Verse 1
Here as we wait
Seek Your face
Come and make Your throne upon our praise
Here in this place
Have Your way
The moment that we see You, we are changed
Chorus
Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
In wonder and surrender we fall down
Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
Let every burning heart be holy ground
Verse 2
Here, not by power
Not by might
But only by the cross we come alive
Here, we're undone
Overcome
By heaven's love revealed before our eyes
Chorus
Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
In wonder and surrender we fall down
Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory
Let every burning heart be holy ground
(2x)
Bridge
Chains fall
Fear bow
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything
Lives healed
Hope found
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything
(3x)
Passion - Holy Ground ft. Melodie Malone (Live)
Holy Ground Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration
"Holy Ground" by Passion City Church, featuring Melodie Malone, is a powerful worship anthem released on February 24, 2017, emerging from the heart of the Passion movement. The song serves as both an invitation for God's presence and a declaration of His transformative power within the lives of believers. Its lyrics guide listeners into a posture of expectant waiting and humble surrender, reflecting a deep desire to encounter the divine.
The opening verses establish a setting of collective waiting and seeking, emphasizing that God's presence is welcomed and desired within the gathered community. The phrase "make Your throne upon our praise" echoes the biblical truth found in Psalm 22:3, suggesting that God is enthroned upon the praises of His people, indicating that our worship creates a dwelling place for His presence. The immediate effect of encountering God is highlighted by the line, "The moment that we see You, we are changed," aligning with scriptures like 2 Corinthians 3:18, which speaks of believers being transformed into the image of Christ by beholding His glory.
The central theme, powerfully articulated in the chorus, is the plea to "Show us Your glory." This call resonates with Moses' request to God in Exodus 33:18. The response to God's manifest presence is depicted as falling down "In wonder and surrender," a common reaction to encountering the divine in scripture (e.g., Revelation 1:17). The chorus culminates with the profound petition, "Let every burning heart be holy ground." This evokes the imagery from Exodus 3:5, where God declares the ground around the burning bush holy because of His presence, and also potentially connects to the disciples' hearts "burning within them" in Luke 24:32 after encountering the resurrected Jesus. It signifies that through God's presence, the individual heart and the collective body of believers become sacred space.
Verse two shifts focus to the means by which believers approach God's presence. It asserts that access is "not by power, not by might," a phrase reminiscent of Zechariah 4:6, but "only by the cross we come alive." This underscores the centrality of Jesus' atoning work as the sole basis for salvation and spiritual life (1 Corinthians 1:18). Encountering this love revealed from heaven leaves the worshipper "undone, Overcome," a state of humble awe and realization of one's own inadequacy in the face of God's overwhelming holiness and grace, akin to Isaiah's response in Isaiah 6:5 upon seeing the Lord.
The bridge serves as a powerful declaration of the immediate and comprehensive effects of Jesus' presence and work. Phrases like "Chains fall," "Fear bow," "Lives healed," and "Hope found" enumerate the liberating and restorative outcomes of encountering Christ. These are direct results of His power, reflecting numerous biblical accounts of freedom from spiritual and physical bondage, overcoming fear, physical healing, and finding renewed hope through faith in Jesus (Acts 16:26, various Gospel healing narratives, Romans 15:13). The repeated affirmation, "Jesus, you change everything," encapsulates the core message that His presence is transformative and brings about radical change in every aspect of life. The song, therefore, moves from an earnest invitation for God's presence to a powerful declaration of His glory and the life-altering reality of knowing Jesus Christ, making individual hearts and the worshipping community places where God dwells – holy ground.