Music is one of the most powerful sensations and I don't even know if "sensation" is enough to truly encapsulate the influence and substance it carries.

I think we're so used to it that we don't acknowledge it anymore. We're passive in our consumption of it and even in the making of it in some senses.

Music is one of the only things that is felt by and understood by animals, by plants, and by people. It is a powerful language. It's one of the only languages that doesn't need to be translated to be experienced.

It's also one of the only languages that will never reach the end of its possibilities. We're never going to discover every melody. We can't even hear every tone that exists. We cannot get to the end of creativity with music and sound.

It's one of the only things that the body of a creature emits naturally. We hear music in nature, among different creatures, and among ourselves. It's beautiful. It's an ancient phenomenon, and it is alive.

Not only do we use music to communicate with one another, but music itself communicates to us.

And when it communicates, it doesn't just speak. It influences.

Especially music with lyrics. It's almost like a kind of brainwashing that you can do to yourself. You'll begin to see the effects of what you listen to, how it shapes the way you think, and how it shapes the way you treat the world around you.

Science is beginning to explain what many of us have experienced our entire lives.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, music influences physiological processes that enhance mental well-being. Research has shown that it can help people process emotions and support treatment for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health conditions. Another study found that people who regularly listened to religious music experienced greater life satisfaction, higher self-esteem, a stronger sense of control, and lower levels of death anxiety.

Maybe that's why people instinctively reach for music during some of the hardest moments of their lives.

For me personally, I talk often about my journey through mental health. When it first began, I didn't have any emotional skills or intelligence. Sometimes you simply can't put into words what you're feeling. Even if you could, you wouldn't know how to put those words together to ask for help. There are also moments where you do have people around you that love you. You do have a support system. Yet, in an instant you still feel alone. In those moments, it can be incredibly difficult to reach for people.

Whenever it's hard to reach for people, that's the perfect opportunity to reach for God.

If you're going to reach for music, reach for music that's going to help you reach for God.

If you're going to listen to something, listen to something good. Listen to a great beat. Listen to the genre you love, and watch how it pours into you and helps you draw closer to God.

Music is beautiful, but it is also powerful.

With that knowledge in mind, we have a huge responsibility to one another as a society that claims to care about each other. We should think about the kind of music we celebrate, the kind of music we consume, and the kind of music we allow to shape culture.

At ANP, we believe music is more than entertainment.

We believe it can help people build a habit of reaching for God in every moment. If we can inspire our listeners to reach not just for music, but for music that meets them exactly where they are - music that teaches them, encourages them, and helps them explore life's moments alongside the saints around the world, then we'll have accomplished what we set out to do.

We want to help people harness a power they already have access to and use it to help turn their lives around for the better.

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