This song has been my anthem for 2022 and going into 2023. I first heard this song at church on a Sunday morning and immediately grabbed my phone to add it to my worship playlist. From that day in early 2022 until now I have played that song many times every. single. day. I have sent it to numerous friends and groups. I sing it loudly in my house and in my car. The message of this song is the anthem of my life and perfectly articulates how I want to live.

My family knows my great love for this song and Avery excitedly called me just before we left for the mission trip to Cambodia and shared that one of the writers for this song, Jesse Reeves, is the father of her friend and sorority sister at Baylor, Rachel Reeves. This only made me love the song more. The Sunday after we left for Cambodia, Pastor Omar shared a group photo of our team and the song that played was – you guessed it – I Speak Jesus.

There is something about this song. There is something about this name. No matter what problems, situations, impossible decisions or diagnoses that we face, there is one name who offers peace. There is one name who offers hope. And there is one name who offers joy, even in them midst of suffering. That name is JESUS.

As our team walked the streets of Poipet, Cambodia and came face to face with the rampant lack of clean water, extreme poverty, sickness and disease, we offered what we had. We sang songs that brought smiles to the faces of women and children, our nurse, Carol Soechting offered medicine to the sick, our dentists, Joe Estes & Derek McKaskle, offered dental care and our team offered eyeglasses to improve the daily life of those in remote villages. Most of all we offered the only real hope we have which is Jesus.

No matter what your streets look like – dusty roads or well built highways, if we know Jesus we must speak His name. There is a hurting world needing hope and healing and they are counting on us to offer something lasting. And while we offer eternal hope in the name of Jesus, we will also offer time, money and our resources to meet physical needs while we are here on earth. Why? Because that is what Jesus did and that is what He asks us to do. And as you meet us in hospital rooms, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our classrooms and on the streets may you always finding us speaking Jesus.

I just want to speak the name of Jesus
Over every heart and every mind
‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence
I speak Jesus

I just want to speak the name of Jesus
‘Til every dark addiction starts to break
Declaring there is hope and there is freedom
I speak Jesus

Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire