Matt Maher – Lord I Need You

Matthew Guion Maher is a Canadian Contemporary Christian artist.  He began his career in 2000 and released eleven albums and 5 EP’s, including:

• The End and the Beginning (2001)
• Welcome to Life (2003)
• Overflow (2006)
• Empty & Beautiful (2008)
• Alive Again (2009)
• The Love in Between (2011)
• All the People Said Amen (2013)
• Saints and Sinners (2015)
• Lord, I Need You (EP, 2015)
• Echoes (2017)
• The Advent of Christmas (2018)
• Alive & Breathing Vol. I (EP, 2019)
• Alive & Breathing Vol. II (EP, 2019)
• Alive & Breathing Vol. III (EP, 2019)
• Alive & Breathing (2020)
• Alive & Breathing Vol. IV (EP, 2020)

In 2015, Maher received a Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year.

Also, check out my review of Your Grace Is Enough.

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.

1. What message does the song communicate?

Maher expresses his reliance on God for his righteousness, salvation, direction, and hope.  Through worship, he finds rest.  Without God as his stronghold, he falls to pieces.  Though abounding in sin, God’s grace is greater.  Through God, Maher finds freedom from sin’s grip.

Score: 10/10

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

This song agrees with Scripture.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest

Maher enters God’s rest through prostration (Psalm 95:6-11, Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 3:1-16, and Hebrews 4:1-16).

Without You I fall apart
You’re the One that guides my heart

Maher cannot bear fruit without God’s guidance (John 10:11-18 and John 15:5).

[Chorus]

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You

Maher expresses his longing for God (Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 63:1, Psalm 73:25, Psalm 119:20, Psalm 119:81, Psalm 143:6, Isaiah 26:9, Amos 8:11, John 4:13-14, John 6:35, John 7:37, Revelation 21:6, and Revelation 22:17).

My one defense, my righteousness

God is Maher’s protection (Ruth 2:12, 2 Samuel 22:3-4, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 18:30, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 34:22, Psalm 41:2, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 57:1, Psalm 59:1, Psalm 61:3, Psalm 91:1-16, Psalm 118:8, Psalm 121:7-8, Psalm 138:7, Proverbs 18:10, Proverbs 30:5, Nahum 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and 1 John 5:18) and saves him (Isaiah 53:7-11, Matthew 1:21, John 1:29, Galatians 1:4, Galatians 3:13, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 3:5, and Revelation 1:5).

Oh God, how I need You

[Verse 2]

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more

Rewords the second part of Romans 5:20.

Where grace is found is where You are

God is the source of undeserved favor (John 1:16 and Romans 5:2).

And where You are, Lord, I am free

He is also the source of freedom from lawbreaking (Psalm 119:45, Isaiah 58:6, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:16-21, John 8:31-36, John 10:10, Acts 13:38-39, Romans 6:1-23, Romans 8:1-4, Romans 8:20-21, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 7:21-23, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 2:4, Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:22, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:13, Colossians 1:21-23, Hebrews 2:14-15, and 1 Peter 2:16).

Holiness is Christ in me

When Jesus lives inside Maher (John 15:1-11, Romans 8:10, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 4:19, Ephesians 3:17, and Colossians 1:27), Maher is made holy (Romans 8:1, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Philippians 3:9, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 10:10-14, and Hebrews 13:12).

[Bridge]

Teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way

Maher asks God for the way of escape when facing temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), that his eyes are fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).

And when I cannot stand I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay

When Maher realizes he can’t make it on his own, he places his hope in God (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 33:20, Psalm 39:7, Psalm 62:5, Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 5:1-8, Romans 8:24-39, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 15:54-58, and 1 Peter 1:3-6).

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will see Maher’s complete and total dependence on the Christian God.  Maher’s words are simple, making comprehension easy.  Words such as “God”, “Jesus”, “Lord”, and “holiness” points firmly to Christianity.

Unbelievers will probably conclude sin is mere error and not lawbreaking.

Score: 8/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God as Maher’s redemption, goodness, and longing.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Matt Maher’s Lord I Need You is a fabulous song.  It shows Maher’s subservience to God, dependent on Him for every aspect of his life, including salvation, righteousness, and hope.  These glorify God.  Unbelievers will likely interpret similarly, though likely misunderstanding the concept of sin.

I highly recommend it for corporate worship.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Lord I Need You (listen to the song)

Artist: Matt Maher

Album: All The People Said Amen

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2013

Duration: 3:26

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