The Biblical Story Behind Brandon Lake's "That's Who I Praise"

That lyric from Brandon Lake’s “That’s Who I Praise”—

“Wanna face that fire / It won’t burn me though / God’s got my back / Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego”—

rings with a powerful, ancient truth. It's a line that's easy to sing but profound to understand, taking us straight to the pages of Daniel 3, where three faithful men were thrown into a blazing furnace yet walked out completely untouched. But what exactly happened in that fire, and how does that story of unwavering faith shape the music of one of today's most influential worship leaders?

Who is Brandon Lake? A Heart for the House

To understand Brandon Lake's music, you have to understand his heart. Before the GRAMMY awards and sold-out arenas, he was—and still is—a worship pastor. Growing up surrounded by church and family faith, he learned guitar as a teenager and led worship long before recording his first song. Though today he stands on some of the biggest stages in Christian music through his solo work and collaborations with Bethel Music and Maverick City Music, he remains grounded in his primary calling: helping people encounter the presence of God.

This isn't about performance. His songs carry a raw mixture of vulnerability and boldness, whether he's declaring God’s greatness in "Gratitude," opening up about his own struggles with anxiety in "Help!", or encouraging radical trust in "Praise You Anywhere." His life and music consistently point to one purpose: reminding people that God is near, faithful, and worthy of praise, especially in the hardest places.

The Fire and the Fury: Inside the Story of Daniel 3

To feel the weight of Lake's lyric, we have to travel back thousands of years to ancient Babylon. There, King Nebuchadnezzar, in an act of supreme arrogance, constructed a ninety-foot golden statue and commanded every official in his kingdom to bow down and worship it the moment they heard the royal music. The decree was simple: bow or burn.

Three young Hebrew men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—refused. Their loyalty was to God alone. When brought before the furious king, their response was one of history's greatest declarations of faith. They told him:

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it... But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

Enraged, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter—so hot that it killed the guards who threw the three men in. But then, the king leaped to his feet in amazement. He saw not three men bound in the fire, but four, walking freely in the flames, completely unharmed. The fourth, he said, looked "like a son of the gods."

From Ancient Fire to Modern Anthem: Decoding the Lyric

When Brandon Lake sings this hook, he is tapping directly into this powerful history, turning an ancient story into a modern declaration of faith.

• “It won’t burn me though”: This is a direct reference to the miracle's aftermath. The Bible says when the three men came out, the fire "had no power over their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them" (Daniel 3:27). It's a statement of God's complete and miraculous protection.
• “God’s got my back”: This modern phrase perfectly captures the ancient truth. The three men were not alone. Their faith wasn't in their own ability to withstand the flames, but in the presence of the God who was right there with them.
• “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego”: By naming them, Brandon does something brilliant. He invites us to place ourselves in the story. He reminds us that this isn't a myth or a legend; it's a testament to the faithfulness of God toward real people, and the same God stands with us today.

The Fourth Man in Our Own Fires

The most stunning part of the story in Daniel is the appearance of the fourth man in the furnace, widely seen by theologians as a Christophany—a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the message for us today. God doesn't just promise to rescue us from the fire; He promises to be with us in the fire.

That furnace can look different for each of us. It can be a scary diagnosis, a financial crisis, a period of intense anxiety, or the loss of a loved one. Lake’s music consistently returns to this theme. His song "Praise You Anywhere" is a modern-day version of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's commitment, declaring:

"I’ll praise you on the mountain / And I’ll praise you when it’s hard / I’ll praise you in the waiting / Or when I’m falling apart."

This is a faith that isn't dependent on circumstances. It’s a faith anchored in the knowledge that no matter how hot the fire gets, we are never, ever alone.

A Faith That Walks Through Fire

Brandon Lake’s lyric in "That's Who I Praise" is far more than a catchy hook—it's a call to courage. It's a condensed sermon, reminding us that the fires of this life do not have the final say. Just as those three faithful men walked out of a physical furnace without even the smell of smoke, we are invited to trust the God who meets us in our hardest moments and brings us through.

His music gives a voice to a human experience, but its focus is always fixed upward. It points not to our own strength, but to the God who walks with us, whose presence is real, whose love is unshakable, and whose people are never abandoned in the fire.