Alisa Turner – Digging In The Dirt

click to buy

God gave the music to Alisa Turner, and it’s her calling to give it away to others.

Turner, a Nashville-based worship leader and singer-songwriter, has leaned into her musical gifts over the years to help her deal with life’s difficulties, from her ongoing battle with Lyme disease to the sudden, unexpected loss of her father. The music, in turn, has provided compelling songs like “My Prayer For You” that has given hope, perspective, and comfort to so many others—millions of others in the case of that song.

Miracle Or Not (buy) is Turner’s latest album, a testament to God’s goodness in the face of trials. Her gifts are rich offerings for the church, intimate moments that originate from quiet moments of reflection and blossom as songs of healing for God’s people. We recently sat down with the Integrity Music artist to hear more about her relationship with these songs and where they come from.

CCM Magazine: I’ve read about music’s importance to you over time, but how far back does that go? Has music always held such an importance place?
Alisa Turner: I started writing songs when I was twelve or thirteen and they were absolutely terrible, but I loved to create. I remember even as a kid being fascinated more by the music in a Disney movie than what was going on. Then I started writing and to sit at the piano was such a relief and release for me.

I was in my teens when I’d started to become a bit sick—I’d gotten sick with Lyme disease as a little girl, but it was never properly diagnosed or treated. For a long time, my immune system kind of held things in check until my twenties when it just fell apart. But even in those early years of illness, I’d sit down and there’d be such a peace over me. I feel the Lord gave it to me as a gift because He knew I’d need it.