In February 2023, a normal Wednesday chapel service began at Asbury University, which ultimately transformed into 16 days of unending prayer and worship led by students. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit attracted worldwide attention. Lines stretched for a half-mile as people from as far as Russia and Japan traveled to Wilmore, Kentucky, to see and feel God's move.
What began at Asbury has spread across campuses around the United States. Hundreds participated in spontaneous baptisms at Texas A&M University, and football players from Ohio State University led a gathering that drew nearly 1,000 people and included passing out hundreds of Bibles.
Another campus included in this revival is Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. SEU is home to SEU Worship, a popular band that has toured with CAIN and Crowder. The title track of SEU Worship's new album is "Move of God," a song that represents the way students have been experiencing God's presence in their midst.
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Chelsea Plank, one of the leaders of SEU Worship, spoke about how God is moving on campus. "So much of the songs that we were writing were coming out of a place on our campus where we had seen such a powerful, massive move of God and such a powerful revival where — not that this always has to indicate God moving, He can move in so many different ways — but we were seeing altar calls at the end of our Monday night chapels going until 1 a.m. We were seeing people praying over others on our campus. We were seeing people with radical faith who set an expectation and an atmosphere that the Lord can do anything."
As I was reading about what has been happening at SEU, I thought of Jesus' words in the Beatitudes, when he said, "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God." Later in that same teaching, Jesus said, "God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied."
In the chorus of "Move of God," SEU Worship declares the intention which has permeated the gatherings Plank described earlier.
"Fire on the altar
Fresh wind blowing through
We're gonna stay here
'Til we encounter you"
The chorus reminded me of Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John 3. "The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." When hungry and desperate for God's presence, we may have to wait for the Lord's presence to fall on us. We cannot force a move of God, no matter how compelling the stories from Asbury sound to us who weren't there.
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At the same time, Jon Tyson, a pastor who has studied revivals worldwide, stated a great truth after he went to Asbury and had a profound experience in the prayer room where people got ready before stepping on the platform. When reflecting on his Asbury experience and the patterns within revivals across history, Tyson said, "God goes where He's wanted."
Those five words sum up our responsibility—to cultivate a hunger for God and refuse to settle for anything less than His presence. I love the willingness to sacrifice present in "Move of God," where SEU Worship commits to paying the price.
"Make us desperate
Tear our idols down
We're repentant
This is still your house."
While God's spirit is being poured out on college campuses, darkness presses in all around us, and a sense of hopelessness pervades many's mindsets. In a video posted on SEU's social media pages, David Ryan Cook articulates the heart behind this song.
"Even though it seems like the world might be at its darkest, what a perfect time for the bride of Christ to be shining her brightest. So from our hearts to our homes - to our cities to the nations, this song is a collective cry of hunger and desperation to declare in this hour right here right now."
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If you've struggled with not feeling hungry for God or battled a sense of hopelessness about the dark things happening in our world, sit down and listen to "Move of God." Ask God to fuel a hunger in your heart for His presence. Begin praying with greater intentionality and dependence on God. Let God know you want Him in the midst of your circumstances. Remember - God goes where He's wanted.
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can begin Scott’s life-changing project, The 21 Day Gratitude Challenge, today.
