Your love
I need Your power if I’m to ever be enough.
There’s so much I don’t know
So much I don’t understand
Lord, please show me how
To live a life where Your love shows
To hold tight to Your mighty right hand
Remind me of Your majesty
Of Your power without end
Of Your awesome, matchless might
Teach me to come in fear, silently
To humble myself and enter in
Before the King of kings, ruler of day and night
Lord, I need Your guidance
Your wisdom and Your love
I need Your power if I’m to ever be enough.
First Love
The Black Knight
Love at first sight rarely exists
When I first saw you, my heart was adrift
I’ve strayed so far from what I know
But I hear You calling me home
You’re waiting there with open arms
To wrap me up and keep me safe from harm
No greater love is there for me
Than what You’ve given so freely
You’ve forgiven me everything
You hold my every dream
I ran away from You, but You followed
Lifted and picked me up with hands hallowed
When I fight Your love, Your touch
You remind me just how much
I’m truly missing, truly seeking
Lord, my heart, my soul is bleeding
Lift me up and hold me close
Help me to love my first love the most.
The Hope of an Empty Sanctuary
The Black Knight
Tell me, can you hear it?
A hundred voices singing out
A song of praise and jubilee
An ardent, joyous shout
Tell me, can you see it?
Children sitting side by side
Gathered in humble unity
A flawless, immaculate bride
Tell me, can you feel it?
Fellowship’s closeness in the air
A warm, inviting identity
Swirling between every chair
Tell me, can you see it?
The promise of this empty room
The darkness before the glory
Waiting for sunrise to bloom
Tell me, can you hear it?
The silence echoing all around
The quiet, empty sanctuary
Waiting for worship’s sound
A hundred voices singing out
A song of praise and jubilee
An ardent, joyous shout
Tell me, can you see it?
Children sitting side by side
Gathered in humble unity
A flawless, immaculate bride
Tell me, can you feel it?
Fellowship’s closeness in the air
A warm, inviting identity
Swirling between every chair
Tell me, can you see it?
The promise of this empty room
The darkness before the glory
Waiting for sunrise to bloom
Tell me, can you hear it?
The silence echoing all around
The quiet, empty sanctuary
Waiting for worship’s sound
In Awe
The Black Knight
My eyes roam all around
Circling, circling, spinning round
A thousand sights catch my eye
Cliffs, plains, clouds and sky
Wonders Your words have made
Foundations Your hands have laid
Browns and grays, greens and golds
Rustic beauty ages old
Jagged rocks reaching for the sky
Mesas rising stories high
Lands stretching in all directions
Revealing in them Your perfection
Thank You for bringing me to this place
That I may slightly glimpse Your face
Everything I’m seeing and all that I saw
Renders me in humbled awe.
Morning Shine
The Black Knight
In the east a light is shining
In the morning the sun is dawning
The clouds sprinkle the sky above
Rising white, flying as a dove
As the golden sky breaks below
And colors orange the parts that show
But above where the sky is blue
The clouds cast a darker hue
Shadows as fingers stretch across the sky
Pulling at my wandering eye
Country blue edged by navy lines
Stand in stark contrast to the morning shine
And as the gold gives way to the light of day
There’s so much and nothing for me to say
Lord, I know Your mercies are renewed
May my heart sing out in praise to You
In the morning the sun is dawning
The clouds sprinkle the sky above
Rising white, flying as a dove
As the golden sky breaks below
And colors orange the parts that show
But above where the sky is blue
The clouds cast a darker hue
Shadows as fingers stretch across the sky
Pulling at my wandering eye
Country blue edged by navy lines
Stand in stark contrast to the morning shine
And as the gold gives way to the light of day
There’s so much and nothing for me to say
Lord, I know Your mercies are renewed
May my heart sing out in praise to You
Out of Chaos
The Black Knight
My heart breaks within me
As my soul cries aloud
Faith in what I can’t see
Is all that holds me now
I’m drowning on dry land
Firm on mountains made of sand
Chewing on my every drink
Floating even as I sink
I need You to stay alive
I need You to see with my eyes
I need You to hear
Lord, hold me close, draw me near
Though the world crumbles
Forests fall like Jenga tumbles
Though the oceans rage
And the wind tastes of thyme and sage
I’ll hold close to You
And watch as You turn chaos into new
As my soul cries aloud
Faith in what I can’t see
Is all that holds me now
I’m drowning on dry land
Firm on mountains made of sand
Chewing on my every drink
Floating even as I sink
I need You to stay alive
I need You to see with my eyes
I need You to hear
Lord, hold me close, draw me near
Though the world crumbles
Forests fall like Jenga tumbles
Though the oceans rage
And the wind tastes of thyme and sage
I’ll hold close to You
And watch as You turn chaos into new
A Quiet Prayer
The Black Knight
Father God, here I am
I enter by the blood of the Lamb
Lord, You know who is on my heart today
You know what I’m really trying to pray
Lord, I ask that You be with her
Be her Daddy, her Father
Let her know that she is loved
Cherished, treasured, thought of
Remind her that she belongs to You
By Your love so pure, so true
Father God be her strength and courage
May she seek your and be encouraged
May her heart beat with life
As Your presence eases strife
As Your hand moves mountains
As Your whisper crosses oceans
Father God, be with her now
Help her to know You, to feel You somehow.
