Lauren Daigle urges young Christians to ask God for courage in face of adversity: 'He will give it to you'
NASHVILLE — When Lauren Daigle was in high school, she prayed that God would give her a “backbone” to stand up for those bullied — even if it meant facing ostracization herself.
“I was like, God,’ I want a backbone of boldness. Give me some sort of boldness to where I can stand up for people who need to be stood up for, and where even when my peers are persecuting me, I can still make a stand,’” the Grammy Award-winning singer told The Christian Post.
“And if you ask God for that courage, He will give it to you. He will give you boldness; He will give you courage,” she continued.
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It’s this kind of courage that continues to uphold Daigle amid the scrutiny and pressures that come with being one of CCM’s most recognizable names.
At just 30 years old, Daigle is one of the genre’s most decorated artists, with numerous awards and nominations under her belt. The multiplatinum-selling artist was also one of the headlining performers at this year’s Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.
Daigle has also found huge crossover success. Her 2018 album Look Up Child became a platinum-selling hit, with the album’s lead single, “You Say,” topping Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs charts for a record-setting 66 weeks. Her follow-up single, “Rescue,” reached No. 2.
Both “You Say” and the Look Up Child album won awards at the 2019 Grammys.
Reflecting on the kind of pressures that come along with being a young — and her in case, a highly influential — Christian, Daigle cited Matthew 5:10, which reads in part, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”
“It's what always comes to mind,” she said. “I know that it's difficult.”
The Lafayette, Louisiana, native encouraged young Christians to ask God for courage in the face of pressure: “Just know you're not the only one doing it. It will feel like, in the moment, that you're the only one making a stand. But you're not the only one making a stand. There are others around you. And we've got your back,” she said.
When it comes to sharing her faith with others, the artist stressed that she strives to highlight the loving and compassionate character of God.
“I know that not everybody wants to be told about God,” Daigle told CP. “But I have found that people do love to hear that God is love, and He is kind and He is patient with us. And anytime that people understand God is gentle — He's not always this angry man — their guard is let down. So it's a way to share the Gospel. It's a way to tell others about Christ.”
When asked about her vision for the future of Christian music, Daigle said she hopes her fellow artists continue to create music that brings listeners together — and reminds them of the comfort found in Christ alone.
“I think if the Christian music industry ... understands that we have this thing that will reign true for all hearts of men, for every single person, we have an answer for hopeless times, we have the hope of the world,” she said. “So if we can tap into that in our writing and our lyricism and in our melodies, then we'll have a song that the world can cling to.”
