Longtime worship artist Matt Redman released his highly anticipated Unbroken Praise album yesterday, and he took the opportunity to chat with BREATHEcast about recording at the legendary Abbey Road studios and creating the album (part 1). In part two Redman shares his heart for worship, and he feels called to do it.

Redman waxed deep about worship, breaking it down as a scientist would using the process of breaking down food as an example of how people digest the music.

He described it as, "there's nutrition in this world, like a complex carbohydrate, I think grass is one, where for humans to eat it, there's nutrition in that but we don't have the write enzymes to break down. But then a cow comes, and it does. I think we have to be careful to not make songs that are like the complex carbohydrate where all these Christians know what we're talking about. They can break this down, but anyone who's not a Christian is like, 'What the heck is that? I don't understand any of that' It's very important thinking about that, like when you're talking about the cross, break down perfect what it actually means, what actually happened in that place."

Essentially, Redman is saying to do what Jesus did; make the truth relevant, understandable, and accessible.

(Photo : Facebook: Matt Redman)

While searching to create this "truth" for the album, Redman ran into a small problem. He thought the album was missing something. He had a strict deadline, and as production was wrapping, the title track was still missing. The "Unbroken Praise" song was unfinished, and he had his songwriting partner come and help him finish the song while they were setting up for one of the final sessions.

What concluded with these sessions was an intimate worship album that does not hold back. "We definitely had a season before this record of stresses, confusion, transition, and just trying to hold onto the set promises of God...This is where I'm at. I remember something Bono said, 'I preach what I need to hear'."

The songs are what he needed to say to God at that moment while trying to be more than a "one trick pony." "The more turbulence, the more trust I'm going to have. The more pain I have, the more praise I'm gonna have."

He continued, "There's something about worship where you can become the ultimate reality check. You can have all these realities you like, maybe it's your bank balance, maybe it's your relationship status...they are all very real. There's a reality that can top all of those and overwhelm all of those...that's the reality that God is on his throne, and He never takes his eyes off of you, He's never gonna leave you. That's what worship does, worship can be very penetrating."

He explained that for him worship is worth making the choice because God is worth it and "He's worth it for you." Redman accredits worship having the power to change a person's life and whole view of circumstances leading to having feet on solid ground.

For the future Redman would just like to write more songs. "Something in me comes alive when I write new songs, devotional things to do..., just a very natural way for me processing where I'm at with God or talking to Jesus. Also see what a song can accomplish. There's something about a song that's biblical and relevant and poetic, it can get so deep into someone's life. Songs can travel around the world."

One powerful example of such involved prisoners on death row in another part of the world. These people were drug traffickers who had been waiting for their execution for nine years. Over that period of time they came to know the Lord, and on the day where they were to face the firing squad, they sang his song "10,000 Reasons."

"An amazing act of worship," shared Redman. "If you can face a firing squad and still be found with a song of praise on your lips and give your heart to Jesus, you can face anything in this life and still find your way to the place of praise."

Be sure to read part one of the interview where he speaks about the new album and recording at Abbey Road.

Redman's Unbroken Praise is now available, and his take of "It Is Well With My Soul" was the first single. Purchase the album here.

Interview conducted by Jeannie Law.