I enter by the blood of the Lamb
Lord, You know who is on my heart today
You know what I’m really trying to pray
Lord, I ask that You be with her
Be her Daddy, her Father
Let her know that she is loved
Cherished, treasured, thought of
Remind her that she belongs to You
By Your love so pure, so true
Father God be her strength and courage
May she seek your and be encouraged
May her heart beat with life
As Your presence eases strife
As Your hand moves mountains
As Your whisper crosses oceans
Father God, be with her now
Help her to know You, to feel You somehow.
Scarred
The Black Knight
Beauty is scarred, Perfection bears a mark
Hinting at my sin and shame, hinting at my dark
Grace offers peace, Hope sings of love
Of a Father and a home in the heavens above
Goodness knows my name, Kindness calling out to me
His outstretched hands bearing scars for all to see
Even though I nailed His wrists
Returned for His love my curses and fists
There He stands waiting patiently
His scarred hands all I see
He bore my sin and shame
His blood washed my name
His scars match my own
Every part of me, He knows
When He’s near, I’ll never be far
For Perfection is marked, Beauty is scarred
Hinting at my sin and shame, hinting at my dark
Grace offers peace, Hope sings of love
Of a Father and a home in the heavens above
Goodness knows my name, Kindness calling out to me
His outstretched hands bearing scars for all to see
Even though I nailed His wrists
Returned for His love my curses and fists
There He stands waiting patiently
His scarred hands all I see
He bore my sin and shame
His blood washed my name
His scars match my own
Every part of me, He knows
When He’s near, I’ll never be far
For Perfection is marked, Beauty is scarred
Two Worlds Collide was originally written as a way to express my grief. But about halfway through writing it, God stuck the thought in there of just how unworthy I was for His gift of her in the first place, that instead of moping I ought to be thankful for what I was given. And so instead of trying to forget the past, I try to look at it for what it is - good from God and my poor handling of His gift which He will use to shape me into who He wants me to be tomorrow. Gratitude doesn't take away the pain, but it gives the dark cloud its silver lining.
Two Worlds Collide
The Black Knight
Two worlds collide in my mind’s eye
A fiery maelstrom lights up my sky
Colors that I’ve never seen
Golden blues and silver greens
The night took on a rainbow glow
Blacks shown like sparkling snow
Hues danced in falling streams
Lights pirouetted across my dreams
Giggles twirled in my ears
A beautiful presence always near
I’m lost in her embrace
As her hair tickles my face
But the collision couldn’t last
And the moments fade into the past
So I will ever hold these memories tight
When she was my lady, and I, her knight.
How can we be angry with God when He takes back His own? Instead, let us give thanks and praise, honor and glory to Him for sharing with us of all people. While the hurt is real and might never disappear, God is good and loving and Christ still bears scars.
A fiery maelstrom lights up my sky
Colors that I’ve never seen
Golden blues and silver greens
The night took on a rainbow glow
Blacks shown like sparkling snow
Hues danced in falling streams
Lights pirouetted across my dreams
Giggles twirled in my ears
A beautiful presence always near
I’m lost in her embrace
As her hair tickles my face
But the collision couldn’t last
And the moments fade into the past
So I will ever hold these memories tight
When she was my lady, and I, her knight.
How can we be angry with God when He takes back His own? Instead, let us give thanks and praise, honor and glory to Him for sharing with us of all people. While the hurt is real and might never disappear, God is good and loving and Christ still bears scars.
Untitled Prayer
The Black Knight
Father God here I am
Lord there’s so much I need to say
So much to praise You for today
God you painted the morning sky
With pinks, violets, and baby blues
You calmed my heart tonight
With words of hope and truth
You’ve walked with me all the way
Through this valley, through this mist
You’ve been my rock day by day
Showed me wonders I would have missed
And so I find myself before You now
Full of questions, wondering how
How will You rescue my heart again?
