Song
Holy Are You, Lord
© New Glory International
Song
Holy Are You, Lord
From Live Worship from the World Prayer Center · 2000
Streaming links open the full album
Behind the song
The story behind Holy Are You, Lord
Written by
Terry MacAlmon
Terry MacAlmon context
Copyright 1997; recorded on Live Worship from the World Prayer Center and revisited throughout Terry's ministry
Holy Are You Lord is one of Terry MacAlmon's most recognizable compositions because it does something that lies at the center of his worship ministry: it turns the attention of the congregation from the room they are standing in toward the worship that is already taking place around the throne of God. The song draws on the imagery of Revelation - the sound of many waters, people from every nation, elders and angels bowing, and the redeemed joining the cry of holiness.
For Terry, heavenly worship has never been an abstract theological idea. It is a pattern for worship on earth. The purpose is not to create an impressive musical moment but to join a greater song that did not begin with us and will not end with us. Holy Are You Lord gives a congregation language for that. The repetition is deliberate. Rather than filling every moment with new phrases, the song leaves room for the truth of God's holiness to become more than a statement. It becomes the focus.
The song was copyrighted in 1997 and became a central moment on Live Worship from the World Prayer Center. Terry has continued to return to it in worship gatherings around the world. That longevity says something about the song's place in his ministry. Some songs belong to a particular season; Holy Are You Lord continues to express the central direction of Terry's worship: away from the platform, away from personality, and toward the throne. It reminds the worshipper that the sound of heaven is not merely something to admire. The redeemed are invited to become part of it.
Watch
Holy Are You, Lord
Official Terry MacAlmon YouTube channel
Live Worship from the World Prayer Center was born out of a remarkable season of worship in Colorado Springs. In 1998 Terry MacAlmon began leading a Wednesday noon gathering at the World Prayer Center that became known as Lunch with the Lord. What started simply as time set apart to worship grew quickly. The chapel filled with people who came not for a concert, but to seek the presence of God together. Testimonies of healing, restored relationships and renewed hope began to follow.
This album became the first major live recording to capture that atmosphere. The songs move from strong corporate praise into deep, unhurried worship. This Is the Time and Blessing and Honor open the gathering before Holy Are You Lord, For the Lord Is Holy and You Deserve the Glory draw the room into reverence. Even So, What a Friend I've Found, Agnus Dei and I Sing Praises continue that movement toward intimacy.
The recording soon traveled far beyond Colorado Springs. One of the stories Terry later shared was that Benny Hinn heard the CD at home after his wife played it. The worship deeply touched him, and Terry was later invited to minister at one of his crusades. It was one of many doors that opened as the album began reaching people Terry had never met.
Live Worship from the World Prayer Center became a defining recording in Terry's ministry. It did not begin as a carefully manufactured attempt to create a worship brand. It grew out of a real gathering where people were already coming week after week to worship. The album simply opened the doors and allowed listeners around the world to enter that room.
