11 Songs Where, I Pray, The Prayers Go Up | Playlist 🎧

11 Songs Where, I Pray, The Prayers Go Up features music courtesy of Chlöe, Ghost, Luke Bryan, Madonna, and The Weeknd x Kendrick Lamar.

As both scripture and the spiritual go, Prayer is the key of heaven. Furthermore PRAY, PRAYER, and PRAYING are what this musical compendium, 🎧 11 Songs Where, I Pray, The Prayers Go Up, is based on.  Are all of these pray-themed songs spiritually sound? Um, that would be a resounding no, but some of them have the best interests in mind – look at you 🎙 The Williams Brothers.  11 Songs Where, I Pray, The Prayers Go Up is an expansion of the miniature list, 🎧 Pray 🙏: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 13 (2023).  Furthermore, it is a sequel (mostly) to previous list featuring prayer-related songs, 🎧 5 Secular Songs About Prayer (2017) and 🎧 11 Secular Songs About Praying, Preaching & Baptism (2019).  It is mostly a sequel because some of the best prayer songs – favorites – reappear for this prayed up list! 🎧 11 Songs Where, I Pray, The Prayers Go Up features music courtesy of 🎙 Chlöe, 🎙 Ghost, 🎙 Luke Bryan, 🎙 Madonna, and 🎙 The Weeknd x Kendrick Lamar among others. So, without further ado, get down on your knees and send those prayers up… OR just read and take a listen to these songs, will ya?!

1. Chlöe, “Pray It Away”

🎵 “Pray It Away” • 🏷 Parkwood Entertainment LLC / Columbia • 🗓 2023

“Fuck nigga, fuck nigga, fuck nigga / I just learned to hate from a fuck nigga.” Wow! Safe to say, 🎙 Chlöe is not happy with this man.  On 🎵 “Pray It Away”, the R&B singer goes on to assert, “My feelings, my feelings, my feelings / They really got hurt by a fuck nigga.” What a way with words, Chlöe!  While eloquence and finesse is not a trait of the songwriting on “Pray It Away,” brutal honesty is, and she truly excels.  As always, the vocals are strong, carrying ample emotion in the case of this lame-o that wasted her time.

Produced by Chlöe alongside a team including 🎛, ThankGod4Cody, Ecassshh, Pitt Tha Kid, Puredandy, “Pray It Away” is slickly executed – idiomatic of the 2020s R&B/hip-hop script.  Similarly, the use of street lyricism – the vernacular – is idiomatic of the times as well.  In the pre-chorus, Chlöe expresses even more anger, potentially mentioning violence towards him (“And if the option’s violence, don’t make me choose it”). However, in the chorus, she makes a wiser, if less satisfying, choice: “Maybe I should go and take it to church / And wash it away ‘cause I want that nigga to hurt / But I’ma just pray it away before I give him what he deserves first.” The spiritual ties are one of the biggest selling points, with even more explicit references made in the bridge – girlfriend gets down on her knees 🙏!

Appears in 🔻:

• Pray 🙏: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 13 (2023)

2. Luke Bryan, “Prayin’ In A Deer Stand”

🎵 “Prayin’ In A Deer Stand” • 🏷 Row Crop / UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 2022

“I do my prayin’ in a deer stand / On my back-forty church / Thinkin’ ‘bout life on a cold sunrise / Yeah, that’s my Heaven on Earth…” On 🎵 “Prayin’ In A Deer Stand”, 🎙 Luke Bryan sounds true to self.  Vocally, the tone, with a southern twang, is firmly intact.  Thematically, Bryan plays to his base: farming, fishing, hunting, and God.  If you’re from the south or have experienced the south, you can relate.  If not, well, you’re likely not part of Bryan’s base, to begin with.  Nothing brand-new or game-changing comes out of this record because it is tried-and-true, with no frills.  The remainder of the chorus says it best:

“Me and God in a cornfield

Gotta think He understands

I might miss a Sunday from time to time

But I get there when I can

We’re all good in these woods ‘causе here I am

Prayin’ in a deer stand.”

All told, 🎵 “Prayin’ In A Deer Stand” is respectable, regardless of the fact that it doesn’t move the needle necessarily.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Intriguing Songs That Reference Animals (2023)
• Pray 🙏: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 13 (2023)

3. Madonna, “Like a Prayer”

💿 Like a Prayer • 🏷 Sire • 📅 1989

“Life is a mystery / Everyone must stand alone / I hear you call my name / And it feels like home.” 🎙 Madonna is an icon, period. 🎵 “Like a Prayer” appears on her 1989 album, 💿 Like a Prayer.  Rather than being a dance-pop record, “Like a Prayer” is more gospel-pop/pop-soul. The gospel part is undeniable, with incredible backing vocals by the legendary 🎙 The Andraé Crouch Singers, who participated on many secular recordings adding some extra oomph.  With a title like “Like a Prayer,” spirituality is an inescapable theme.  The problem is, it’s not particularly Christian!

