After losing his sister to breast cancer shortly before the release of The Journey Vol. I, Gospel recording artist Cedric Ballard faced another devastating blow when his wife received the same diagnosis in 2025. That painful season of prayer, waiting, and trust became the foundation of his new EP, He Won't Fail: The Journey Vol. II. Following his wife's cancer-free declaration in April 2026, Ballard now shares a deeply personal collection of songs about God's faithfulness, healing, restoration, and sustaining grace. In this interview, he discusses the experiences behind the project and the message he hopes listeners will carry into their own difficult seasons.
Q: HE WON'T FAIL: THE JOURNEY VOL. II continues the story you began with THE JOURNEY in 2024. What has happened in your life and ministry since that first project that shaped the songs on this new EP?
A: The journey truly has continued since 2024. In 2024, I had a sister who passed away from breast cancer two weeks before The Journey Volume I was released. It really shook me. In 2025, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was in that moment that He Won't Fail was born. Trusting God through the whole process produced a level of faith I'd never known before, and it also gave me a message I wanted to share with the world about healing and restoration. In April of 2026, my wife was cancer-free, and God proved to us that He can't fail!
If He made you a promise, it will come to pass. God gave me a message of Healing and a revelation of His restorative power.
Q: You describe HE WON'T FAIL as a "soundtrack for every prayer, every setback, every victory." Was there a particular setback or season of waiting in your own life that made the message "He Won't Fail" especially personal?
A: Having to trust God through my wife's cancer diagnosis was A LOT! Having to make "life" adjustments, dealing with things not always lining up with how I think it should go, and obstacles all around, He Won't Fail became an anthem for me.
Q: "They That Wait" speaks to something many believers struggle with-trusting God when answers do not come quickly. What have you learned personally about waiting on God, and how did that experience find its way into the song?
A: I love the bible. Isaiah 40:31 is one of my favorite scriptures. It speaks to endurance, perseverance, and trusting God as your source. I've been there and, in some cases, still there. I have learned that waiting on God ain't easy, but He gives you the strength all while He's producing something in you that will produce something major. That's why I love the message in the song "You Shall Reap If You Faint Not".
Q: "Healing" addresses grief, disappointment, emotional wounds, and struggles people often carry silently. What inspired this song, and what do you hope happens in the heart of someone listening to it while walking through a painful season?
A: When I look at the condition of this country, our communities, our economy, and our families, I realize how much we need healing! We need healing mentally, emotionally, some of us physically, and most of us spiritually, even if we don't admit it. God is our only source of healing. Healing begins with Him and uses us to spread it. I want this music of Healing to spread around the world so people will have hope.
Q: After more than two decades in Gospel music and ministry, you have witnessed both victories and difficult seasons. How has your understanding of God's faithfulness changed as you have grown older and experienced more of life?
A: A simple scripture sums up my answer. I was young, and now I'm old, but I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. Through every season, God has been faithful, even when I put myself in some of the worst situations. He has always come through. Now that I'm older, I can see God's hand more clearly than I did when I was younger, and I cherish it every day.
Q: You say there are songs people hear and songs they "live." When listeners finish HE WON'T FAIL: THE JOURNEY VOL. II, what truth do you hope they will carry with them into their own journey?
A: This EP will prove that God hears you; He loves you, He wants you WHOLE and healed, He extends His amazing grace to all, and ultimately He Won't Fail!
Website: www.cedricballard.com
