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Hope Darst is a Fair Trade recording artist and a worship leader at the Belongingco church in Nashville alongside the likes of Natalie Grant, Mia Fieldes, Meredith Andrews, and many more well-known worship leaders and artists. But a record deal and commercial exposure were a long time in the making for Hope. It was a dream she had all but given up on.

Hope felt from a young age that she was destined to sing. She had tried to launch her career several times, but to no avail. As she describes now, her dream was put on hold for years as God worked on her from the inside out. She calls those her “basement years” when she was learning to be a great wife and Mom, delaying her lifelong musical aspirations.

But all that has begun to change. While diligently seeking the Lord and practicing her faith in contentment and obscurity, God has steadily been increasing Hope’s visibility as a worship leader and songwriter. Opportunities she could not have engineered have been found and she is now launching a music career at a time when many would be looking to leave touring and public ministry for a quieter time at home. But God had different plans and more than a few surprises waiting for Hope.

Debuting at radio during the first weeks of the global Coronavirus pandemic, her first single after years of waiting in the wings, Peace Be Still, should have been shut down like the rest of the world. Instead, it has become a massive chorus of faith during this crisis. And no one is more surprised than Hope herself.

“All I cared about, John, was God. I want the Spirit of God to be on this song, “Hope tells John Chisum during this powerful interview. “I’ve heard it said before that, when you write songs from an encounter with the Lord, you lock up that encounter within the song. And when it is sung over people or when other people sing it, they, too, then have that encounter released into their own lives.”

In this personable interview, John Chisum and Hope Darst discuss the deep work in her heart as God released her from lifelong fears and the overriding need to please others, even above pleasing Him. Hope shares the story behind the song and encourages us all to live into the healing work God wants to do in our own hearts.

If you’re struggling with fear or you’ve got dreams buried in your heart that don’t seem to be coming true, you’re going to find a lot of encouragement and inspiration in this conversation with Hope Darst. It will give you fresh faith and the encouragement to keep believing in God, yourself, and the dreams of your heart, despite all the odds at work against them.

You can connect with Hope Darst at https://www.hopedarst.com/ and on all streaming outlets.