“When you call my name / It’s like a little prayer / I’m down on my knees / I want to take you there…” Hmm, I want to take you there, Madge? Where? Continuing: “In the midnight hour / I can feel your power / Just like a prayer / You know I’ll take you there.” Hmm, doesn’t sound like “a little talk with Jesus,” that’s for sure! She makes spiritual references mind you, but sex is on her mind.  “Like a child / You whisper softly to me,” she sings in the second verse, adding, “You’re in control.” God or this god – “That is the question!” Clearly, we get no ‘spiritual’ answers or advice from Madge, but the innuendo is lit.  The bridge and the outro mark my favorite sections, highlighting the gospel-tinged nature of the record. Not shying away from controversy, the music video 🎶📼 has ample blasphemy including burning crosses, a kiss between Madge and a black saint, and arguably, when Madge ‘catches the spirit.’ Ultimately, controversy aside, 🎵 “Like a Prayer” is an utterly sublime classic!

Appears in 🔻:

• Madonna, “Like a Prayer”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 17 (2021)
• You’re Gonna Love These 15 LIKE Songs (2021)
• Pray 🙏: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 13 (2023)

4. Pusha T, “I Pray for You”

💿 It’s Almost Dry • 🏷 Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam • 🗓 2022

🎙 Pusha T concludes his unflappably consistent, 2022, fourth studio album, 💿 It’s Almost Dry, with a surefire banger, 🎵 “I Pray for You”. “I Pray for You” features 🎙 Labrinth, who also produces alongside 🎛 Kanye West, and the other half of 🎙 Clipse, his brother, 🎙 Malice. Labrinth gets the first big moment, performing the enigmatic intro (or chorus) beautifully.  He prays for everybody, including “for the ones who won’t betray me again” and “killers.”  It sets up Pusha T for an epic verse where he goes H.A.M.  He kicks things off turned up, asserting, “Rarely do you see the Phoenix rise from the ashes / Lightnin’ struck twice on four classics.” Woo! From there, it’s kick-ass line after kick-ass line whether referencing a 2009 Jay-Z gem, coke, more coke, and reuniting with Malice. Malice comes back with a vengeance in the second verse with no shortage of ether-laden lines.  Some of my favorite rhymes he spits straight heat 🔥 🔥 🔥 at the end:

“Faith never wavered as I walked along the fence

Faith moves mountains, so what are you up against?

Watch my brother ’round you bitches, I know he pretends

I greet you with the love of God, that don’t make us friends.”

Also, I can’t neglect that backdrop featuring the organ!

Appears in 🔻:

• Pusha T, “I Pray For You”: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 14 (2022)
• Pray 🙏: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 13 (2023)

5. Kesha, “Praying”

💿 Rainbow • 🏷 Kemosabe / RCA • 📅 2017

“…I hope you’re somewhere prayin’, prayin’ / I hope your soul is changin’, changin’ / I hope you find your peace / Falling on your knees, prayin’.” 🎙 Kesha gave us all chills on the 🏆Grammy-nominated single 🎵 “Praying”, one of the best moments from her long-awaited, 2017 album, 💿 Rainbow. “Praying” marked a departure – a stark contrast from her past work. A ballad, it’s clear from the jump she’s aiming for empowerment for herself, and others who’ve been in an unfortunate situation.  By the end of the song, the powerhouse vocals are mind-blowing. 🎛 Dr. Luke, who goes nameless but is implied throughout the song, is in the doghouse:

“‘Cause you brought the flames and you put me through hell

I had to learn how to fight for myself

And we both know all the truth I could tell

I’ll just say this is I wish you farewell…”

It should also be noted that Rainbow features numerous instances of Kesha ‘stepping up her game,’ opting for empowerment and thoughtfulness over gimmickry and silliness.

