Xolly Mncwango, a South African contemporary Gospel musician, had in an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview with the VIP Invite Season 2 team revealed her words of affirmation, favourite Bible scriptures and a hymn that plays on her heart strings.

"Every morning I wake up and I look myself in the mirror and say four things to myself: 'You are beautiful. You are anointed. Take it easy. God has your back.'"

She says those words because "life has a way of putting pressure on us, we have a way of putting pressure on ourselves." Xolly said those words of affirmation not only uplifts her spirit, it is a reminder that God is always taking care of her.

Her favourite hymn

Xolly was a guest on VIP Invite Season 2 on 27 February 2022. The former Joyous Celebration member who hails from Richard’s Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, says she now lives in Johannesburg. Some of the songs she performed on the gospel music show included her hits Ungukuphila and Healing Power.

During the interview Xolly mentioned that she has many go-to (upliftment) songs but there is one in particular that is close to her heart. It is an old a hymn she learned as a child. She remembered that as a child, she didn’t understand the words of the song she had to learn as a child.

However, these days the song is the first thing she sings on most mornings. The lyrics of this particular song include the words: "I stay in you, and you stay in me..."

Watch Xolly Mncwango sing one of her favourite hymns here:

Her favourite Bible scripture

Xolly Mncwango, who released her debut album, Jesus is Enough in November 2020, said the scripture Psalm 23:1 reminds her to not take basic things for granted.

"I pray to God that I do not take basic things for granted… Like, to read the Word of God is a basic thing that can be taken for granted."

She says verses like "The Lord is my shepherd" and "He refreshes" reminds her that whenever she is weary or feeling tired, that God will restore her soul. She added: "Even if I don’t feel like it, it will never be about me, but for His (God’s) namesake."

Xolly also said that her frequent prayer is that she can experience the things she preaches about. "I said to God, 'May I never speak about peace and not experience it. May I never preach about joy, and I don’t live joy...'

"He’s giving me joy when I’m alone, I feel it – He’s here with me."

Watch VIP Invite Season 2 on Sundays at 5pm on Mzansi Magic Music (Channel 321).