Worship Leader Misty Edwards and the worship team at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City, Missouri have breathed several new worship anthems into the Church from their annual Onething Live conferences. "You Won't Relent," "You Satisfy My Soul," "New Jerusalem," "Baptize My Heart," "Arms Wide Open" and "Pour My Love on You" consistently bless me as a worshiper. I was excited to hear Onething Live: Sing Your Praises, recorded at Onething 2013.

This compilation highlights some new songs and powerful performances, including Laura Hackett singing Matt Redman's "Holy" and Misty Edwards singing an incredible rendition of Kevin Prosch's "The Gift," which closes the compilation with a stunning song about the "wondrous gift" and the "aching longing to see Him face to face" given to us by the Bridegroom Jesus, Who takes us in His arms and makes us pure by His love. I had the chance to speak with Misty about the powerful song.

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

The song was written by Kevin Prosch. I love his recorded version of the song. When I first heard the song, I immediately connected with the truth of it, especially the phrase "the joy of being lovesick." It's actually our gift to have this longing for the Lord. It is a gift instead of a burden or painful thing. It's a gift that pulls us into transcendence and pulls us into the eternal and immortal, making us like those men and women of old walking in faith as things unseen.

There are several phrases in the song that really, really strike my heart. I love the poetry of the song. Kevin is a poet. "We plant our lives in the soil of Your love, we watch them grow and bloom." I love that imagery of our lives and God. The words of this song are at the core of my heart, living before the Beloved. I am living wholeheartedly longing to see Him face to face the more I study His emotions and how He feels not just about me, but about His entire bride.

As broken and messed up as we are, the way that He feels about us when we reach out to Him, longing for Him, moves Him deeply. I think about how we move His heart, He responds, and then we are moved, and we respond. There's a back and forth relationship that we have with Jesus, that we move Him in our brokenness and our weakness. That summarizes the Bridegroom message. That has radically changed my life as a worshipper and as a songwriter.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

John 3:28-30 (NKJV): "You yourselves bear me witness that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."

What is the takeaway message?

When I'm thinking about the lyrics I want a congregation to sing, I want them to connect with God's heart. I want them to be honest with their own brokenness and to connect with God while they are there, singing that song. I believe He is right there, looking right at them. We can't see Him, it's all by faith. We need to feel the power of that interaction and that exchange.

As a songwriter and worship leader, I'm always looking for lyrics and even melodies that can pull us in that direction. That's one of the things I love about this particular song— it pulls you in that direction. That John 3:28-30 Bible passage is my life passage. In the song there's a progression where it is personal about how I am the bride. Then, it takes on the role of the friend of the Bridegroom, where we are the one getting out of the way and connecting people to Him, a more corporate intercession language about filling the golden bowls. We are in it together. The joy of being lovesick as a whole, not just in one room but around the whole world we become the bride and the friends of the Bridegroom.

Lyrics:
How silently the purity the wondrous gift is given
For love has made a way for us to come into Your presence
You are the Bridegroom take us in Your arms
We refuse anything that hinders love

We're making ourselves ready for the consummation in fine linen, pure
With the sound of intercession filling the golden bowls
We are bursting in Your beauty

It's the joy of being love sick ... The pleasures of loving You

We plant our lives in the soil of Your love
And we watch them grow and bloom
The aching longing to see You face to face
To behold the stain of love our groom
You said You would not share Your glory
With another one...

We are not another... We are Your beloved

We are making ourselves ready - for the consummation
Arrayed in fine linen clean and bright
With the sound of intercession filling up the golden bowls
We are bursting in Your beauty and your might
And the prayer room in heaven and on earth has come together
And your reign of LOVE will rule the universe

It's the joy of being love sick ... The pleasures of loving You

So spread Your blanket of love
Over Your love sick ones
Let love flow now.
The Spirit and the Bride say come
Comfort Your love sick ones
Let love flow now.

This is a completely worshipful album in the style of Jesus Culture, Bethel Music and Misty Edwards' previous offerings of Spirit-led praise and worship directly to our King and Savior Jesus. Every single song could be added to your Sunday morning worship set. The worship leaders at IHOP-KC all write and sing songs with an amazing passion and with unashamed praise and gratitude to our Savior that is very inspiring and emotionally moving. The eternal Love of Jesus is beautifully expressed in these compelling songs.

I hear a yearning and longing from Misty to see Jesus face to face, and the phrase "we are not another, we are Your beloved" is something all believers can sing to God. That's one of those beautiful truths that we can all cling to and get through anything we might be dealing with on this side of eternity, knowing that we have a blessed hope waiting for us in Heaven.

Misty has a personal testimony and ministry where she has chosen to serve as a worship leader and lead the bride of Jesus, His Church, into a deep, meaningful relationship with Him. Misty has written a wonderful book "What is the Point?" which tells about her faith journey and the revelations she has experienced. God's love is the cure to the disease of sin we suffer from, and His grace is the gift we've been given.

This song beautifully captures the Truth expressed in John 3:28-30 (NKJV). There's the knowledge that we are the bride of Christ, the bowing in worship to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and the humility of our position. We are all called to have the faith expressed by John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease." There's also a call to ministry in this song, to "let love flow now." One day Christ's "reign of love will rule the universe." You'll feel the aching for Jesus in your soul as you sing along with Misty "it's the joy of being lovesick… the pleasures of loving You," along with "we are not another, we are Your beloved" and "let love flow now." Amen to that!

(Watch Misty sing the song here.)