Worship songs come and go, but some stay with you long after the service ends. “Great Are You Lord” by All Sons & Daughters is one of them. Released in 2013, it carries a truth so simple it stops you mid-breath, every lungful of air is a gift from God.

That single line, it’s your breath in our lungs, is why congregations across the world keep singing it more than a decade later.

Here, you will find the complete Great Are You Lord lyrics, a section-by-section meaning breakdown, the story behind the song, who wrote it, and why the Casting Crowns cover brought it to an entirely new audience. Everything you want to know about this song is right here.

About the Song

“Great Are You Lord” is a contemporary Christian worship song that has held its place in church services for over a decade. It works because it does two things at once: it declares who God is, then responds to that declaration with praise.

That back-and-forth between verse and chorus gives it a natural call-and-response feel that congregations quickly lock into. Worship leaders keep coming back to it because it is theologically grounded without being hard to sing.

Whether it is a Sunday morning service or a quiet personal moment, the song meets people where they are.

Great Are You Lord Full Lyrics

Verse 1

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, you restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord

Chorus

It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only

Verse 1

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore (You restore)
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord

Chorus

It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only

Bridge

All the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord

All the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord

All the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord

Chorus

It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
It’s your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It’s your breath in our lungs (only)
So we pour out our praise to You only
Great are You, Lord

What Does “Great Are You Lord” Mean?

Every section of this song carries weight. The verse declares, the chorus responds, and the bridge pulls it all into something much larger than one voice.

Verse 1: “You Give Life, You Are Love”

The song does not open with a feeling or a personal story. It opens with who God is. He gives life, restores broken hearts, and brings light into darkness. Four lines cover everything: creation, redemption, comfort, and healing. That foundation is what makes everything that follows feel earned.

Chorus: “It’s Your Breath in Our Lungs”

This line goes straight back to Genesis 2:7, where God breathes life into man. Every breath in your lungs right now is not something you produced; it is something God gave. Because of that, praise belongs entirely to Him. “To You only” is not a casual phrase. It is a declaration of exclusivity.

Bridge: “All the Earth Will Shout Your Praise”

The bridge echoes Ezekiel 37, where dry bones come back to life at God’s command. Even the dead will praise Him. It shifts from one person worshipping to everyone worshipping in every corner of the earth, joining in. Repeating three times is intentional; each round calls you to mean it a little more deeply.

About the Song: Background and History

“Great Are You Lord” was written by David Leonard and Leslie Jordan of All Sons & Daughters, alongside songwriter Jennie Lee Riddle. It came out in 2013 on their Live album under Integrity Music.

It did not explode overnight. Worship leaders started quietly slipping it into their sets, congregations responded, and it spread from there. No big promotional push, just a song that kept proving itself week after week in real church services.

Casting Crowns later recorded their own version, bringing it to a much wider audience. The arrangement is fuller and more produced than the original, but the lyrics remain untouched. Same words. Same truth. Just a different voice carrying it forward.

Songs Similar to “Great Are You Lord”

If this song resonates with you, these worship songs carry the same theological weight and congregational energy that make “Great Are You Lord” so enduring.

• How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin: A straight declaration of God’s greatness that builds the same way, verse sets the foundation, chorus delivers the payoff.
• Goodness of God – Bethel Music: Deeply personal yet universally relatable, it pairs gratitude with surrender in a way that feels similar to the chorus here.
• What A Beautiful Name – Hillsong Worship: Grounded in Scripture and built for congregational singing, it carries the same reverence and emotional depth.
• 10,000 Reasons – Matt Redman: A praise song driven by the same idea, that God deserves worship simply because of who He is, not just what He does.
• King of Kings – Hillsong Worship: Moves from creation to redemption across its verses, much like “Great Are You Lord” does in its opening lines.
• Holy Forever – Chris Tomlin: A global, all-encompassing declaration of praise that mirrors the bridge of this song, every voice, every corner of the earth.

Any of these songs will feel right at home in the same worship set or personal playlist.

Closing Notes

“Great Are You Lord” has stayed in churches for over a decade because it says something true and says it plainly. The verse lays out who God is. The chorus, built around the line “it’s your breath in our lungs,” turns that truth into an act of worship.

The bridge takes it global. Every section earns its place. From the writers behind it to the Casting Crowns cover that carried it further, this song has covered a lot of ground without losing anything along the way.

If the complete Great Are You Lord lyrics or the meaning behind them hit differently today, drop a comment below, or check out more worship song breakdowns on the site.