StoryBehindTheSong
We speak to the nations
Artist: Israel Houghton

by Israel Houghton

Listen to sound clips from We Speak To Nations featuring Israel Houghton, Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff, Alvin Slaughter, and more! Visit Israel Houghton's website at www.newbreedmusic.com

It was a muggy Austin, Texas summer day, and I was walking through the shaving cream aisle at my local Walgreen's. It's that vivid because the phone call that I received moments later, catapulted me into fresh inspiration. " Champ, whadayadoin?" It was my pastor, Greg Ball. I replied that I was fine and inquired about the new songs I had submitted for his input and approval. "Well, champ... (he calls me champ a lot), those are nice songs and all but we need songs for the nations. Champ, we speak to nations, champ!" (Notice the double-champ emphasis). Immediately, in front of hapless and unprepared Walgreen's patrons I shouted, "That's it! That's the song, 'We Speak To Nations.' I'll have it by tomorrow. Yesssss!" Once I was able to convince the manager I wasn't crazy, I paid for my shaving cream and raced home.

Often I write with Meleasa, my wife of nearly 8 years. So I threw her some ideas, but we came up empty. I had nearly the same result with Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff a few days later - with the exception of her gracious input on the opening line, "Hear the sound." But that one line was all I needed.

I went back home, headed upstairs to the bedroom, shut the door and reached for my guitar. It was pretty funny because I only had my electric guitar there with no amp. However, lack of volume had no bearing on the internal rush of the sound that I was able to hear. It was the sound of Heaven. The lyrics came faster than I was able to write it into my palm pilot. "Babe!" I shouted down the stairs, "You gotta hear this!"

As I played the song for my wife, she beamed and exclaimed, "This is definitely the one!" As a songwriter, you beg for those kinds of moments of agreement - where Heaven kisses the earth and your wife kisses you at the same time! Anyway....

The real test was going to be the live worship in front of my pastor 3 days later. Thankfully, God was glorified and the song had a deep impact on our services. I shared it with Cindy shortly after that, to raving reviews, so we tried it out on the Lakewood Church congregation in Houston just days after the tragic events of September 11th. Needless to say, the song exploded. The people began to shout, "Be free!" "Be free!" with such fervor that it felt like the building was shaking. It was one of the most spectacular moments in worship I've ever experienced.

My prayer for you is that when you listen to this song, you would join in, take a nation in your heart and pray prophetically for that nation. Pray that the great commission would be fulfilled, that strongholds would be broken, and all nations would come and worship as is promised in Isaiah 2:2 and Psalms 22:27.