Rebecca St. James

Item: Pray
Author: Trish Patterson

Pray

(1998)

Reviewed by Trish Patterson

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Label ForeFront RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1998

ccm pop pop rock

Do you ever have conversations with God in which you remind Him of what He has promised through His Word? Well, on Pray, Rebecca St. James's fourth album, the lyrics often appear as though she's sharing with listeners her personal conversations with the Father. In the anthem-like title track, the 21-year-old artist reminds us of the importance of prayer and brokenness before God.

For You say if I will come and will
Pray to You
There's forgiveness when I
Turn from me and pray
For You say if I will come and will
Pray to You
You hear me and heal me when I pray.

The title track, which is one of my favorites on this album, is based on 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

St. James includes unique covers of Keith Green's "Lord, You're Beautiful" and Rich Mullins' "Hold Me Jesus." People who are familiar with those tunes might find the arrangements take a bit getting used to, but they work. And fans of the Kid Brothers of St. Frank may be interested to know that Eric Hauck is cellist on the latter piece. Overall, the music on Pray is built around European influences, using guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, and strings.

Other songs include "OK," which tells us how hope can be found in God; "Give Myself Away," which cites servanthood as a way of life for followers of Christ; "I'll Carry You," about how people need to help each other through the often tempestuous road of life; "Come Quickly Lord," about Christ's second coming; "Peace," about being still and knowing God's unfathomable peace; and the dance tune "Mirror," which asks God to mold and refine us in His image.

There's also "Love to Love You," about being so in love with Jesus your heart overflows. At the end of "Love to Love You" St. James' younger sister recites a paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 13:14:

May the grace of our Lord
Be with you
Now and always may you stay
Blameless till He comes.

This leads into the final track, "Omega." Here St. James continues her theme, joined by an impressive choir. The choir, singing a cappella, is accompanied by a thunderous background sound, which eventually fades into silence. But don't eject the CD yet! After a one minute interval of silence, St. James's voice returns with a moving, reverent rendition of "Be Thou My Vision." A full orchestra then plays out the rest of the song for nearly two minutes. This is a wonderful benediction that can move the listener to a worship experience with the Lord.

Rebecca St. James wants people who hear her music to focus on God and come into a deeper relationship with Him. The Scripture passages that inspired these songs are included in the liner notes, another way she points listeners toward the Savior. Based on the Rock, Adult Contemporary, and Christian Hit Radio music charts, people St. James' age are not the only ones enjoying cuts from this album.

Pray has been on the top ten best-selling Christian albums list for seven weeks, currently holding the #7 spot. Singles from the album include the title track and "Mirror," both of which have reached #1. St. James has already been nominated for Grammy and Dove Awards for her prior albums, and I'll venture to say that with the release of Pray, she's on her way to being nominated again.

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