Natalie Grant
http://www.nataliegrant.com/
by Trisha Bleau

CS: After touring with Truth, what made you decide to move to Nashville?

Natalie: I truly sensed the call of God on my life. My plan all along was not to move to Nashville. I thought I would go back home to Seattle, but God had other plans.

CS: How long did it take before you were signed with a label? Did you have to do a lot of contacting of record labels or did God simply let one fall into your lap?

Natalie: I wouldn't say a record deal fell in my lap, however, it was an act of God. I was signed after being in Nashville for just a year. It was further confirmation that this was His will for me. I did not contact several labels. Actually, I worked at a temp job for the first 10 months in Nashville, and then God clearly opened up a door for me to do my first project with Benson.

CS: What is the main focus in your ministry? Teens? The lost? The hurting?

Natalie: The main focus of my ministry is first and foremost to bring glory to God. I also want to be a real, authentic and approachable Christian, who challenges the church to get out of their spiritual comfort zone and go deeper with God. I also wish to reach the world with a genuine message of the Gospel, speaking a language that the world will understand. I think Christians can sometimes get so caught up in "churchy" language that most of the time nonbelievers wouldn't even understand what we were talking about.

CS: How have you changed since you started out?

Natalie: I have changed so much in the first year of my ministry. The Lord has revealed so many things to me and I feel as though, honestly, I have matured a bit. I was your typical church girl. I knew the high notes to hit to bring the "Amens" and the Scriptures to quote to receive a "Hallelujah" from the crowd, but it felt so rehearsed and a learned behavior to me. I wanted to be more authentic, more vulnerable. That's when I knew that I could start to make a difference for the Kingdom.

CS: When and how did you accept Christ into your heart?

Natalie: This information is on my web site.

CS: What is your favorite verse in the Bible and why?

Natalie: One of my favorite Scriptures is found in I Peter 5:10, "The God of all grace, after you have suffered a while, will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you." Every one of us will face difficulty and suffering in this life. But when we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, although we will have trials, we have a Savior Who will never leave nor forsake us. And through our hard times, He is building in us a strong foundation that will be steadfast and immovable.

CS: What is the biggest thing you have learned from touring and ministering through music?

Natalie: The main thing I have learned firsthand is that God can use anybody. There is nothing special about me. All of my gifts come from Him, and if we are willing and obedient He wants to use all of us to advance His Kingdom. I've also learned how to have a greater love and appreciation for all of God's children. The family of God is made up of such wonderfully diverse people, and it is such a blessing to meet people from all walks of life.

CS: What is the biggest thing God has done during one of your concerts?

Natalie: God has done some amazing things in my concerts, all praise be to Him, but one specific thing does stand out. I started having more of an emphasis on a prayer time at the end of my concerts. One evening in Modesto, CA, a man came to the altar, prayed, and then handed me his prescription pain killers and said that God had delivered him from a 25-year addiction to morphine. I was so humbled by that, and reminded that I never want to get "too cool" to do altar calls.

CS: When do you find time for personal worship while touring?

Natalie: Honestly, it is very difficult to find personal time for the Lord while traveling. That's where discipline comes in. You have to make the choice to make the time. I am very involved in my home church in Nashville, where I worked doing the praise and worship ministry before I went on the road full time. And even though I am rarely home on a Sunday, I have made strong relationships with my pastor and his wife and several other families, and they help to hold me accountable. I think spiritual authority through a pastor is essential in every believer's life.