Every year, Matthew West chooses a personal mission statement that becomes his own mantra for the next 12 months. His theme for 2024? Don’t stop praying. It’s also the title of his first single of the new year.
“We’ve all been to a place where discouragement can make us wonder if God really hears our prayers. I wrote this song for anybody who’s ever felt like giving up or losing their faith,” West shares. “I couldn’t be more excited to start the new year off with this new song. I hope it encourages anyone who hears it to join me in a commitment to prayer in 2024. Pray for our families, for our friends, for our enemies, for our nation, for our world. God hears the prayers of His people, so don’t stop praying.”
“Don’t Stop Praying” — which West wrote with longtime collaborator Jeff Pardo — serves as a powerful reminder that God hears our prayers, and just because we haven’t seen the answer yet, doesn’t mean He’s not listening. West has been teasing the new track on his socials since early December. It’s the first taste of new music from the hitmaker, outside of a Christmas single, since 2023’s double album, “My Story Your Glory.”
The initial verse begins with a series of questions:
What’s your impossible? Your “I need a miracle”?
What’s got you barely hanging by a single thread?
What looks so hopeless now? What weighs down your heart with doubt?
West answers every question in the chorus:
Don’t stop praying
Don’t stop calling on Jesus’ name
Keep on pounding on heaven’s door
And let your knees wear out the floor
Don’t stop believing
’Cause mountains move with just a little faith
And your Father’s heard every single word you’re saying
So, don’t stop praying
K-LOVE listeners were the first to hear the hopeful anthem during a K-LOVE First event earlier this month. West will make the fresh original the focus of his “Don’t Stop Praying Tour,” set to kick off Feb. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. Featuring special guest Cochren & Co., the 17-city run will wrap Mar. 23, 2024, in Houston, Texas.
