Have you ever listened to an AfroGospel song and wondered where it came from?

How does someone wake up one morning with a chorus that eventually becomes the soundtrack to thousands of people’s prayer lives? How does a simple melody become a song that is heard in churches, on the streets, and in homes across the world?

Songwriting is one of the most fascinating parts of music, and in AfroGospel, it is even more interesting because the music is not just meant to entertain. At its heart, it is meant to communicate the gospel.

So where do AfroGospel artists get their inspiration from?

The answer is different for every artist, but there are a few themes that come up again and again whenever gospel musicians talk about their creative process.

The first and perhaps the most obvious source is the Bible.

Many artists intentionally write from Scripture. Sometimes a song is built around a single verse that stood out during personal Bible study. Other times, it comes from a passage that the artist has been meditating on for weeks or even months.

That is why so many songs contain direct quotations from the Bible or are built around biblical themes. The music becomes another way of teaching and reminding believers of God’s Word.

Read: Singing The Scripture: When Gospel Songs Come Straight From The Bible

Another source of inspiration that comes up repeatedly is the Holy Spirit.

If you have watched enough interviews with gospel artists, you have probably heard someone say, “The song came during prayer,” or “God gave me the melody.”

While every artist describes the experience differently, many believe that the Holy Spirit actively guides the songwriting process. Some receive a melody while they are praying. Others hear a single line during worship and build an entire song around it. There are even artists who have shared stories of waking up in the middle of the night with lyrics that they felt compelled to write down immediately.

Of course, receiving inspiration does not remove the work involved in writing and arranging a song, but many gospel musicians see themselves as stewards of what God gives them rather than creators working entirely from their own imagination.

Life experiences also play a significant role.

Some of the most memorable AfroGospel songs were born out of seasons of waiting, disappointment, answered prayers, or personal testimonies.

When an artist writes about God’s faithfulness, there is often a story behind those words. When they sing about trusting God through difficult seasons, it is usually because they have had to live through those same experiences themselves.

Ultimately, there is no single formula for writing an AfroGospel song.

What remains constant is the desire to point people back to God.

Is there an AfroGospel song whose lyrics have stayed with you over the years? Tell us in the comments, and let us know why that song continues to speak to you.