My Utmost for His Highest (1995)
Updated: Oct 29
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 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 chart. 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.
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)
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)