A gifted songwriter, Matt's songs have become mainstays in today's worship repertoire and have impacted audiences across the world. Six of Matt's songs, including "Heart of Worship," "Better Is One Day," "Let My Words Be Few" and "Once Again" are among CCLI's Top 500, and have appeared on numerous worship recordings.

"Songwriting doesn't feel like work to me," Matt says. "It feels like the most natural way of responding to God. It's almost like it's a part of my devotions. Every song involves a Bible study and a time of pouring out my heart to God. It's like a little spiritual barometer for me because if I'm not receiving any fresh revelation from God in terms of having a healthy relationship with him, then I find that I don't write songs."

As today's modern worship movement has continued to grow by leaps and bounds, Matt Redman's name is easily recognized as one of the true musical leaders who has forged the path for all of those coming along behind him. Even in his young career, he continues to influence the sounds and songs of a new generation of worshippers.

"I found myself becoming more and more busy," Matt explains. "I felt as a lead worshipper, I was experiencing more output than input. There's such a Biblical thing about waiting for God to reveal, that whole thing of being still and knowing He is God."

To prepare for his latest album, Matt decided to take a four-month sabbatical to spend time with his family and get refreshed.

"I think you can admire someone without wonder, you can appreciate them without wonder, and maybe you can adore someone without wonder," he continues. "But you can't worship without wonder. In our worship, there has to be something about the 'otherness' of God " there has to be. Yes, worship is intimate, and it's about drawing near to God, but it must also contain that real sense of the 'otherness' of who He is.

The songwriting process is something Matt doesn't take lightly, especially when thinking in terms of worship. "Songwriting is all about revelation," he explains, "and as a songwriter who's writing congregational worship songs, you've got to see before you sing. You've got to have a little fresh insight on some part of divine revelation. So I'm trying to learn that lesson, because I think it's sometimes almost not worth singing out until you've seen something fresh."

Matt's heart is to know God better and more intimately than ever before. It's a passion that is reflected not only in his music, but in his humility and his desire to encourage others and to learn from others.

"I am so encouraged when I look around at the new wave of songs and sounds coming out of the worship movement today," Matt says. "The music is fresh, it's accessible, and it's Biblically based. It's a new time and it feels like it's pure and true. That kind of thing totally excites me."

Matt Redman has led worship seminars across the U.K. and has traveled to Holland, Ireland, Norway, South Africa and the United States, leading worship for events such as Passion's OneDay event, which hosted more than 40,000 youth and college students in Memphis, Tennessee, yet still keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground and his eyes focused upward.

"We've got to keep checking our hearts and our motives," he says. "Worship is pouring out our heart of adoration to God, and hopefully, at the end of the day, when I lead worship or record worship songs it's not about Matt Redman, it's about the King and His kingdom."

Matt has felt drawn into a ministry to lead a younger generation into a place of intimacy with God through worship. He has seen first-hand what role music has played in impacting youth and bringing healing.

"We get the privilege of traveling to different countries, and everywhere we've seen the same thing," Matt shares, "more and more young people finding real passion for God and longing to express it. Music is a wonderful way of expressing that love they have for Him. Over the last few years we've been in the most raucous, wild, loud times of worship imaginable, and also in times of holy silence. It's wonderful to see what's happening."

Over the last few years a lot of people have asked my wife Beth and I if there was a particular story behind the song Bless be your Name.

And in short, the answer would be ´no´. But although the song wasn´t born from any one particular circumstance, it is a song that stems from the story of our lives in general. We both had tough upbringings - a lot of different issues to do with Fathers - and over the years we´ve come to realise that worshipping God is a choice - and the best choice we´ll ever make. Trust is a beautiful act of worship. It says to God, "I believe in You - in Your unfailing goodness and greatness - no matter what season of life I find myself in." So really, this is a song we´d wanted to write for years.

'When we face up to the glory of God, we soon find ourselves facedown in worship.' These words from Matt Redman - writer of top CCLI songs 'The Heart Of Worship', 'Better Is One Day' and 'Let My Words Be Few' - envelop the vision behind his new release, Facedown. Recorded live in Atlanta at the Facedown songwriters gathering, this collection features 13 new songs including Facedown, Breathing The Breath, and Seeing You.

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