Hillsong Worship – Awake My Soul

Hillsong is a worldwide church-based phenomenon that runs the gambit for Contemporary Christian music.  Their songs saturate Christian and occasionally secular radio, church worship services, and youth retreats.  Hailing from Australia, they have a discography so large, there is a dedicated Wikipedia page dedicated to it.

For those who aren’t aware, Hillsong Music comprises several artist groups, including:

• Hillsong United
• Hillsong Worship
• Hillsong Young & Free
• Hillsong Kids

Also, check out my entire list of Hillsong reviews and Christmas song, Prince of Heaven.

Hillsong has received numerous awards for their works within Hillsong United and Hillsong Worship.

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 describes many figurative and literal statements.

Figurative

• The sound of the Savior’s robe as majesty, rule, and reign.
• Walking into the room as increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s Presence
• Sleep/awakeness as spiritually dead/alive.
• God moving as God’s intervention into human affairs.
• The sound of changed people as repentance and faith.
• The wall representing a barrier, conditioned by prayer and God’s response for removal.

Literal

• Many references to praise and worship, including song and prostration.  These acts demonstrate an outward sign of faith.
• Prayer.

Score: 10/10

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

All of it does.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

There is a sound I love to hear
It’s the sound of the Saviour’s robe

Though the soldiers mocked Jesus in Matthew 27:28, placing a purple robe on him and hailing Him as king, this robe represents Christ’s royalty and reign as King of kings (1 Timothy 6:13-16, Revelation 17:14, and Revelation 19:11-16).

As He walks into the room where people pray

Jesus walking into the room represents our detecting His Presence through the Holy Spirit who lives in us (Acts 6:5, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:16-19, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 5:18, and 2 Timothy 1:14).  It is not the literal second coming of Christ.

Where we hear praises He hears faith

When we worship the Son of God, we use our bodies to express trust in Him (Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Luke 24:47, Acts 2:36-38, Acts 3:19-21, Acts 20:21, and 2 Timothy 2:25-26).

There is a sound I love to hear
It’s the sound of the Saviour’s robe
As He walks into the room where people pray
Where we hear worship He hears faith

Repeats lines 1-4.

[Chorus]

Awake my soul and sing
Sing His praise aloud

Hillsong asks their audience to join them in song.

Sing His praise aloud
Awake my soul and sing
Sing His praise aloud
Sing His praise aloud

Repeats lines 1 and 2.

[Verse 2]

There is a sound that changes things
The sound of His people on their knees

Changed in the sense that His people were formerly sinners, deserving eternal separation from God (Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43, Jude 1:7, Revelation 14:11, and Revelation 20:10).  Christ paid the penalty while we were in our state of rebellion (Romans 5:6-8).

Oh wake up you slumbering
It’s time to worship Him

A call to the spiritually dead, that they would repent and trust in Christ (Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Luke 24:47, Acts 2:36-38, Acts 3:19-21, Acts 20:21, and 2 Timothy 2:25-26).

[Bridge]

And when He moves
And when we pray
Where stood a wall now stands a way

The torn wall depends on our asking and God’s response (John 14:13-14 and 1 John 5:14).

Where every promise is amen

Quotes from part of 2 Corinthians 1:20.

And when He moves
Make no mistake
The bowels of hell begin to shake

God has the power to shake heaven and earth (Hebrews 12:25-29).  Why would hell be any different?

All hail the Lord all hail the King

Hillsong invites us to pay homage to Jesus, worshipping Him with all our heart (Psalm 86:12, Psalm 103:1-2, Psalm 103:22, Psalm 119:10, and Psalm 138:1).

[Interlude]

Hey oh
Oh let the King of glory enter in

Quotes from repeated parts of Psalm 24:7-10, with a small helping of Casper the friendly ghost.

Hey oh

Repeats line 1.

Fall down on your knees and worship Him

See Bridge, line 8.

Hey oh

Repeats line 1.

Let His praise rise up don’t hold it in

See Bridge, line 8.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Its mention of Jesus and worship will peg this song as unabashedly Christian.  While this song is filled with many figurative statements that require a deeper study of Christianity for the uninitiated to comprehend (see Figurative list in section 1), Interlude summarizes the entire song for them: Christ-followers worship their King.

Score: 8/10

4. What does this song glorify?

This song glorifies God by calling us to worship the King of kings, whose lovingkindness removed our spiritual deadness and made us alive with Him.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Hillsong Worship’s Awake My Soul is pretty good.  It calls us to worship Jesus for saving us, bringing Him glory.  Unbelievers should arrive at a similar conclusion, even if they don’t understand this song’s many figurative statements.

While I don’t prefer to worship with this song, others might find it useful for corporate worship.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Awake My Soul (listen to the song)

Artist: Hillsong Worship

Album: Awake

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2019

Duration: 4:25

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 2019 Hillsong MP Songs (BMI) (adm. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

01/10/2023 – Thanks to Michael Ramsey’s inquiry, I removed my commentary on Word of Faith and increased this song’s score from 9/10 to 9.5/10.  I also updated my recommendation for corporate worship to “perhaps”.