Songfacts®:

• South Carolina native Brandon Lake began playing the guitar as a child and became a worship leader for the college ministry at Seacoast Church. His debut album, Closer, caught the attention of fellow artist-writers in Atlanta and he later co-wrote the hit song "This is a Move" with Tasha Cobbs Leonard, which won a GMA Dove Award. Lake also co-wrote and performed on Elevation Worship's #1 single "Graves Into Gardens," which won worship recorded song of the year at the 2021 GMA Dove Awards, where Lake was also named songwriter of the year.
  
  "Gratitude" is a track from his second album, House of Miracles.
• On this gentle ballad, Brandon Lake expresses his thankfulness towards God while acknowledging his own limitations as a human being. The song explores the tension between his overwhelming gratitude towards the Lord and his awareness of his own finite humanity.
  
  And I know it's not much
  But I've nothing else fit for a King
  Except for a heart singing
  Hallelujah, hallelujah
  
  Lake knows the only thing he can offer the King of Kings is a humble heart singing "Hallelujah, Hallelujah." He realizes the Lord takes delight in such an offering.
• Lake co-wrote "Gratitude" with Benjamin Hastings at the Aussie's apartment overlooking the Sydney Opera House. Hastings is best known for writing the popular Hillsong anthems "So Will I (100 Billion X)" and "Seasons."
  
  "We got into this conversation about how nothing we can offer God is that impressive to him," Lake recalled to Billboard, "and how humbling that is and the lyrics started from there."
• This wasn't one of Lake's favorites when he began recording it with producer Jacob Sooter. "The production just wasn't moving me at first," he said. "I re-recorded it probably four or five times and then just said, 'Let's take all the production away. Just put me in front of a microphone with an acoustic and I'm going to sing it as organically as I can.'"
  
  The version that ended up on House of Miracles is a one-take of Lake's vocals. Then Sooter put the production around his singing to support it.
• Originally just an album cut, listeners began gravitating towards "Gratitude" after Brandon Lake performed it on the Christmas special for the streaming series The Chosen. It got another boost when The Voice contestant Bodie performed the song during season 22 of the music competition.
• Bethel Music released the track to radio on June 3, 2022, making it the third single from House of Miracles. It peaked at #1 on Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart, marking Lake's first chart-topper as a lead artist. It spent 28 weeks at the summit until Elevation Worship's "Praise" - featuring Brandon Lake – dethroned it.
  
• In 2024, Brandon Lake and his wife Brittany co-authored a children's book titled Little Lion Lungs, which is directly inspired by "Gratitude." The story centers on a young lion cub named Levi who learns that the greatest gift one can bring to the King is gratitude.
  
  The inspiration for Little Lion Lungs came from the lyric "you've got a lion inside of your lungs" in "Gratitude," which resonated with many listeners and even inspired a successful clothing line before the book. Brandon and Brittany wanted to provide families with a resource that goes beyond music, helping children understand the meaning of worship and the importance of expressing gratitude to God.
• "Gratitude" got a big boost following Lake's performance of the song at the September 21, 2025 Chalie Kirk Memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.