Lyrics
Verse 1
Everyday they pass me by
I can see it in their eyes
Empty people filled with care
Headed who knows where
On they go through private pain
Living fear to fear
Laughter hides their silent cries
Only Jesus hears
Chorus
People need the Lord, people need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door
People need the Lord, people need the Lord
When will we realize people need the Lord?
Verse 2
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right
What could be too great a cost
For sharing life with one who's lost?
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear
They must hear the words of life
Only we can share
Chorus
People need the Lord, people need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door
People need the Lord, people need the Lord
When will we realize that we must give our lives?
For people need the Lord, people need the Lord
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“People Need the Lord” by Steve Green is a missions song that looks at ordinary crowds with compassion. The first verse describes people who pass by every day, “empty people filled with care,” hiding silent cries behind laughter while only Jesus hears. The chorus gives the answer in one repeated line, “People need the Lord,” and calls Him the open door at the end of broken dreams.
The second verse turns the observation into a call. The singers are “called to take His light to a world where wrong seems right,” and the song asks what cost could be too great for sharing life with one who is lost. It ends with a question about when believers will realize they must give their lives.
The thought is close to Matthew 9:36, where Jesus sees the crowds as harassed and helpless, to Romans 10:14, on people needing someone to tell them, and to Matthew 5:14-16 on shining light. The song’s tone is urgent but caring.
Related Scripture
- Matthew 9:36 Jesus has compassion on the harassed crowds
- Romans 10:14 How shall they hear without a preacher
- Matthew 5:14-16 Letting your light shine