How will I praise You when today ends?
But Lord it’s not just me I’m praying for
There’s another person, someone more
She’s your daughter, You love her dearly
Miles away yet I know You’ll hear me
Father I’m praying for her heart tonight
For her to see Your guiding light
Lord, You know the path she’s facing
With doubts and dreams dissipating
You know the pain she feels
When she only has the strength to kneel
Father please hear her prayer
Daddy, attend to her heart’s care
Wipe the tears from her eyes
Give her the faith to cry
Lord, wrap her in Your loving arms
Keep her soul safe from harm
And as she cries out to You
Make her joy complete, renewed
May she smile through the pain
May she ever bless Your name
Let Your praise indwell her heart
As she’s immersed in all You are
Lord, I know You love her more
But Father, she’s what I’m here for
My heart is breaking in the pain
My tears are mixing with the rain
To think of her hurt and tears
Is the worst of all my fears
Lord, grant her strength to face the day
Grant her wisdom and the words to say
Father show her the path to follow
Keep her safe until tomorrow
May she trust in You even more
As Your love opens the next door
As her heart quietly kneels
May she listen for Your leading
More than what she hopes and feels
May You be the song she’s singing
Lord there’s so much I need to say
So much to praise You for today
God you painted the morning sky
With pinks, violets, and baby blues
You calmed my heart tonight
With words of hope and truth
You’ve walked with me all the way
Through this valley, through this mist
You’ve been my rock day by day
Showed me wonders I would have missed
And so I find myself before You now
Full of questions, wondering how
How will You rescue my heart again?
How will I praise You when today ends?
But Lord it’s not just me I’m praying for
There’s another person, someone more
She’s your daughter, You love her dearly
Miles away yet I know You’ll hear me
Father I’m praying for her heart tonight
For her to see Your guiding light
Lord, You know the path she’s facing
With doubts and dreams dissipating
You know the pain she feels
When she only has the strength to kneel
Father please hear her prayer
Daddy, attend to her heart’s care
Wipe the tears from her eyes
Give her the faith to cry
Lord, wrap her in Your loving arms
Keep her soul safe from harm
And as she cries out to You
Make her joy complete, renewed
May she smile through the pain
May she ever bless Your name
Let Your praise indwell her heart
As she’s immersed in all You are
Lord, I know You love her more
But Father, she’s what I’m here for
My heart is breaking in the pain
My tears are mixing with the rain
To think of her hurt and tears
Is the worst of all my fears
Lord, grant her strength to face the day
Grant her wisdom and the words to say
Father show her the path to follow
Keep her safe until tomorrow
May she trust in You even more
As Your love opens the next door
As her heart quietly kneels
May she listen for Your leading
More than what she hopes and feels
May You be the song she’s singing
Vacancy
The Black Knight
There’s a cavity where my heart should be
For my soul a sign reads “Vacancy”
It’s been so long since I’ve felt like this
So long since my heart was missed
Lord, I don’t know what to do
God, help, I need You
Fill in the hole where my heart belongs
When I’m weak, You are strong
I know You’re with me all the way
I know that You’ve held my heart today
Thank You for being more than just a feeling
For being my Bedrock when my heart is reeling
God, You are ever true
I desperately need You.
For my soul a sign reads “Vacancy”
It’s been so long since I’ve felt like this
So long since my heart was missed
Lord, I don’t know what to do
God, help, I need You
Fill in the hole where my heart belongs
When I’m weak, You are strong
I know You’re with me all the way
I know that You’ve held my heart today
Thank You for being more than just a feeling
For being my Bedrock when my heart is reeling
God, You are ever true
I desperately need You.
Whole
The Black Knight
There is a Beauty I cannot explain
A Love for which there is one name
Strength beyond anything I’ve seen before
Truth standing on a lilied shore
And as He calls out to me
As He fills everything I can see
My heart is lost in praise
Awestruck wonder marks my days
Through His eyes I see my place
As He opens heaven’s gates
And pours out His glory
In that shower I know He loves me
So I close my eyes and look above
To Him whose name is Love
I open my heart and bare my soul
To Jesus who makes me whole
A Love for which there is one name
Strength beyond anything I’ve seen before
Truth standing on a lilied shore
And as He calls out to me
As He fills everything I can see
My heart is lost in praise
Awestruck wonder marks my days
Through His eyes I see my place
As He opens heaven’s gates
And pours out His glory
In that shower I know He loves me
So I close my eyes and look above
To Him whose name is Love
I open my heart and bare my soul
To Jesus who makes me whole
