Skip to main content

Holy Spirit and Prayer

This week has been long but amazing!!  Coming back from a great time of resting, reading, and community over spring break I landed hard back at Tech.  There were two CS HW's due early in the week that consumed most of my time and energy.  I also had a ISYE test on Thursday that I was continually keeping in the back of my mind.  Basically school is taking a lot of my energy as I try to apply myself in school for the Glory of God.

The main reason I am writing this entry is to relay some of the amazing things that Holy Spirit has been doing on campus.  Over spring break a few friends of mine were convicted and wanted to start praying together as a group at 6am every morning.  Coming together to plead with the Lord for the Holy Spirit to transform our lives, because we are nothing without the presence of God.  Also we desperately want the Holy Spirit to rain down on this campus and reign in the hearts of everyone!  As a group we mainly pray for the Gospel to be a real and tangible thing in the lives of our friends, for the Gospel to be continually revealing our own sin, and reading the Word.  The time is a powerful wake-up because we all wake up around 5:30 and come together with the first fruits of our day to proclaim the name of God.  Its all for his Glory that we live, breathe, sleep, work, have joy, and love on another.

Today we decided to do some worship also because praise is such a powerful expression of the heart.  It is a time to reflect on who the Lord is an what he is doing in our lives.  Personally I hear the Lord speak to me the most during worship times, I end up writing all over my thumb or journal all of the things the Lord is leading me to do.   The entire morning I had song lyrics rolling through my head
Let us become more aware of your presence, Let us experience the Glory of your Goodness! 
These lyrics just kept moving through my mind as we prayed to be able to hear the Fathers voice, and let him guide us through everything.   Once we kinda slowed down praying at 7:30 or so I played the song from which those lyrics come from.  Before that time I could not recall the rest of the song but is so powerful.

There is nothing worth more
That will ever come close
Nothing can compare
You're our Living Hope
Your Presence

I've tasted and I've seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
And my shame is undone

Your presence Lord

Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence Lord

Your presence Lord

There is nothing worth more
That will ever come close
You are our Living Hope

Your presence Lord

I've tasted and I've seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart is set free
And my shame is undone

Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence Lord
(Repeat)

(end)
Let us become more aware of Your presence
Let us experience the glory of Your goodness
(Repeat)

Lord
Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence Lord

All is great in the Lord Almighty
Paul Shackelford 

Popular posts from this blog

Rise Again - Needtobreathe

I have been reading a book about the arts and Christians role in creating culture.  Steve Turner, the author, asserts a major critique that modern Christian art does not speak about real life.  The art created does not sound genuine or have any ties to real life that people outside the faith can connect with.  While reading the book I listened through this album and I think that this song does a great job of breaking the mold.  The members of Needtobreathe are all outspoken followers of Jesus but very little of the art that they produce mentions Jesus or Christianity at all.  Instead they craft creative music, written from places of pain and joy.   "Rise Again"  steps through pain that occurs in life as we see relationships stretched and torn.  The bitterness of broken hearts and friendships is then contrasted with the truth that we will get up from this pain and rise again.   "I can see us moving on, I can feel that coming on strong", the joy that comes after the

Twenty-Four - Jess Ray

Lately I have been listening to lots of music and podcasts while working and biking to work.  I was feeling a need for some new music so I turned to NoiseTrade to check out some new artists.  My favorite thus far is Jess Ray because of the honest lyrics, tastefully simple musicality and overall enjoyable listening environment.  While on my flight back to Atlanta I was struck by this song at first because of the drums that propel this song behind the walking guitar.  If I were to add drums to a track like this it would have been done in a very similar manner.  Once I got past the drums I was awe struck by the simple power of these lyrics, take a read below and follow the link to her blog to listen.   To me it was not written for an outward expression of hope or encouragement but rather as a inward proclamation to the soul.  As the psalmist often choose to sing, this song speaks inward in a call to stand up and be reminded of truth all to often forgotten.  As I gear up for the star

You Will Be My Ain True Love - Alison Kraus

This song has so much power, even if you remove the lyrics.  I just decided to take in the full potential of the song by turning the stereo all the way up and playing the song a few times.  Before even looking for a video of this song I knew it was related to the Civil War and the separation that occurred between loved ones.  This song starts out explaining the battle field and how the soldier has survived the terrors of war.  As the song continues to build you can tell that the soldier wants to be with his love.  They have been separated by this war and now he wants to be back with her.  The last few lines portray his death and how he has been reunited with his "True Love".  I believe that this song describes his "True Love" as God, our eternal True Love. He has returned to his maker after being killed in Battle and this song paints that picture so well. This song has tons of power in the music behind the lyrics, it adds so much to the meaning of this song!