 Referring to the song as a "junior varsity" take on "Man in the Mirror", Allison Stewart of Washington Post said "as an indicator of the Bieb's awakening social consciousness, it's a good start." Melinda Newman of HitFix called the song a "lovely testament to the power of prayer," commenting that it was "for True Believers, not just True Beliebers" Calling it Bieber's "Man in the Mirror" moment, Newman also said while it did not have the "staying power or resonance of the Michael Jackson classic," she said the themes of how to effect change were the same. Lucy Jones of The Daily Telegraph noted the song as a recommended download from the album. Dan Savoie of Rockstar Weekly said the song "is a more advanced lyric and shows a more political side to the young singer, but the gospel feel of the song really works with his voice." Savoie went on to say "The song just moved Bieber from the category of pop child star to responsible young man." Monica Herrera of Billboard wrote that the song was "a treacly but well-meaning ballad that taps into Bieber's spiritual beliefs." Katie Amoroso of ReviewStream.com writes, "The song itself is less poppy and more natural than other Justin songs and shows strong musical talent. Many have commented that the song made them emotional ... promotes deep thought on our impact on the world"
