Thoughts on "House of Miracles" by Brandon Lake
A look at the lyrics and their meaning.
It's important to look at the lyrics in context.
The lyrics in "House of Miracles" by Brandon Lake are a great example of that. Let's take a look:
This is a house of worship // This is a place of praise
Where every demon trembles // Where we proclaim Your name
This is a house of healing // Our hearts are full of faith
You have our full attention // You have the final say
So come alive in the name of Jesus // Come alive in the name of Jesus
This is a house of miracles // We bring everything to the feet of Jesus
Everything in the name of Jesus // This is a house of miracles
There’s resurrection power // Your blood runs through our veins
Your kingdom triumphs over //Even the coldest grave
I still believe You’re moving // I still believe You’re speaking
God I believe You’re working // All things for good
I fix my eyes on heaven // God I receive Your vision
God I believe You’re working // All things for good
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I can own every line of this song. The only thing that trips me up is the emphasis. It highlights the place of God (church building) rather than the person of God. God is the same God whether we are at church, home, work, or school; He is omnipresent. God’s power is not attached to a geographic location and we would do well to remind our congregation of this when leading the song.
If I were to introduce this song, I would start by leading a prayer that puts it in context:
“God, You are the leader of our hearts and of this house of worship. Everywhere You are, miracles can happen. Help us do everything in Your name and never put You in a box of our own making. Give us faith to believe.”
Framing it like this gives the lyric an even stronger meaning and clears up any confusion.
Even so, maybe that line still bothers you but you love everything else. Personally, I need to sing “everything in the name of Jesus”. I’d hate to lose the song because of one lyric. You can always substitute “this is a house of miracles” with “You are the God of miracles”. It sings the same and still fits the rest of the lyrics.
Conclusion
It’s important to think through the songs we sing and use them in a way that fits our local community.
Learn how to play "House of Miracles" by Brandon Lake.
Comments
Wherever we are can be a house of miracles!
Submitted by jannamercedes on April 27, 2021 - 4:33am.
I just think, well, WE are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and wherever we are can be a house of miracles. Doesn't have to be a church. My home is a house of miracles. I am a walking house of miracles. So then, church, as a gathering, could be a powerhouse of miracles, right?!
Exactly
Submitted by Jason Houtsma on April 28, 2021 - 8:27am.
and that's the point. As worship leaders, part of our job is to make sure the intent of an artistic statement like a song is communicated clearly and in full.
House of Miracles
Submitted by avishaan on May 18, 2023 - 7:12am.
Hi Jason, I must be honest, when I heard and listened to this song a long time ago, the first thing that popped into my heart and head was he is singing about our bodies being a house worship, healing and miracles! Yes the other lyrics point a little to corporate response but essentially we are a house of miracles, Singular and corporately! I don’t believe for one second that Brandon is referring to the a church building, this is the same for house of the Lord, I don’t believe Phil is saying their joy in the church building even though there is! I believe he is staying the is joy in this house our bodies as temples and even though they both use the word place I believe our bodies become the place! I know we want to be so careful about placing holiness on a building, but we must realise that even though a church building is a building, there is significance to the building, because there are just some things we would never do in church building such as cuss, have sexual relations or any evil doing! The question is why won’t we and that’s probably because we know deep down it is a special building! Those are my thoughts, thanks for the article!
Brandon Lake actually has said this song is NOT about buildings
Submitted by damorales on May 24, 2023 - 5:56pm.
I thought the emphasis of this article is ironic, given Brandon Lake himself has come out saying that inspiration for this song was during the COVID lock downs when you couldn't come to the church building, and that he wanted everyone to know that their home can be a House of Miracles. He talks about this here: https://americansongwriter.com/i-need-a-ghost-brandon-lake-song-interview/. Lake says to American songwriter "That’s my commission for other people, that your house can be a house of miracles, and you don’t have to just go to church to experience the presence of God, but that He wants to meet you exactly where you are,” Lake emphasized. “He also wants you to become a house of miracles, by the things that you say and the way that you live, you too can experience that.” He also talks about it some more here: and here https://www.joyfmonline.org/blog/powerful-brandon-lake-interview-will-bring-you-to-tears/.
Slight misunderstanding here..
Submitted by delvinworship on October 12, 2023 - 12:51pm.
Really interesting debate here but i think Jason's point still stands. When you sing that song with a contextual explanation, your average joe will infer that phrase 'house of..' to mean the church building. Why? Because in every other meaning we say 'God's house' to mean the church building. Just like you read any of the Psalms that talk about the deep joy of being in the multitude that visits God's house (a particularly strong theme in the Davidic Psalms).
@damorales - this is more of a language debate in the end because for argument's sake Brandon might be (I am not saying he is) a passionate house-church anti-institutional worship-leader, but any time such a song is sung in an institutional context, Brandon's heart wont get carried over - so we have to be that faithful vessel who does that.. My 2 cents.