“It’s all about the personal relationship. That it inspires them to act, that it inspires them to get involved, to know that they’re worthy, loved, deserving, and if they’re already on that path, continue it. And if they’re not, explore it,” he said.
“That’s what I would say would be the ultimate goal if someone hears that and it gets them excited to want to continue down their faith journey or explore it,” he added. “It’s all about the encounter, the imitation, and I look at myself, it’s like, ‘All right, I’m this broken instrument. And if this broken instrument plays one note right, I want that note to point directly to Jesus.’”
While in prayer one day, McCullough reflected on why he wrote the song. He said he felt the Lord tell him, “I put this on your heart to help you realize that I am always with you, always watching, always participating, always calling you, always wanting you to encounter me … Emmanuel now leads to Emmanuel forever.”