Vande Mataram the novel containing it was banned by the British government, but workers and general public defied the ban, many went to colonial prisons repeatedly for singing it, and the ban was overturned by the Indians after they gained independence from the colonial rule. In 1950 (after India's independence), the first two verses of the song were declared the "national song" of the Republic of India, distinct from the national anthem of India, "Jana Gana Mana". The first two verses of the song are an abstract reference to one's mother and motherland, they do not mention any Hindu deity by name,
I Will Praise You light. She further commented on the development of the song saying, "...in the middle of Hollywood, about 600 young people gather to worship, seeking God passionately, and every week our pastor is encouraging us to be that light in the darkness. So the song also represents what I encounter every week at my church." On 17 February she released an update about two of the new songs, "You Never Let Go" and "I Will Praise You". The former, a cover of the Matt Redman song, was picked because it inspired St. James not to worry. The title track was inspired