CityAlight – Your Will be done

CityAlight, in the same structure as Hillsong, Elevation Worship, and Bethel, is a band run by a church organization. They hail from St Paul’s Castle Hill in Castle Hill, Australia.  They aim to reach a larger audience with theologically accurate lyrics based on Scripture, realized in my glowing CityAlight reviews!

CityAlight released two albums and one EP, including:

• Yours Alone (2014)
• Only a Holy God (2016)
• Yet Not I (EP; 2018)

Also, check out my reviews of Jesus, Strong and Kind, It Was Finished Upon That Cross, Jesus Is Alive, Ancient of Days, Only a Holy God, Christ is Mine Forevermore, and Yet not I but through Christ in Me.

Lyrics can be found at https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/song-of-the-day-your-will-be-done-cityalight/.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.  I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.

1. What message does the song communicate?

This song is about surrendering to God’s will.  CityAlight forsakes folly, will rise again and reign with God forever, and lives so that others will praise their Father.  Despite obstacles that get in their way, they remember Christ’s words, “Your will be done”, intending on following His example.  They, along with the saints, will experience eternal life in their resurrected, spiritual bodies, where we will reign eternally with Christ.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

Much of this song oozes with direct references from Scripture.  Others are Biblically sound.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1 and 2: This is part of the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:10).  Curiously, Luke 11:2-4 doesn’t contain this phrase.

Line 3: CityAlight recognizes that self-exaltation is their temptation, which must be avoided (Romans 12:3, Romans 12:16, Philippians 2:3, Colossians 3:12, James 4:6-10, James 4:14-16, 1 Peter 5:5-10).

Line 4: CityAlight prays that God will help them seek His Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33 and Luke 12:31).

[Chorus (1)]

Line 1: According to 1 John 2:6, this mindset put into practice demonstrates that CityAlight loves Jesus.

Line 2: God’s love for CityAlight is not dependent on their performance.  It never ceases (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Lines 3-5: CityAlight is speaking to themselves, that they should be still and wait upon the Lord (Psalm 37:7) and pray the same prayer that Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39-42, Mark 14:36, and Luke 22:42).

[Verse 2]

Lines 1-4: Expands upon Chorus (1), line 5, describing Jesus’ anguish to die for our sins, yet, willing to do the Father’s will.

[Chorus (2)]

Lines 1 and 2: Jesus demonstrates His love for CityAlight by bearing their sins on the cross (John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, and 1 John 4:9-10).

Lines 3-5: CityAlight recognizes the prayer Jesus offered in the Garden of Gethsemane as His conviction to secure their hope.  See Scripture in Chorus (1), lines 3-5.  Verse 5 repeats Chorus (1), line 5.

[Verse 3]

Lines 1-3: CityAlight trusts God amid her trials and tribulation, following Jesus’ example (1 John 2:6).

Line 4:

[Chorus (3)]

Lines 1-3: That is, in the sense that their physical body will perish and will be raised imperishable, in glory (1 Corinthians 15:35-44).  They will reign with Christ forevermore (2 Timothy 2:12).

Line 4: CityAlight will sing about God with the saints (Psalm 30:4).

Line 5: Repeats Chorus (1), line 5.

[Verse 4]

Lines 1 and 2: We go where God leads us, hearing His voice and following Him (John 5:25, John 10:1-27, and Hebrews 3:7-19).

Lines 3 and 4: Our obedience should be such that when others see it, they will glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

[Chorus (4)]

Line 1: We are overcomers in the name of Jesus (Romans 8:36-37).

Line 2: That is, in His Heavenly Kingdom for all eternity (Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11, Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 1:20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, and Revelation 21:3-4).

Lines 3-5: The entire body of Christ prays to do God’s will.  Line 5 repeats Chorus (1), line 5.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

This song is saturated with Christian terminology, with too many to list, making it easy for unbelievers to conclude it’s Christian.  Yet, little of it is difficult to comprehend, including for those who know next to nothing about Christianity.  CityAlight’s main point is that they wish to do the Father’s will.  Unbelievers who might interpret “sin” as mere mistakes will see that CityAlight defined it as “lostness” and “brokenness”.

The only thing that they may not understand is Verse 2.  Specifically, this garden is where Jesus prayed, “Your will be done”.

Score: 9/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Christ as the One who saves, resurrects, and leads the saints to everlasting life.  It also glorifies Him that it calls us to follow His example.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

CityAlight’s Your Will be done is amazing.  It calls us to surrender to the Father’s will, avoid the temptation to exalt ourselves, and follow Christ’s example to sacrifice for others, bringing Him glory.  Unbelievers should easily interpret similarly, though they may not be aware that Jesus’ prayer was at the Garden of Gethsemane.

It’s not often that a song brings me to respond emotionally.  This one brought me to tears.

I highly recommend it for corporate worship.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Your Will be done (listen to the song)

Artist: CityAlight

Album: N/A

Genre: Hymn

Release Year: 2020

Duration: 4:14

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