My Utmost for His Highest (1995)

My Utmost for His Highest is the first of three albums of songs inspired by Oswald Chambers' devotional book of the same name. The album was released on June 2, 1995 by Myrrh/Word Records. The project was produced by Brown Bannister and features performances by popular contemporary Christian artists including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patty, Steven Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace, Cindy Morgan and many others. Each artist sings a song relating to a day from Chamber's book.

The two additional albums produced in the series were My Utmost for His Highest: The Covenant and My Utmost for His Highest: Quiet Prayers, a solo album by contemporary Christian artist Bryan Duncan. My Utmost for His Highest debuted and peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Christian Albums and at number 99 on the Billboard 200 Albums charts. In 1996, the album won a Dove Award for its inaugural category Special Event Album of the Year given to its participating artists and producer Bannister and the track "A Man After Your Own Heart" won Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year awarded to Gary Chapman and its songwriters Billy Sprague and Wayne Kirkpatrick at the 27th GMA Dove Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. My Utmost for His Highest was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1997. In 2001, CCM Magazine named this album as one of The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music ranking at number 35.

Track listing

1. You Are Holy (4Him) (Michael W. Smith, Carolyn Arends, Mark Harris) -4:59

2. Lover of My Soul (Amy Grant) (Amy Grant, Michael Omartian) -5:16

3. A Man After Your Own Heart (Gary Chapman) (Billy Sprague, Wayne Kirkpatrick) -4:32

4. You'll Be There (Cindy Morgan) (Cindy Morgan) -3:22

5. Sometimes He Comes in the Clouds (Steven Curtis Chapman) (Steven Curtis

Chapman) -4:04

6. God of All of Me (Sandi Patty) (Michael W. Smith, Bob Farrell) -4:45

7. Move in Me (Michael W. Smith) (Michael W. Smith, Wayne Kirkpatrick) -6:12

8. Hold On to Me (Point of Grace) (Michael W. Smith, Robert Sterling) -4:03

9. A Heart Like Mine (Bryan Duncan) (Bryan Duncan, Bob Farrell, Greg Nelson,

Loren Balman, Robbie Buchanan) -4:24

10. Where He Leads Me (Twila Paris) (Twila Paris) -5:34

11. Shine On Us (Phillips, Craig & Dean) (Michael W. Smith, Debbie Smith) -4:06

Gold certified in 1997.

Accolades

Dove Award -Special Event Album of the Year (My Utmost for His Highest,

awarded to the participating artists and Brown Bannister as

producer)

Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year ("A Man After Your Own Heart" by Gary Chapman)

Radio singles

1995 "Lover of My Soul" by Amy Grant -#4 Christian CHR, #1 Christian AC

1995 "Shine On Us" by Phillips, Craig & Dean -#13 Christian AC

1995 "A Heart Like Mine" by Bryan Duncan -#24 Christian CHR, #5 Christian AC

1995 "A Man After Your Own Heart" by Gary Chapman -#6 Christian AC

1996 "Sometimes He Comes in the Clouds" by Steven Curtis Chapman -#8

Christian AC

Next release: My Utmost for His Highest: The Covenant (1996)