My wife and I sang to our children as part of our nighttime ritual. It was interesting to see which songs encouraged them to relax and fall into a sleepy state. There were some songs that stirred them and there were some they would cry when we sang them. There was one song, though, that was a favorite for each of our children: Hosanna. When you read this song title, your mind may go first to the famous hymn of similar name: Hosanna Loud Hosanna, which is also a good song.
This worship song, though not limited to Palm Sunday, proclaims the praise of the people in the Triumphal Entry, while pointing to themes of revival, prayer on our knees, and the coming King. The song begins:
I see the King of Glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes, yeah
I see His love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing, the people sing
When I sing these words, I think about Hebrews 12:26-29, “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” It is lyrics like these that cause me to join in the chorus:
Hosanna, Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest
Hosanna, Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest
Hosanna literally means: “save us now” as a plea to God for his mercy to be active in our lives. We recognize when life is shaking us to our core and we are dead in our sin, that we need a Savior to provide the way for us to experience the transformation only He can offer to us. The song continues in its proclamation of this truth when we sing:
I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith
I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We’re on our knees, we’re on our knees
We recognize the transformation we need in our lives only comes through humble prayer, as we cry out to the Lord. 2 Chronicles 7:14 states, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” A generation that will turn from self-dependency to God-dependency will turn to the Lord in prayer and in prayer will call out to the Lord:
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity
This song has moved me for many years because of this last stanza. It is my prayer that the Lord will break my heart for the lost, the hurting, the hungry, the downtrodden, etc. I want to see with the eyes of the Lord and be willing to experience this brokenness knowing that out of this experience I will love better because I will love as the Lord loves.
How is God calling us to pray for revival? Are we willing to let God break our heart for those things that break His heart? Will we cry out “Hosanna” out of a desire for God to save us? How will we help others to cry our “Hosanna” in their own lives?
Prayer: Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours. I want to see revival in my own life; in my community; in our world. Shake those things in my life that are not of You that I might become more dependent on You each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.