Appears in 🔻:

• 5 Songs Where Artists Went from Shallow to Personal (2017)
• Ballads From 2017 That’ll Give You Those Feels, Vol. 1
• 5 Secular Songs About Prayer (2017)
• 13 Superb Gospel-Tinged Secular Songs (2018)
• 15 Songs That Reference Things Associated with Religion (2019)

6. BROCKHAMPTON, “If You Pray Right”

💿 GINGER • 🏷 Question Everything / RCA • 📅 2019 

🎵 “If You Pray Right”, a highlight from 💿 GINGER, the fifth studio by now defunct boy band, 🎙 BROCKHAMPTON, commences with a bang thanks to its unique, quirky production work, including ‘extraterrestrial’ synths.  The record samples the 🎙 Three 6 Mafia joint, 🎵 “Break Da Law ‘95’” from their 1995 album, 💿 Mystic Stylez.  Yeah, the production kicks total ass. 🎙 Dom McLennon raps the first verse, over brassy synths, exhibiting his unique flow, including referencing religion (“Hallelujah, holy lion, word to Judas”). 🎙 Kevin Abstract follows, rapping the chorus. He references his sexuality, though not as explicitly as usual (“Hiding at my partner house…”).  He follows up with the post-chorus, which uniquely uses pitch-shifted vocals. 🎙 Matt Champion spits the brief second verse, with 🎙 Merlyn Wood segueing with the third, with great contrast between the two rapper’s voices. 🎙 Joba drops the fourth, with some layered pitch-shifted vocals, keeping things interesting (“At the door, bruh, Jehovah, you ho bitch / Witness sadistic shit, well, come again”). There is an instrumental break before the bridge section, lifting off the sample (“Break the law, break the law…”), while Abstract performs the outro, a complete shift from everything else that precedes. ‘Trippy’ would be a great way to describe it.  “If You Pray Right” is nothing short of compelling to the nth degree.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Awesome Songs: August 2019

7. Sam Smith, “Pray” (Ft. Logic)

💿 The Thrill of It All • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2017 

“You won’t find me in church (no) reading the Bible (no) / I am still here and I’m still your disciple / I’m down on my knees, I’m beggin’ you, please / I’m broken, alone and afraid.” 🎙 Sam Smith excels at balladry. On 🎵 “Pray”, the second single from their sophomore album, 💿 The Thrill of it All, Smith focuses on religion.  They express skepticism towards religion yet feels the needs to pray and try to believe in something. “I’m young and I’m foolish, I’ve made bad decisions /I block out the news, turn my back on religion / Lately, that shit ain’t been gettin’ me higher / I lift up my head and the world is on fire,” they begin, adding, “I have never believed in You, no / But I’m gonna pray.” When Smith released the music video for the single in 2018, it arrived in remixed form featuring rapper 🎙 Logic. 🎵 “Pray (Remix)” finds Logic kicking things off with a brief verse, prior to the exceptional, nuanced vocals of Sam Smith.

“They never knew my struggle

Rose above the bubble

Rather live inside they bubble then go through the trouble of

Havin’ they double-double vision correct it…”

Appears in 🔻:

• Ballads From 2017 That’ll Give You Those Feels, Vol. 1 (2017)
• 5 Secular Songs About Prayer (2017)
• 13 Superb Gospel-Tinged Secular Songs (2018)
• 11 Secular Songs About Praying, Preaching & Baptism (2019)

8. Ghost, “Satan Prayer”

💿 Opus Eponymous • 🏷 Rise Above • 📅 2010

“Believe in one God do we / Satan almighty / The un-creator of heaven and soil.”  Now that is one HELL of a reverse.  The simple fact is this, not everyone is a Christian, folks.  Anyone can believe in who and what they want to believe.  Particularly when a metal band is at the helm – European black, doom, death metal bands especially – atheism and Satanism are a gargantuan part of the script. 🏆 Grammy-winning Swedish metal collective 🎙 Ghost denounce God and praise Satan on 🎵 “Satan Prayer”, a standout from 💿 Opus Eponymous (2010) that is controversial because just how far 🎙 Papa Emeritus (aka Tobias Forge) takes things.

Per Revolver, Forge asserts: “[I] unquestionably throw my hands into the hands of Satan.” There’s more to it than blatant atheism – a strict, very religious stepmother.  Regardless, it’s clear whom Forge serves and doesn’t serve.  Again, if Satanism is his thing, well that’s his business if he’s a left-hand path guy.  Where some religious folk may take pause is the heretical chorus, where he sings, “Hear our Satan prayer, our anti-Nicene creed / Hear our Satan prayer, for the coming of seed…” Christians don’t play around with the Nicene Creed – The Affirmation of Faith –  part of many religious services to date. “Satan Prayer,” hence, really pushed the envelope.

