Casting Crowns - Listen To Our Hearts Lyrics

Listen To Our Hearts

Listen To Our Hearts Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration

Casting Crowns' song "Listen To Our Hearts," released on January 28, 2015, delves into the profound challenge of articulating the depths of faith, gratitude, and love for God. The lyrics open by acknowledging the immeasurable nature of God's love, describing it as extending from East to West and running deeply and widely. The songwriters express the human limitation in finding adequate words to fully convey the vastness of this divine love or the complex range of human emotions, including hopes and fears, that God knows intimately. This sets the stage for the central plea of the song: a request for God to look beyond the spoken words and instead listen to the unspoken language of the heart.

The core message unfolds in the chorus, presenting the heart and spirit as instruments capable of expressing what words cannot. It describes a "song of praise that flows from those You have redeemed," indicating that this heartfelt expression is a natural response to salvation. While acknowledging the effort to use known words to declare God's awesome nature, the song repeatedly returns to the idea that true, complete expression of love for God transcends verbal ability. The earnest request "Just listen to our hearts" becomes a powerful refrain, signifying a desire for genuine, internal devotion to be understood and accepted by God.

Further exploring this theme of linguistic inadequacy, the second verse uses hyperbole, suggesting that even an endless flow of words or an infinite amount of time would still be insufficient to praise God fully. This reinforces the notion that human language falls short of divine reality. The song then personalizes the plea, stating that if God would listen to an individual heart, "Every beat will say / Thank You for the Life / Thank You for the Truth / Thank You for the Way." This powerful line connects the very rhythm of life to fundamental expressions of gratitude towards God, identifying Him as the source and essence of these foundational concepts.

The themes explored in "Listen To Our Hearts" resonate deeply with various scriptural passages. The idea of God knowing the heart is a recurring biblical theme, found in verses like 1 Samuel 16:7, which states that the Lord looks at the heart rather than outward appearance, and Jeremiah 17:10, where God declares, "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind." Psalm 139 elaborates extensively on God's intimate knowledge of every aspect of human existence. Furthermore, the declaration "Thank You for the Life, Thank You for the Truth, Thank You for the Way" directly echoes the words of Jesus in John 14:6, where He says, "I am the way and the truth and the life." The song's message about the Spirit interceding when words fail also aligns with Romans 8:26, which speaks of the Spirit helping us in our weakness when we do not know what to pray, interceding with groanings too deep for words.

Ultimately, "Listen To Our Hearts" serves as both an admission of human limitation and an affirmation of faith's deeper, inexpressible dimensions. It inspires listeners to recognize that their devotion is not measured solely by eloquent prayers or powerful declarations, but by the sincere condition and orientation of their hearts. The song encourages a humble yet confident approach to God, trusting that He perceives and values the silent adoration and profound gratitude that words alone cannot fully capture. It is a call to offer authentic praise that originates from the deepest part of one's being, confident that God hears the true language of a surrendered heart.