Luther Vandross - Altar of Praise Lyrics
Lyrics
Take me back to where we started
Where my heart first heard Your voice
Speaking hope and forgiveness
Bringing rest to my weary soul
Your love is so amazing
Your joy it is my strength
Your peace so overwhelming
My heart is filled with praise
I will lift my hands and sing
With gratefulness I stand and bring
All of me to You an altar
An altar of praise
(x2)
Here's my heart set for worship
An altar where Your glory reigns
So I lay down my will and I surrender
I offer You my highest praise
Your love is so amazing
Your joy it is my strength
Your peace so overwhelming
My heart is filled with praise
Your grace is so sufficient
Your power all will see
The work that You have started
You’re faithful to complete
I will lift my hands and sing
With gratefulness I stand and bring
All of me to You an altar
An altar of praise
(x2)
I’m coming back to my first love
The One who gave His life for all
I’m coming back to my first love
The One who gave gave it all
(x2)
I will lift my hands and sing
With gratefulness I stand and bring
All of me to You an altar
An altar of praise
(x3)
An altar of praise
(x2)
Video
Million Little Miracles | Elevation Worship & Maverick City
Meaning & Inspiration
While the prompt attributes "Altar of Praise" to Luther Vandross, the provided lyrics and release information – "Million Little Miracles | Elevation Worship & Maverick City released on 2021-05-10" – clearly point to the contemporary worship collective Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music as the song's actual originators. Therefore, this analysis will proceed with the understanding that the song "Altar of Praise" under review is from their 2021 release, focusing on the powerful message embedded within the lyrics provided.
"Altar of Praise" emerged as a highlight from the collaborative project "Million Little Miracles," a testament to the combined spiritual fervor and musical talent of Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. Released on May 10, 2021, this song swiftly resonated with global congregations, finding its place in countless worship sets and personal devotions. The song's core meaning is a profound journey of spiritual remembrance and renewed commitment, drawing the worshiper back to the foundational experience of their faith. It is an invitation to recall the initial encounter with divine grace, forgiveness, and peace, culminating in an offering of one's entire being as a living sacrifice of praise.
The song opens with a deep yearning, a plea to be transported "back to where we started," a place where the heart first perceived God's voice "speaking hope and forgiveness, bringing rest to my weary soul." This sentiment echoes the biblical call to remember our spiritual beginnings, a concept vital in passages like Revelation 2:4-5, where the church in Ephesus is admonished for losing its "first love" and encouraged to "remember the height from which you have fallen." The promise of "rest to my weary soul" directly brings to mind Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." This initial introspection sets the stage for a powerful declaration of God's character, highlighting His "amazing" love, His joy that serves as strength, and His "overwhelming" peace. These attributes are not mere descriptors but foundational truths for the believer, reflecting scriptures such as Romans 8:38-39, which assures us of the unshakeable nature of God's love, and Nehemiah 8:10, where the "joy of the Lord is your strength." The peace described transcends human understanding, akin to the peace mentioned in Philippians 4:7, guarding hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The recurring refrain, "I will lift my hands and sing, With gratefulness I stand and bring All of me to You an altar, An altar of praise," encapsulates the essence of the song's message. It moves beyond passive reception to an active, physical, and spiritual response. The act of lifting hands in worship is an ancient biblical posture of surrender and adoration, seen in passages like Psalm 141:2, where lifted hands are compared to the evening sacrifice. More significantly, the declaration of bringing "all of me to You an altar" directly references Romans 12:1, which urges believers to "offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." This isn't just a metaphor; it is a profound commitment of self, will, and life to the divine. The song reinforces this surrender, adding a verse that affirms, "Here's my heart set for worship, An altar where Your glory reigns, So I lay down my will and I surrender, I offer You my highest praise." This complete laying down of personal will aligns with Jesus' teaching in Luke 9:23 for His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross daily, emphasizing that true worship involves submission and self-effacement before God's reigning glory.
Further expanding on God's character, the lyrics proclaim, "Your grace is so sufficient, Your power all will see, The work that You have started, You’re faithful to complete." These lines are deeply rooted in scriptural assurance. The sufficiency of God's grace is a cornerstone of Christian belief, vividly expressed in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where the Lord tells Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." The faithfulness of God to complete His work finds resonance in Philippians 1:6, which states, "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." This provides immense encouragement, affirming divine reliability and purpose. The song culminates with a powerful and repetitive return to the central theme: "I’m coming back to my first love, The One who gave His life for all." This stark, beautiful acknowledgement of Christ's sacrifice—"He gave gave it all"—is the ultimate motivation for worship and surrender. It directly connects to 1 John 4:19, "We love because he first loved us," and the foundational truth of John 3:16, where God's ultimate act of love for humanity is revealed through the giving of His Son. "Altar of Praise" is not merely a song; it is a spiritual discipline set to music, guiding the worshiper through remembrance, confession, surrender, and ultimately, an all-encompassing offering of self to the "first love" who gave everything.