Type blessings lyrics into a search bar and chances are you want Laura Story’s song, the 2011 worship ballad a lot of people have leaned on in hospital waiting rooms and at funerals. The trouble is that the title isn’t hers alone. Chance the Rapper and Big Sean each have a song called “Blessings” too, and neither sounds anything like it. Plenty of people end up on the wrong one.
Lyrics are copyrighted, so I haven’t pasted the full text here. What I can do is tell you what the song actually says, where it came from, how to tell the three apart, and where to read the official words without digging through sketchy lyric sites.
Where to Read the Official Lyrics
If you came only for the words, start here.
- Streaming apps. Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music show licensed lyrics, often synced to the track.
- The artist’s official YouTube video. Laura Story’s channel and her label’s channel post lyric videos.
- Licensed lyric sites. Genius and Musixmatch publish lyrics under licensing deals.
- Worship teams. The publisher Integrity Worship lists the song with CCLI number 5897818, the writer credit (Laura Story), a key of B and a tempo around 58 BPM. Recordings and your band’s arrangement may differ, so treat those as starting points. Churches that project or print lyrics normally need a CCLI license, so check yours before building slides.
Which “Blessings” Song Are You Looking For?
| Song | Artist | Released | Style | What it’s about |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blessings | Laura Story | 2011 | Contemporary Christian worship ballad | Finding God’s care inside suffering and unanswered prayer |
| Blessings | Chance the Rapper (feat. Jamila Woods) | 2016, on Coloring Book | Gospel-influenced hip-hop | Praise, joy, and knowing blessings from possessions |
| Blessings | Big Sean (feat. Drake; Kanye West on the extended cut) | 2015 | Hip-hop | Giving thanks for a rap career and success |
The two rap versions can include mature language, so check the clean or explicit tag before playing either one at a church event or family gathering.
Question: Who sings the song “Blessings”?
Answer: The best-known version is by Christian singer-songwriter Laura Story, released in 2011. She also wrote it. Chance the Rapper (2016) and Big Sean (2015) have separate songs with the same title, so look at the artist name before copying lyrics or sharing a link.
What Laura Story’s “Blessings” Is Really About
The song asks one hard question and then doesn’t hurry to answer it. What if the very things we pray against are doing something in us that comfort never could?
A lot of pages online call it a song about counting your everyday good luck. It isn’t. Laura Story wrote it in the middle of a bad season, and the song stays there with you instead of skipping to the happy ending.
Question: What is the meaning of Laura Story’s “Blessings”?
Answer: The song suggests that hardship, tears and unanswered prayers can carry God’s mercy in disguise. It doesn’t call suffering good. It says God’s love can be present when life looks like the opposite of care, and that faith can survive without an explanation.
The song section by section
First verse. The singer lists the prayers most of us pray without thinking: health, safety, peace at home, an easier road. Then the turn: God hears every one of them, but his love is too big to give us only the lesser things we asked for.
Chorus. A string of “what if” questions. What if rain, tears and nights without sleep are how we end up sure God is near? What if trials are mercy that doesn’t look like mercy yet?
Second verse. The second verse gets honest in a way worship songs often don’t. It admits to anger when God feels far away, and to doubting that his promises are enough. It still ends with the idea that God keeps listening to those pleas.
Bridge. Betrayal by friends and a sense that darkness is winning. The answer offered is that pain reminds us this world isn’t where we finally belong.
Final chorus. The questions widen to include disappointment itself, suggesting it may expose a thirst that nothing in this world can satisfy.
The Story Behind the Song
Laura Story wrote “Blessings” after her husband, Martin Elvington, developed a brain tumor in 2006, not long into their marriage. She has said each “what if” in the chorus stands in for a question she felt God had left unanswered. It reads less like a tidy answer and more like someone working out, in real time, what a blessing means when healing doesn’t come on her schedule.
A quick timeline:
- February 21, 2011: released as the lead single from her album Blessings, which followed in May 2011.
- February 2012: won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song at the 54th Grammy Awards.
- 2012: swept multiple Dove Awards, including Song of the Year, and took the Billboard Music Award for top Christian song.
- 2012: her first book, a 30-day devotional titled What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops?, grew out of the song.
