Amidst the ever-changing seasons of life, a solid relationship with God grounds and nourishes us, enabling us to weather the storms that come our way. Gospel trailblazer Jonathan Traylor knows this very well, and in this powerful episode of the Beacon Show, he shares his authentic story of faith and obedience to God’s calling. Prepare to have your passion for worship reignited and your faith strengthened by Jonathan’s inspiring testimony!
From a young age, Jonathan Traylor was no stranger to adversity. Growing up in an environment of poverty and homelessness, he could have easily given up on his dreams. But God had other plans.
Through the unwavering faith of his praying mother and godly mentors, Jonathan experienced the transformative power of worship. In those formative years spent crying out to God, an insatiable passion was ignited: to use his gifts to bring hope and healing to a hurting world.
Today, Jonathan is a trailblazing gospel artist and worship leader whose music transcends genres and cultural boundaries. With a unique fusion of sounds that merge urban flair with prophetic anointing, his songs have become anthems of breakthrough for people from all walks of life.
But Jonathan’s journey has been far from easy. From industry pressures to juggling the demands of family and career, he has navigated treacherous terrain that could have easily shipwrecked his faith. Yet through it all, an unshakable trust in God’s purpose has been his anchor.
Get ready to be inspired as Jonathan shares his remarkable story of overcoming adversity, staying rooted in authentic worship, and using his artistic platform to draw people of all walks closer to Christ. His hard-won wisdom and contagious joy will challenge you to embrace your unique calling with boldness and surrender every gift to the Giver of all good things.
From Self-Taught Worship Musician to Recording Artist
Today, Jonathan Traylor thrives as a gospel artist and worship leader. But as a young boy growing up in the church, he had little interest in singing. Still, at the age of 14, God placed a desire in his heart to learn how to play the piano for his church.
Emboldened by the prayers of faithful people around him — and without formal lessons — Jonathan started to play, and also to write as his personal worship turned into original songs straight from God.
“I’m just in there worshiping God, feeling the gravity of His presence,” he recalls. “Have you ever experienced that, where you’re overwhelmed with emotions, but you know this is undeniable, this is the presence of God, and He’s real? I was just being in my room, just worshiping, getting off the piano, laying before the Lord on the floor, and just feeling Him.”
Before long, Jonathan found himself leading the church choir while he was still a teenager, introducing his songs to the church and learning how to lead through service.
Most of all, he learned to boldly share his gifts and talents, no matter what other people might think about it. “God’s given me this, and I’m going to praise Him and worship Him with everything He’s given me,” Jonathan says.
While Jonathan’s path to becoming a recording artist wasn’t always easy or clear, by understanding who he was in Christ, committing to doing the work that was laid out for him at every step of the way, and trusting God to open the right doors at the right time, Jonathan has seen and accomplished more than he could have imagined.
Staying Grounded While Juggling Many Responsibilities
Fulfilling the roles of artist, father, husband, worship leader, and more can be incredibly challenging — and it can be even more challenging to remain grounded in one’s faith across all of those responsibilities.
Jonathan identifies several factors that enable him to balance life, work, and faith:
- Staying in the Word: Jonathan describes spending time in God’s Word as similar to an oil change for a weary soul. It’s an energizing practice that grounds him in his true motivation — to serve God.
- Being plugged into the local church: We all need community and accountability to continue growing in our faith. Finding a church community and leaders who care aobut him as a person, not just an artist, has proved to be a vital part of Jonathan’s spiritual life and weekly routine.
- Adapting to the seasons: For Jonathan, managing the different aspects of his life is not a balancing act; it’s understanding who and where he needs to be in each season of life. Sometimes, that means being present at home with his family, while other times it means being away on tour sharing the good news of Jesus with others.
- Having trusted accountability partners: The people we surround ourselves with can either help us grow in our walk with God or hinder us. By listening to the godly advice of people like his pastor and his wife, Jonathan has been able to stay accountable and remain obedient to God even when it’s difficult.
Ultimately, it comes down to prioritizing his relationship with God above all else.
“A lot of people feel like you need these rich moments where it’s like everybody’s got to be quiet, I’ve got to go to my prayer closet,” Jonathan explains. “Those moments are beautiful, but this is a relationship. Like when I talk to my wife, we’re just talking through the day… Make God a part of every part of your day.”
Navigating Cultural Differences and Disagreements in the Church
As a musician, Jonathan is driven by a passion to reach people who don’t know Christ and to make music that speaks to people from all walks of life.
“Music is the only thing that doesn’t need permission from your brain to get into your spirit,” he explains. “When you make Spirit-filled music, it changes things… So I don’t want to just make songs that are cool sonically and that the label likes. I want people to hear this music and say yes to Jesus, and for generations to be changed because of that person.”
Through music, Jonathan aims to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, touching people’s hearts so that they will be open to the message of the Gospel.
Unfortunately, even within the church, differences in music style, political affiliations, and cultural experiences can and do cause divisions and harsh disagreements.
While there are not always easy answers for how to navigate these divisions, Jonathan advises praying for discernment, putting aside pride, and listening to understand each other’s point of view.
While not every conversation will lead to complete agreement, we can learn, with God’s help, to have difficult conversations and learn to disagree respectfully with love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Loving Well: Leaving a Legacy of True Success
Jonathan says his definition of success has changed over the years. While he used to define his success by awards and accolades, he now views a successful life as one filled with true joy and fulfillment, thriving relationships with his family, and above all a clear conscience before God.
That’s why he prioritizes staying connected with his family during both busy seasons and the time he spends at home. Because when all is said and done, he wants to be remembered as someone who loved well.
“[I want people to remember] that I loved people well, and they felt loved, they felt supported, they felt seen and heard,” he says in closing. “That my music made them feel something, and it made them closer to God — and not only my music, but that the life that I lived made them want to be closer to God.”
About Jonathan Traylor
Jonathan Traylor is a triple threat, and maybe more. As a world-class singer/songwriter, producer/musician, and dancer, the 29-year-old is poised to breathe new energy into the faith-based music scene with his unapologetically wild sound and style.
The Dallas-raised performer who grew up listening to pioneering gospel influences Kirk Franklin and Tye Tribbett, was inspired by their ability to use contemporary sounds and high-energy stage performances to infuse the culture with the message of the Gospel.
“I want to make music that helps not just the churched, but the unchurched,” Jonathan explains. “Christ wants everyone to have a seat at the table. It is not an exclusive thing. I want to make music that connects everyone and brings everyone to the table.”
He realized singing was not his only passion before he graduated high school. By age 15, Jonathan had embraced songwriting as a core means of expression. “It was an outlet for me to get my thoughts and emotions out,” he recalls. I carried a lot, so writing was a way for me to release and get my thoughts out. It wasn’t always in song form, but it was just writing how I felt.”
A primarily self-taught musician, Jonathan plays piano, acoustic guitar, and several percussion instruments. He developed those skills as a service to his local church and fine-tuned them when he began producing tracks for the songs he was now writing not merely as an outlet for his emotion, but to reach audiences inside and outside of the local church.
In 2019, after releasing his music independently for several years, Jonathan inked a record deal with Motown Gospel. The partnership has given him a larger platform for his powerful messages and a brighter spotlight for his unique performance style.
One thing that makes Traylor’s music so appealing and relatable is that he is not afraid to pull from his own trials, no matter how personal they are.
Visit Jonathan’s website here. Connect with Jonathan on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).
