Smith is best known in Christian music circles for writing the international worship standard "Our God Reigns"[2][3] in 1973.

Their family moved frequently, living in Philadelphia, Virginia, California, North Carolina, Guam, and finally settled in South Jersey.

His mother Marie would attend mass each Sunday but drop her three children off at the local Protestant church at the insistence of her non-religious husband.

In 1960, Smith left New Jersey and entered Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary in Menominee, Michigan.

Earlier in the year, a freshman girl's grades dropped from straight A's to D's and Lenny called her into his office to see what was going on.

For the next 35 years, he worked on houses by day, writing songs at night and leading worship on Sundays at various churches.

An off-shoot was formed in New Jersey called, the "Living Word Community", where Smith led worship for two years.

Smith resigned over concerns about the church's embrace of the doctrine and practice of "shepherding", also called "discipling".

One morning he read Isaiah 52:7[8] from the Bible, "How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news...." He was so moved and encouraged by the passage that he wrote "Our God Reigns" in five minutes—one verse and the chorus.

[9] Bob Mumford, a traveling evangelist, visited The Living Word in NJ and heard Smith sing "Our God Reigns."

Mumford loved the song and taught it at each church and conference he visited all over the world during the next couple of years.

Many popular Christian artists have covered "Our God Reigns" including Phil Driscoll,[17] Evie Tornquist,[18] John Michael Talbot,[19] The Gaithers,[20] Dana,[21] LifeWay, and Word.

[23] It was a favorite of Pope John Paul II and was used during his visit[24][25] in 1999 to North America and during a few of his convocations in South America.In 2010, "Our God Reigns" was sung for the Papal Procession at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, Scotland.