What "Increase in Me" means
"Increase in Me" is a prayer song declaring hunger for more of God's presence, character, and work in the singer's life, with the implicit understanding that such increase costs something of the self. VaShawn Mitchell is a gospel artist and songwriter whose work consistently bridges the gap between traditional gospel sensibility and contemporary worship expression. This song draws from his catalog as a piece of surrender that does not feel passive; it has the forward energy of someone actively asking rather than passively waiting. The track moves in the key of A at 84 BPM, a tempo with forward drive without becoming aggressive. The primary scriptural frame is John 3:30: "He must become greater; I must become less," which is the theological core the song orbits.
What this song does in a room
The song asks something of the congregation before it gives anything to them, and that inversion is part of what makes it a mature worship song rather than a consumer one. That is a different dynamic than most contemporary worship songs, which tend to open with declaration or invitation. "Increase in Me" opens with a request that requires self-awareness: you have to know what you are asking to be displaced before you can mean the prayer. At 84 BPM in A, the feel is active and alive. Watch what happens when a congregation sings this with their hands open rather than raised, a physical posture that matches the lyric's receptivity. This song does not work well as background music or as a song people half-engage. It asks for full presence, and rooms that are half-in will feel flat on it. You can often tell within the first chorus whether the congregation has brought their whole self or whether they are observing. If they are observing, slow down, drop a dynamic, and invite them back in before continuing.
What this song is saying about God
The song says that God is the kind of God who increases in a person who makes room. This is a claim about divine responsiveness: God does not force his way in, and he does not stay at the level of presence that indifference produces. He increases in proportion to the room you give him. This is not a transactional claim about earning more of God. It is a relational claim about posture. The song also implies that the default human condition is fullness of self, and that genuine spiritual growth involves displacement of that self by something greater. God is framed as the greatness the self is being displaced by, which is a specific and demanding claim about his worth.
Scriptural backbone
John 3:30 is the center: "He must become greater; I must become less." This is John the Baptist's answer when asked whether he felt threatened by Jesus gaining more followers. His response became one of the most quoted postures of surrender in Christian history. Galatians 2:20 extends it: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Philippians 1:21 adds Paul's frame: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." These texts together form a theology of displacement by divine increase, which is exactly what the song is requesting.
How to use it in a service
This song fits in the middle or closing section of a worship set, after the congregation has been warmed and is ready to engage a more demanding lyric. It works particularly well as a response song after a message on surrender, sanctification, or discipleship. It can also anchor a service built around a new year, a consecration season, or the beginning of a prayer initiative. The song's driving tempo means it can follow something slower without feeling like a jarring shift. It can also be the song that moves a congregation from singing about God to singing to God, which is one of the most meaningful transitions a worship set can make.
Things to watch for as the worship leader
The key of A is higher than G and will push some congregations toward the ceiling of their comfortable range in the chorus. Test this in rehearsal with your full band and listen for where the chorus lands. A half-step down to Ab or a full step down to G gives you room if the congregation is straining. The 84 BPM has gospel energy behind it. If you have players from a gospel background, let them play with the feel rather than locking them into a rigid grid. The song breathes better when the rhythm section has some freedom. Watch that the song does not become about the music rather than the prayer. This is a petition, not a performance. If the musicianship is drawing attention to itself, pull it back. The congregation's engagement is the metric, not the quality of the guitar solo.
A note for the team behind you (techs, vocalists, band)
Gospel piano voicings are the core of this song's identity. If your keys player can play with gospel sensibility, give them room to do it. A stiff, hymn-style left hand will noticeably flatten the track's energy. Drummers: the groove can carry gospel pocket, which means the snare can sit slightly behind the beat on 2 and 4 rather than precisely on it. That pocket pushes the overall feel forward without rushing the tempo, which is a different thing from playing perfectly on the grid. BGVs: this song rewards full, stacked harmonies in the chorus. Three-part minimum if you have the voices. FOH: the kick drum and bass guitar need to be felt in the room, not just heard. Running the sub at a level that creates physical presence contributes to the congregational response in a way that purely aural sound does not. If your room has the capability, a kick drum that is felt in the chest rather than just heard in the ears changes how a congregation inhabits this song.