RUVA
Feature Friday
Have You Died Today?’s Feature Friday series seeks to unearth what it means to die daily and live freely amongst each one of us. Every Friday, Christian Creatives are invited to answer the same 10 questions, giving us an insight to how faith shapes their work and inner life.
RUVA is a Christian Neo-Soul artist whose music is deeply rooted in her faith in God and her relationship with Jesus Christ. With a sound that blends the richness of soulful jazz and soul itself, RUVA creates music that is both spiritually uplifting and artistically distinct. Her mission is clear: to spread the love of Jesus and create space for Him to minister to every single person who hears her music — reminding the world of His sacrifice on the cross and the access we have to the Father because of His love (John 3:16).
She debuted her first single '925' in 2024, followed by her debut EP 'from RUVA to El Roi' — a project inspired by the biblical name of God El Roi, "the God who sees me." In 2025, she continued her testimony through her latest single 'Thank You Lord'. Beyond the digital platforms, RUVA serves in ministry at her local church, where she leads worship and uses her voice to invite people into the presence of God. In all she does, RUVA remains committed to using her gift as an instrument of praise, testimony, and healing in the name of Jesus.
Have you died today?
Honestly… I do not know. There is always something to prune, purify and put to death when it comes to me. I keep God busy… lol. But I constantly pray that He searches my heart. I want to know every offensive way in there – any idols, any contempt, etc. See Psalm 139 for reference.
What does dying to yourself mean to you?
Death to self for me is looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. In order to do this, we ought to lay aside every weight, and the sin which easily entangles us. See Hebrews 12 for reference. We need to lay aside the weight of every desire, dream, etc and become empty vessels for Christ so that He can pour into us. He honours our obedience and gives us dreams and desires in accordance with His will for our lives. That is the point – His will… not ours. Sometimes we are so sure of a plan or a goal or a dream, but it is not God’s will for us. I have experienced that numerous times. I now hand every single deeply held desire over to God, and I just fix my eyes on Him. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Everything else, God will add unto my life as He sees fit. It’s okay to dream, to desire, to want, just do it His way.
How do you describe the work you do, and why do you do it?
God has blessed me with the gift of song. With this gift, I worship God. It is what I was made for. I also share my music with the world, in hopes to show God’s glory. Like Gateway Worship sings: ‘I am an instrument of exaltation, and I was born to lift Your name above all names’ – including my own name. I do not do it for my own glory and praise, I do it for the Lord. Sometimes that is difficult. We seek approval and celebration naturally. I lay my pride and my desire to be validated by others at His feet every single day. All that I do, I do it unto the Lord. He is my why.
What does your creative process look like, practically and spiritually?
Lots of prayer and specifically fasting before I push out a project or a song. I always speak life over my work, and I seal it with Christ. My work belongs to God and will be used for His glory. I do not let any other agendas infiltrate what my work was designed to do. My music brings an atmosphere for healing only by the power of the Holy Spirit. When I get an idea, I quickly pen it or record it on my phone, and then I develop the idea when I am released to do so. Making music for me is so fun. I always have my Bible when I write, because the gospel is the point. I also try my best to be creative with my melodies and harmonies. Experimenting is liberating! I really want to try more genres in the future.
How do you hear from God? What does God sound like to you?
I hear from God through His word. He sounds exactly like what He says in His scriptures. I also hear Him in the cool of the day, I hear Him in the laughter of children, in the rushing winds and pouring rain. Give Dante Bowe’s ‘Voice of God’ a listen. It paints the sound of God’s voice so creatively and beautifully.
What’s one way you actively exercise your freedom in Christ?
I do not let shame hold me. Shame is creative… sneaky almost, but absolutely predictable. Shame follows a pattern of condemnation, silence and isolation. That is not of God. I know my Father and I know my identity is found in Him, therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! I am quite literally free and that is that. See Romans 8 for reference.
When do you feel most fully alive?
When I am in nature, beholding all of God’s glory. His creation is so beautiful. I wonder why such a marvelous God is mindful of me. It is humbling. Read Psalm 8 for the reference.
Who or what is currently inspiring you?
David and the book of Psalms. His rawness and honesty with God is so moving. The way he yearns for the Lord and openly expresses his need for God stands out. It is so beautiful. What an incredible musician he was. His writings are so versatile and creative. David, along with the other authors of the Psalms, have really inspired my songwriting as of late. I relate to them so much, and the Bible has endless songwriting inspiration – so that is always my go-to!
A sentence you heard recently that changed a lot for you:
‘Don’t abandon the secret place’. As a minister, you literally need to live in your secret place with the Lord. It is the only way you can minister with the anointing. Your ministry needs to be an overflow from the time you spend sitting at God’s feet. Yesterday’s oil isn't sufficient for today. It needs to be a daily thing. Seeking God’s face consistently is the key – just you and God. This reminds me of Cece Winans’ song titled ‘Alabaster Box’. The oil is costly, and if you cannot even give up your time for it, you will inevitably run dry.
For me, a part of death to self is releasing the lies that have shaped us, and receiving the truth God has already spoken. What’s one lie you’re ready to lay down, and one truth you’re choosing to live by?
A lie that I have had to lay down is that my works determine my value. The truth in opposition to that, as seen in Ephesians 2, is as follows: we have been saved by grace through faith! Even our most righteous works are as filthy rags to the Lord. It is only by His grace that we have been saved. That means I never have to perform for God’s love or validation. God loves me wholeheartedly, even on my worst days.
Bonus: If you could shine a spotlight on one thing right now, what would it be? (Could be a song, a cause, a project, a book, or another artist!)
Thank You Lord by RUVA1. This song is based on Psalm 100 and it is the lead single from my upcoming project this year! This is actually the first platform I have introduced the idea of my project to. I am really excited to share it, but I will announce it within the next two months.
Karren here! This is the first song I heard by RUVA and the reason why I reached out to feature her. I am cosigning that it is a must listen! I added it to my playlist immediately :)
I saw RUVA and I came here sprinting.
Yesss I love RUVA and the song Thank You Lord! She makes such good music💗