Laura Story is also the writer of “Indescribable”, which became widely known through Chris Tomlin’s recording.
Scripture Connected to the Song
The publisher’s song page lists a handful of passages alongside it: Psalm 67:7, Ephesians 1:3, Philippians 4:19 and Deuteronomy 32:2. They speak of God’s provision and blessing, which makes a natural pairing if you’re building a service, a devotional or a sermon series around the theme of redefining blessing.
How the Chance the Rapper Version Differs
Chance the Rapper’s “Blessings” is the joyful one. It comes from his Coloring Book mixtape, a project he has framed around faith and community, and the hook is sung by Jamila Woods. Its message is thankfulness and praise, plus a line in the verse separating blessings from worldly possessions. Laura Story starts from loss; Chance starts from joy. Play them back to back and it’s hard to believe they share a title.
Big Sean’s “Blessings” in Brief
Big Sean’s track, with Drake, is a hip-hop single from his album Dark Sky Paradise, released in January 2015 ahead of the album. He gives thanks for his career and success, Drake sings the hook, and Kanye West raps a verse on the extended version. It isn’t a worship song and isn’t related to the other two beyond the title, so it’s rarely what people searching for worship lyrics want.
Using the Song Respectfully
- At a funeral or memorial. Play the recording rather than printing the words. The song usually does the comforting on its own.
- In a caption or post. Skip long quotes. Write one sentence about why the song matters to you and name the song and artist.
- For a friend going through something hard. Tell them the song came to mind and why. A short personal note often lands better than quoted lines.
- In a church service. Confirm your licensing first, then credit the writer on screen.
Real-Life Conversations About the Song
Hira: I’ve had that Laura Story song on repeat since Dad’s surgery.
Bilal: The “Blessings” one?
Hira: Yeah. The part about hard things being used for something. I don’t know if I believe it yet, but I need to hear it.
Bilal: You don’t have to believe it today. Just keep listening.
Sana: Why are there two “Blessings” songs on this playlist?
Usman: Different artists. That’s the worship one, and the other is Chance with the choir sound.
Sana: So one makes me cry in the car and the other makes me dance in the kitchen.
Usman: That’s accurate.
Mrs. Carter: Can we put the lyrics on the screen Sunday?
Daniel: I’d have to check our license first. We can’t just copy them off a website.
Mrs. Carter: Fair. Let’s sort that out before the service, not during it.
Naila: I want to text Zoya something for her mom’s funeral, but I don’t want to quote lyrics.
Amna: Then don’t. Tell her the song reminded you of her mom’s faith and that you’re thinking of her.
Naila: That’s simpler.
Amna: It’s usually the better message.
Original Lines in the Spirit of the Song
If you want to share the feeling without quoting anyone, these are written from scratch:
- Some blessings arrive wrapped in things we never asked for.
- I didn’t understand that season, but I can see what grew in it.
- Not every answer to prayer looks like relief.
- On the days I can’t see it, I’m trusting that I’m held.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote “Blessings”?
Laura Story wrote the song herself. It is credited to her as the sole writer.
Is the song based on a true story?
Yes. She wrote it after her husband developed a brain tumor in 2006, and the “what ifs” in the chorus reflect questions she carried through that period.
Did “Blessings” win a Grammy?
Yes. It won Best Contemporary Christian Music Song at the Grammy Awards in February 2012, and it also won several Dove Awards that year.
Can I post the lyrics on my blog or social media?
Posting full lyrics without permission can infringe copyright. Link to a licensed source and describe the meaning in your own words instead.
Can our church display the lyrics during worship?
Usually only with the right license, such as CCLI. Check what your church’s license covers before you project or print the words.
What’s the difference between Laura Story’s and Chance the Rapper’s “Blessings”?
Laura Story’s is a reflective ballad about finding grace in pain. Chance the Rapper’s is an upbeat, gospel-influenced song of praise and gratitude. Different writers, different moods, same title.
Is there a book connected to the song?
Yes. Laura Story wrote a 30-day devotional called What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops?, inspired by the song.
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Shahzad is the Founder of BlessDiary, sharing Christian prayers, blessings, Bible-based encouragement, and inspiring messages to strengthen faith and bring hope to everyday life.
