Written by: Gillian Fraser
Article source: JOY! Magazine
Award-winning singer-songwriter Amanda Cook will be in South Africa next month as part of the Worship Works Wonders tour. Known for her poetic worship style and heartfelt lyrics, Amanda’s music has resonated deeply with believers around the world. Songs like “You Make Me Brave”, “Pieces”, and “Mercy” have made her a trusted voice in the global worship movement.
Yet beyond the stage, Amanda is a thinker, a seeker, and a soul drawn to stillness. In this candid conversation, she reflects on her faith, the gift of quiet spaces, songwriting as prayer, and her hope for South Africans ahead of the upcoming tour.
Q. You’re visiting our beautiful country next month – have you ever been before?
Yes – I’ve actually been to South Africa before, and I love it. There’s a depth and sincerity there that moves me. Every time I’ve visited, I’ve left changed. So, returning feels like coming back to somewhere sacred.
Q. What are you most looking forward to about ministering here?
I’m looking forward to meeting the hunger again. South Africans carry such a beautiful intensity in worship – this bold, unedited longing for the presence of God. I’m praying these nights become an inspired interruption to our usual programming, for us to hear the clarity and kindness of the voice of God in a personal, powerful way.
Q. In previous interviews, you’ve mentioned your longing to create stillness – why do you think quiet spaces are so important for us spiritually?
Stillness is confronting. The world is loud and fast, and stillness invites us to slow down enough to hear what’s in the background. In quiet spaces, there’s no performing. Just presence. That’s what I long for the most.
Q. Has there been a specific season where God met you most deeply in the quiet?
Yes, many times. But most recently, it’s been in the still, quiet places of everyday life – washing dishes, walking in the morning, staring out a window. God meets me in those moments with a kind of nearness that doesn’t need to be explained, only felt. Like the kind of friend you can be alone together with.
Q. What has God been teaching you lately about surrender and new beginnings?
I’ve been in a season of re-enchantment with God. It’s like the fog cleared and I’m seeing Him with fresh eyes. Re-enchantment is a return – a coming home to wonder.
Q. When you think about your journey of faith – the real, messy, beautiful parts – what keeps you anchored in Jesus?
His kindness. Always His kindness. He’s steady, patient, never in a rush. His friendship, leadership, direction, correction. His consistency is the most grounding thing I know.
Q. You carry a deep sense of honesty and softness in your work. How do you protect your heart from becoming hard or cynical?
To keep one’s tenderness is a daily choice. It helps to surround myself with people who remind me of wonder. People who have kept their sense of good humour, their curiosity. People who are committed to learning. People who teach me how to grieve. I like to laugh a lot.
Q. There’s a strong thread of vulnerability in your work. How do you stay authentic when sharing publicly, yet still guard what’s sacred?
The most up-close things are for the village who are helping me heal, change, and grow into the person I want to be. Art is a beautiful way of sharing those discoveries, but it stays within the art, which is the gift. We all get to interact within the containment of the art, which feels like a universal way of saying, “Amen,” or “I’m sorry for your pain,” or “Me too”.
Q. If you could speak to your younger self, what would you say?
You’re allowed to change. You’re allowed to evolve. You don’t have to be everything to everyone, and you can’t. Stay close to the voice of God. And let yourself be soft. That’s where the real strength is.
Q. What daily rhythms help you stay connected to God?
Simplicity and repetition. Morning light. A good cup of coffee. Reading one Psalm slowly. Journalling. Lighting incense. I love sustainable rhythms.
Q. Your lyrics often sound like prayers or journal entries. Do you write to process what you’re going through, or is it more about ministering to others?
It starts as processing. Writing is how I pray most honestly. Then at some point, I realise it might be beyond me, and I rely on friends/co-producers/people I trust to determine what might be good or helpful to share and what I might keep to myself, which is the start of a project. It usually begins from the place that feels like “I just need to say this, can I say this out loud” for it to feel worthwhile.
Q. Can you walk us through what songwriting looks like for you – is it structured, spontaneous, or does it vary?
It really varies. Sometimes it’s spontaneous, other times it’s a slow excavation. I usually start with a thought or a phrase. I sit in the quiet with it, hum things over a piano note, let it unfold.
Q. Many worship leaders struggle with pressure to produce or perform. How do you stay spiritually grounded in an industry that can sometimes feel commercial?
I have to return to the quiet over and over. Worship was never meant to be a commercial endeavour – it’s way too precious for that. It’s about a person’s soul divinely connecting with the goodness of God.
Q. What advice would you give to young songwriters who feel called to write worship, but aren’t sure where to begin?
Begin with precisely where you are. Write what you wish someone would say to God. Be honest. The Church doesn’t need more polished songs – we need more prophetic ones.
Find your longing for God and journal about it. Read books of theology and poetry, find people who want to learn about Jesus with you and dialogue about your experiences, and get in the practice of paying attention to the glimmers and jotting them down along the way. Take music lessons, take songwriting courses.
We don’t get better at craft by staying stuck in our own thoughts about it. Stay a learner.
Q. How do you balance emotional honesty with theological depth?
I think the Psalms are a great blueprint for that. David was brutally honest, and still anchored in God’s nature. I try to do the same. I don’t want to sanitise emotion, but I also don’t want to stay in despair. There’s always a thread of hope. I think there are songs for different public spaces of service, different contexts, but ultimately in the context of leading worship, I don’t want to lead people into my personal tragedies or triumphs. I want to sing together into a place that can hold and heal all of our pain – to the promise of the goodness of the presence of God.
Q. If you could leave readers with one encouragement, what would it be?
Don’t lose your wonder. Let yourself be re-enchanted by God. He’s not just waiting for you at a destination – He’s with you in every step of the way.
This article is featured in the August issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 23/07/2025
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