So, I wanted to learn this song, “Dear God” by Cory Asbury. I’m not a pro or anything, just wanted to play it for myself, you know? Figured I’d share how I went about figuring out the chords and all.
First, I looked up the chords online. Found a few versions, some in the key of C, some in D. There was this intro bit, and then the verse starts with “Dear God.” One version had the intro as just D / / / , and the verse went like “D Dear God, F#m G I’ve been trying awful hard to make You proud of me D But it seems F#m G The harder that I try.” That sounded about right.

Another version had the intro as C, and the verse starting with “C Dear God, Em F I’ve been trying awful hard to make You proud of me C But it seems Em F The harder that I try the harder it becomes.” Seemed a bit different, but close enough.
I tried playing along with the D version first. Grabbed my guitar and tried to match the chords. The D, F#m, G progression wasn’t too bad. I just strummed along, trying to get the feel of it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was starting to sound like the song. I messed around with this.
Then I switched to the C version. The C, Em, F was a bit easier, actually. I could transition between those chords a bit smoother. The strumming pattern was still a bit tricky, but I just kept at it. It was more comfortable in this key.
I practiced both versions for a while, switching back and forth. I looked up the lyrics to get the timing right and tried singing along. It was rough, but it was fun. The song has this vibe, you know? It’s like, trying to do your best but feeling like you’re messing up. I could relate to that.
After a few hours, I felt like I had a decent grasp of it. It wasn’t perfect, not recording-worthy, but I could play through the whole song and it sounded okay. I could feel the emotion in the song, and that’s what mattered.
I found a PDF chord chart for the song too, which was kind of helpful. It had the chords written out and showed the arrangement in the key of D. That gave me a clearer picture of how the song was structured. I used this as a guide and practiced it more.

At the end of the day, I was happy with how it turned out. I learned a new song, and it was a good way to spend an afternoon. Music’s like that, right? It’s not about being perfect, it’s about enjoying the process and connecting with the song. That was my goal, and I think I got there.
- Chords in D: D, F#m, G
- Chords in C: C, Em, F
My Key Takeaways
It was a challenge, especially figuring out the strumming, but totally worth it. It’s not just about getting the chords right, but feeling the music, you know? And hey, if a regular guy like me can do it, anyone can. Just takes a little time and effort.
Anyway, that’s my little adventure with learning “Dear God.” Hope it was somewhat helpful or at least entertaining. Keep strumming, folks!