Skip to main content

"Listen to Our Hearts" by Avery Stafford: When Words Fall Short of Worship


Have you ever felt something that is so profound that you can't find the right words to describe it? How do you explain a love "that goes from east to west and runs as deep as it is wide"? How do you describe something as simple as the flavor of a strawberry? That's the beautiful tension that Avery Stafford sings about in his cover of the song "Listen To Our Hearts." 

Avery Stafford - Listen to Our Hearts (Radio Edit)"Listen To Our Hearts" is a classic praise and worship song written by Geoff Moore and Steven Curtis Chapman. Avery Stafford recorded it for his album "Undignified" in 2004, after discussing it with a friend following a worship concert. His friend was impressed by the jazz-influenced version of this beloved song and encouraged Avery to consider recording it. This recording features Tony Bolivar (saxophone). Until now, "Listen To Our Hearts" had never been released to radio. 

The lyrics are about the moment when our words fall short, when even "a thousand years" wouldn't be enough to express our gratitude and awe. "Words are not enough to tell You of our love." Our God is able to hear beyond our limitations. He knows "all our hopes" and "all our fears," and He listens to our heart. 

That doesn't mean that we can sit back and think that there is no need to praise because God can hear our heart! The song reminds us that true worship doesn't require perfect words. It's your heart-cry that really matters. May this rendition of the song help you discover how your wordless devotion actually creates the most beautiful song.

(Related scripture: Psalm 51:17; Psalm 139:23–24; 1 Samuel 16:7)

Connect with Avery Stafford

Would you like to hear more CCM music? Then check out our Christian playlists on: https://www.christiandance.eu/playlists

PS: Did you know that the posts we have on Christian Music Today also contain the backstories that artists have shared with us? Check it out on: https://christianmusictoday.eu/

Popular posts

"When I Saw The Light" by Tyler Philip Ratcliffe: Folk, Grace, and the Moment Everything Changes

“When I Saw The Light” captures something painfully familiar — the trap that routine can bring. Tyler Philip Ratcliffe wrote this folk anthem as a follow-up to “This Little Light of Mine,” drawing on his bluegrass roots and the spirit of Bill Monroe’s classic to tell a story many will recognize in themselves. The verses don’t sugarcoat it. “Same faces, same mistakes, same places // Promise that I change it all tomorrow”  — the trap we need to be aware of… The routine masquerading as life. But Ratcliffe doesn’t leave the listener there. The chorus lifts everything: “I traded fake for something honest // Finally doing something right.” That’s the turning point! What makes this song land is its honesty about the moment before a breakthrough. When numbness sets in, when you’ve exhausted every other option — that’s when the light (His light) breaks through. Ratcliffe captures the surprise of grace: “I wasn’t looking for religion // Wasn’t searching for the truth.” Nobody ever is. And ye...

"Living Proof" by Island Tribe Collective: When His People Unite, Mountains Move

(by Jasper Tan) "Living Proof" by Island Tribe Collective (featuring Sherwin Gardner, Marc Isaacs, and Alicia Taylor) is a live recording of a powerful, high-energy worship anthem that embodies what the collective calls "Caribbean Worship." The group invites us into a celebration of faith, utilizing the culture from the Caribbean islands and how they express it as a living proof of God's goodness. The song talks about our faith and the new beginnings that are promised to us after we overcome our struggles and hardships. Their repeated proclamation of "Lord, I'm living proof" aims to drive down the message that each one of us is already a living proof of God's faithfulness love, and mercy. We all have our own unique faith experiences and stories that could somehow inspire the people around us. So for those of us who have been know for our strong faith, being able to overcome our struggles and testify about it, brings a more concrete testimony an...

"GOD ALL BY YOURSELF (Prayer Anthem)" by J423 Community: Praising God's Name Above All Names

(by Jasper Tan) J423 Community's joyful praise and worship gospel track "God All By Yourself (Prayer Anthem)" is a refreshing gospel track that you can clearly feel the joyful celebration of praising God with all your heart. The song's theme speaks about God's sovereignty and being the one true God worthy of our praise and worship. The lyrics emphasize God's dominion over Earth, and He stands alone as the one and only Being that wields so much power over us. And because of this, we are encouraged to sing Him praises and acknowledge His presence in our lives.  By listening to the song, it is very clear that the J423 Community was joyful and full of gratitude as they sang the song. Because this is more than just any song, this doubles as a prayer anthem and invitation for us to join them in their joyful celebration of God's faithfulness and sovereignty over us. Even when it is clear in our hearts that God is the one true king, being able to express it and si...