Appears in 🔻:

• Ghost, “Satan Prayer”: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 19 (2021)

9. The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar, “Pray for Me” 

💿 Black Panther The Album Music From and Inspired By • 🏷 Aftermath • 📅 2018

🎵 “Pray for Me”, performed by 🏆 Grammy winners 🎙 The Weeknd and 🎙 Kendrick Lamar, serves as a highlight from  💿 Black Panther The Album Music From and Inspired By (2018). “Pray” commences with distorted synths.  Soon after, anchoring drum programming enters, adding stability 💪. The Weeknd delivers clear, commanding vocals, flaunting his radiant tone (“Tell me who’s gon’ save me from myself / When this life is all we know”). Following that strong first verse, he continues serving up top-rate vocals on the chorus.

“Who gon’ pray for me?

Take my pain for me?

Save my soul for me?

‘Cause I’m alone, you see

If I’m gon’ die for you

If I’m gon’ kill for you

Then I’ll spill this blood for you, hey.”

“Pray for Me” grows even more exciting with the entrance of Kendrick Lamar in the second verse (“Life a livin’ hell, puddles of blood in the streets / Shooters on top of the building, government aid ain’t relief”).  As always, K-Dot is on-point dropping agile rhymes that are perfectly suited for the production.  Later, the bridge provides a slight contrast to the verses and chorus.  Even so, it’s clear that it was derived from the rest of the song. Ultimately, “Pray for Me” concludes the soundtrack album superbly.

10. Chris Stapleton, “Drunkard’s Prayer”

💿 From a Room: Volume 2 • 🏷 Mercury • 📅 2017 

“I get drunk and talk to God / I say I’m sorry for all the things I’m not / And I mean every world I say / And I promise I can change / When I get drunk and talk to God.” Oh my, 🎙 Chris Stapleton! 🎵 “Drunkard’s Prayer,” the penultimate record on second album of 2017, 💿 From a Room: Volume 2, feels like a slower companion song to 🎵 “Them Stems” 💨 from 💿 From a Room: Volume 1. The Grammy-winning country musician slows the pace in the context of the album. Even though “Drunkard’s Prayer” is slower paced, Stapleton still exhibits plenty of oomph and ample authenticity. Honestly, he asserts, “I wish that I could go to church but I’m too ashamed of me / I hate the fact it takes a bottle to get me on my knees.” Like Planet Fitness 🏋️ 💪, this is the NO JUDGEMENT ZONE, Chris!  He adds, “And I hope he’ll forgive the things you ain’t forgot / When I get drunk and talk to God.”  #Beer and Prayers 🍺 🙏!!!

Appears in 🔻:

• 21 Country Songs Fueled by the Love of Beer (2018)

11. The Williams Brothers, “Prayer Made the Difference”

💿 This is Your Night • 🏷 Blackberry • 📅 1987

“If it comes through by prayer, I declare / Prayer changes things.” According to legendary gospel group 🎙 The Williams Brothers, 🎵 “Prayer Made the Difference” (💿 This is Your Night). How so, you might ask? Well, by petitioning to and believing faithfully in ‘The Most High’ aka God, the brothers have been delivered through hardship and adversity.  “Many times, in my life, I’ve come through the storms and rain,” the Brothers sing on the first verse, adding, “I always kept faith in God, cause I knew somehow he’d make a way.” Life, of course, is not without its issues whether you’re the most devout or an agnostic or atheist.  “Prayer Made the Difference” doesn’t suggest there won’t be any storms or hiccups, but it does suggest faith is powerful. It makes it clear, that through praying, praising, and believing, God’s got your back – he’ll keep you even when things seem their darkest and most meek.  “Prayer Made the Difference” testifies to the goodness and mercy that is God.  For those who need someone to lean on, The Williams Brothers say look no further than G-O-D.  It’s a hopeful, uplifting, and thoughtful message.

Appears in 🔻:

• The Williams Brothers, “Prayer Made the Difference”: Sunday Refresh 🙏 24 (2021)
• Pray 🙏: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 13 (2023)

11 Songs Where, I Pray, The Prayers Go Up [📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Aftermath, Blackberry, Capitol, Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam, Kemosabe/RCA, Mercury, Parkwood Entertainment LLC / Columbia, Question Everything / RCA, Rise Above, Row Crop / UMG Recordings, Inc., Sire; Arina Krasnikova, Caleb Oquendo, cottonbro studio, Ivan Samkov, Oleg_bf Oleg Borisov, TUBARONES PHOTOGRAPHY via Pexels]