Aussie worship group Planetshakers is traditionally known for a power-packed, high energy sound in their worshipful songs. With their most recent effort, Outback Worship Sessions, the group wanted to capture stripped back renditions of some of their songs. To achieve this more raw delivery, they partnered with Grammy nominated producer Ed Cash. In addition to reworked old songs, Outback Worship Sessions features the new tracks "Spirit of God," "Father" and "My Soul Longs for Jesus."

The standout track for me personally on this powerful and emotive album is "My Soul Longs for Jesus," featuring female worship leader Sam Evans. The Ed Cash-penned song is an ethereal vertical worship ballad and modern hymn, sung with a stirring passion and filled with prayerful declarations. This is an incredible song for the Church, and you'll express your longing for Jesus along with Sam. I had the chance to speak with Ed Cash about "My Soul Longs for Jesus."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

I'm always thinking about how I can communicate the Truth of God's Word, what He is doing in my own heart and what He has meant to me through countless different seasons. This song came to me very quickly. Sometimes I get in a songwriting room with people and try to craft a song for hours or days, but this whole song came to me in about 30-45 minutes time, which for me is short. I was meditating on several different Scriptures, which are represented throughout the song. One thing I really wanted to accomplish was to take the Christian faith and everything we walk through-- desperation, tribulation, hope for what's to come, thankfulness for salvation and the broad sweeps of all of those thoughts. 

This song felt like a download from the Holy Spirit instead of some crafted thing. I remember writing it down, and I was overwhelmed by how God was pouring these thoughts over my soul. I think there are so many voices out there in this world calling out for attention, but there is One that stands out above them all. I long to hear His voice, His direction, His peace and His guidance. This song came out of my faith walk with God. 

The concept of "my soul longs for Jesus" is found in the Psalms, with "my soul longs yes even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God." The second verse's lyrics, "Let me sing unto Jesus, nothing pleases me more," was my way of saying that idea, along with Psalm 42:1 "as the deer pants for the water, so pants my soul for You." 

Also, Psalm 63:1 which says, "my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water" and how Jesus is our living water. There are several Scriptures found throughout the song. Some of my favorite songs have been like that, with the Word of God intertwined and thematically put together. That's the broad sweep of the song.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Psalm 42:1 (NKJV): "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God."

Psalm 63:1 (NKJV): "O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water."

Psalm 86:12 (VOICE): "O Lord, my God! I praise You with all that I am. I will rightly honor Your great name forever."

Psalm 84:2 (NKJV): "My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."

Psalm 119:105 (NKJV): "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Philippians 4:6 (VOICE): Don't be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. 

Revelation 22:20 (NKJV): He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

What is the takeaway message of the song and album?

One thing I was immediately impressed about in working with Planetshakers was their sincere hunger for God, to see the power of God manifest on earth and to see the Word of God transform lives. Everything we did was bathed in prayer. I feel like all throughout their songs there is absolutely a theme of what happens when we encounter and engage God. What happens when we draw near to God? Scripture is very clear that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. The lyrics "my soul longs for Jesus and He longs for me" move me. I love the thought that the God of the Heavens longs for me. 

The longing that I have for him is really the response to the idea that we have a God-sized vacuum in our hearts that only He can fill. God wants us. Jesus says "Come to Me all who are weary, and I will give you rest." He's a Gentleman. He doesn't force His relationship with us, He offers it gently. I was on a walk the other day, and I felt the Holy Spirit putting the thought on my heart that even Hell is an expression of His love and judgment. He doesn't want to send anyone to Hell, but people choose Hell by denying Him. As sad of a thought as that is, God has given us the choice of life or death. In case you're confused about which one to choose, choose life. It's what we truly long for. 

I feel like there are songs on this album with a great hunger for God. Churches can fall guilty to commercialism, where the seeking after God can become diluted with all the programs and this and that. I get a sense from Planetshakers that they have a very central passion of pursuing Jesus and running after His heart.

Lyrics:
My soul longs for Jesus
In a dry and weary land
Oh come Living Water
Son of God and Son of man
He's the Light in the shadows
He's the lamp to my feet
My soul longs for Jesus
And He longs for me

My soul longs for Jesus
From the morning's first light
Where His mercies they greet me
Like a song in the night
Every hour, every moment
Now and forevermore
Let me sing unto Jesus
Nothing pleases me more

My soul longs for Jesus
Name above all other names
Let my life be ever blameless
Every keeping His ways
He's the lighthouse that leads me
He's my compass, my guide
Let my courses follow Jesus
By day and by night

My soul longs for Jesus
He's the Savior of sin
His blood washes over
Praise God, I'm born again
From the ashes He raised me
Death no longer has a hold
For I belong to Jesus
He paid for my soul

My soul longs for Jesus
What a glorious day
When the troubles of the ages
Shall swiftly pass away
With the armies of Heaven
He will carry us home
How I long for You, Jesus
Oh come, Jesus come

One of my favorite aspects of singing a new song to the Lord is the thought of our eternal worship in Heaven, which is an exciting picture for me. We gain glimpses of eternity from this collection of vertical worship songs. Sometimes people think that worship is something they do at an event or at church or only through music. We know from Scripture that worship is what you put your "worth-ship" in, and that a biblical definition of worship is a lifestyle of "Endless Praise."

"My Soul Longs for Jesus" is one of my top worship songs of the year. I'm really engaged by the emotional vocals and the deep, prayerful lyrics throughout the album. All of the songs are catchy and worshipful. Outback Worship Sessions is a truly anointed set of songs for the Church, expressing a longing for Jesus. 

A longing for Jesus is a conviction from the Holy Spirit. God has set eternity on our hearts, and whether we seek Jesus alone for our salvation and respond to that calling or deny it, is the difference between the narrow road to eternal life and eternal separation from God. My heart's cry for this song is for believers and non-believers who hear the song to commit their lives to Jesus being the sole longing for their souls. 

What good is it to gain the whole world but lose your soul? Are you allowing temporal things of this world to creep into your longing, or do you long for Jesus alone? We know that Jesus longs for relationship with us and wants to hear from us. There is only One who can fulfill the longing of our hearts with that God-shaped vacuum, and that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

I sing this song at the top of my lungs in total devotion to God. I am very moved by the lyrics, "Where His mercies they greet me, like a song in the night, every hour, every moment, now and forevermore, let me sing unto Jesus, nothing pleases me more." As Paul says in Ephesians 3:18, only "through His Spirit... may you be able to comprehend the width, length, depth, and height of the Love of Christ." Sing along with this wonderful new modern hymn for the Church: "With the armies of Heaven, He will carry us home, How I long for You, Jesus, Oh come, Jesus come." Amen to that!

(Watch the music video here.)