As Zach Williams started writing a book about his life, he realized “there’s a lot in here” that can offer people hope. Now the Christian artist is preparing for the Feb. 27 release of his memoir, “Rescue Story.”
Williams grew up in the church but fell into a rock band lifestyle of drugs and addiction as a young adult. After hearing a life-changing song on Christian radio in 2012, he gave his life to Jesus at age 33.
The Grammy and Dove Award-winning singer and songwriter, now 45, broke into Christian music with the hit song “Chain Breaker.” Since then, Williams has topped charts and collaborated with artists including Dolly Parton.
Earlier this month, Williams spoke to Tré Goins-Phillips of CBN News about his life, his new book, and his prayers for fans and readers.
Zach Williams Share ‘Incredible Story’ of God at Work
The memoir tells the “pretty incredible story…of what God’s done in my life,” Zach Williams said. His goal is to offer people hope because “if God can do it for me, he can do it for any one of us.”
Though Williams had a Christian upbringing, he “turned my back and ran” from God during high school and college. After a “downward spiral,” he discovered the guitar and songwriting. When Williams joined a rock band, he assumed he needed to embrace “a certain lifestyle,” filled with drugs and alcohol.
After 10 or 15 years of that, the musician was “at the end of my rope” and “sick of what I was doing.” While on tour in Europe in 2012, Williams challenged God, saying, “If you’re real, prove it.” Shortly afterward, he heard Big Daddy Weave’s song “Redeemed” while in the band’s van.
“It just hit me,” Williams said. From his hotel, he called his wife and said, “I’m done. I’m out of here.” Back home, Williams surrendered his life to Jesus while kneeling in a closet. Instead of feeling uncool, he said, that was “the most macho cool thing I could ever do.”
After asking God to save him, Williams felt like a weight had been lifted. He quit the band and found a church. Soon he began serving as a worship leader and writing Christian songs, traveling back and forth from his home in Arkansas to Nashville.
Zach Williams: From Mess to Message
Zach Williams described the steadfastness of his parents, who never stopped praying for and supporting him. They attended his rock shows at “smoky bars…sitting there praying that God was going to take all of this mess and turn it into some message.”
His parents often prayed Jeremiah 29:11 over him, Williams said, and a pastor once told them their son would be “a voice for my generation.”
