Lyrics
Chorus (Repeat)
I don't want a form of godliness
I want God
All I've ever wanted was God
And I don't want to give Him second best
I want God
All I've ever wanted was God
Verse
(I want to) Live like Him
Treat everybody right
(I want to) Look like Him
Precious in His sight
(Help me) Love like Him
Forgive my enemies
Be what He called me to be
Refrain
I want God
I want God
Outro
All I've ever wanted, You are
All I've ever needed, You are
My soul wants You
My spirit wants You
I need more of You
God
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"I Want God" opens by rejecting a specific alternative, a mere "form of godliness," language drawn directly from a New Testament warning about appearance without substance. That rejection frames the entire song around wanting God himself rather than any acceptable-looking substitute.
Its middle section lists specific aspirations, living like God, treating others rightly, forgiving enemies, and becoming what God has called the singer to be, translating the opening desire into concrete, practical terms rather than leaving it abstract. Repeating "I want God" throughout ties each of those practical goals back to that same central longing.
Rooted in contemporary gospel worship's declarative testimony style, the song functions as a statement of undivided spiritual desire, its closing lines describing both soul and spirit as wanting more of God, treating that want as total rather than partial or occasional.
Related Scripture
- 2 Timothy 3:5 Warns against having a form of godliness while denying its power, directly echoed in the song's opening rejection.
- Psalm 42:1-2 Describes the soul thirsting for God, echoed in the song's description of soul and spirit wanting more of him.