Believing His Best Years Were Behind Him, One Man Prayed, 'Use Me'

One year later, that surrendered prayer has become a worldwide Christian music ministry reaching listeners in more than 100 countries.

RUSSELLVILLE, AR, UNITED STATES, July 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- It Started With Yes
One Year After One Surrendered Prayer, Christian Country Ministry Reaches Listeners in More Than 100 Countries

One year ago, Curt Brickley wasn't launching a music career.

He wasn't building a brand.

He wasn't pursuing a recording contract.

Instead, after decades of ministry, multiple life-threatening health crises had left him disabled, living with lasting cognitive challenges, and quietly believing quietly believing God had finished using him. Brickley came before God with a repentant and willing heart and one simple prayer:

Father...

I have nothing to offer, but...

What I have is Yours.

Use me for Your glory.

There was no ministry plan. No audience. No strategy.

Only surrender.

That simple prayer would become the foundation of both Brickley's upcoming song, It Starts With Yes, and the ministry's remarkable first year.

Twelve months later, that surrendered prayer has grown into a worldwide Christian music ministry that has reached listeners in more than 100 countries, generated more than 215,000 verified streams, views, and plays across multiple platforms, produced 53 original Gospel-centered songs, and introduced hundreds of thousands of people to messages of grace, redemption, hope, and the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Yet Brickley insists the statistics aren't the story.

"The numbers are encouraging, but they're not the point," Brickley said. "Every stream represents a person. Every person has a story. Every conversation is another opportunity to point someone to Jesus Christ. This first year isn't a celebration of what I've done. It's a testimony of what God can do with a willing heart."

A United States Marine veteran, pastor, missionary, and songwriter, Brickley's music draws from a lifetime of ministry, hardship, and God's faithfulness. His songs combine biblical truth with honest storytelling, addressing subjects such as grief, redemption, forgiveness, fatherhood, perseverance, and the hope found only in Christ.

Throughout the past year, listeners from around the world have shared how the songs encouraged them through grief, strengthened their faith, and challenged them to walk more closely with Christ.

One listener wrote:

"This is truly a miraculous ministry that you have been entrusted with! You challenge me to go deeper and not to rest as I get older. The body grows weak, but the spirit can continue to grow strong through the Holy Spirit!"

Another shared:

"Your story inspires me to listen to God and to give my all to God so He can use me and lead me where my life should be in His glory."

Others simply wrote:

"Truly inspirational and great lyrics that will lead you closer to Christ!"

Brickley believes those responses reveal the true impact of the ministry.
"Throughout Scripture, God has never looked for the strongest, the smartest or the most talented people," Brickley said. "He's always looked for willing people—men and women willing to surrender and simply say, 'Yes, Lord.' I've preached that truth for decades. This year, God brought me back to it again. I spent the year writing about the Gospel only to discover I was experiencing it all over again. His grace truly is sufficient."

The ministry's first year included significant growth across Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, creating opportunities to proclaim the Gospel through biblically grounded Christian Country music with audiences around the world. More importantly, Brickley says, it created countless opportunities to encourage hurting people and point them toward Christ.

Looking ahead, the ministry plans to continue expanding its outreach through several initiatives, including:

Continued development of CurtBrickley.com as a ministry resource featuring music, devotionals, testimonies, and Song Guides.
Launch of the Sow a Song initiative, allowing supporters to help place Gospel-centered music before people who need encouragement and hope.
Establishment of Curt Brickley – Music with a Message as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry.
Completion of companion devotionals for every released song.
Development of Song Guides designed for churches, small groups, discipleship, and personal study.
A focused effort to prayerfully place five of the catalog's strongest songs with recording artists whose voices and ministries are uniquely suited to carry those messages even farther.

Rather than asking people simply to support the ministry, Brickley invites fellow believers to join God in what He is already doing.

"This ministry has never belonged to me," he said. "It belongs to Christ. Some people write songs. Others pray. Others encourage. Others share. Others give. Every believer has gifts God intends to use for His glory. My hope isn't simply that people will hear these songs. My hope is they'll be reminded that God still calls ordinary people to join Him in extraordinary work."

As the ministry begins its second year, Brickley says the prayer that started it all hasn't changed.

"Father... what I have is Yours. Use me for Your glory."

About Curt Brickley

Curt Brickley is a Christian Country songwriter, pastor, missionary, U.S. Marine veteran, and Bible teacher whose ministry exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through biblically grounded songs, devotionals, and personal testimony. His ministry, Music with a Mission, encourages weary hearts, strengthens believers, and points people to the hope found in Jesus Christ.

For music, devotionals, Song Guides, testimonies, and ministry resources, visit:

https://www.CurtBrickley.com

Curtis Brickley
Curt Brickley – Music With a Mission
+1 406-531-3945
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It Starts With Yes | Official Lyric Video | Curt Brickley

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