Twila Paris doesn’t spend a lot of time looking back at 22 years of success as a songwriter and recording artist. Despite 32 No. 1 songs, five Dove Awards, three American Songwriter Awards, three books published and more than 2 million albums sold, the numbers don’t mean much to her. Whether it’s in music, ministry, marriage or motherhood, for Twila, true success isn’t about numbers. It’s about faithfulness. “My dad once said, ‘The definition of success is simple: God’s faithfulness plus my faithfulness equals success.’ Of course, God’s faithfulness is a given; the only variable is my faithfulness. So no matter what you appear to accomplish or whether people think you’re successful or not, it all comes down to that.”

Throughout her career as an artist and songwriter, a huge component of that standard has been in giving songs of worship back to the church as an offering for the One who has always been faithful to her. On each of her 17 previous albums, the songs that have resonated most with listeners have been those that have a definitive worship aspect. Songs like “We Will Glorify” and “He Is Exalted” have transcended the music business, making their way into the hymnody of the church, forever captured in time in hymnals all over the world.

Worship is a calling and a privilege she doesn’t take lightly. “To be called to minister through music is such a wonderful gift from God. To be given the gift itself is amazing, but to write and sing music for the glory of God, fulltime, as your life’s work is an incredible privilege. … That my songs are used by the Church is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my work. I know worship songs have an eternal value, a higher purpose than I could’ve imagined. I’m just the instrument through which He has moved.”
She and her husband Jack Wright reside in Elm Springs, Arkansas, and continue their involvement with Youth With A Mission. On April 29, 2001, after sixteen years of marriage and many sincere prayers, God blessed their lives with their first child, Jack Paris Wright.