“Live For You” was a very defining moment for Connersvine. Chris and I had been writing and playing together for a while and we were having fun. God was being glorified, ministry was happening to us and through us, and we were growing both individually and as friends. One day we were talking on the phone and I asked Chris if we could get together and write soon. It had been several days since we’d written together and I had some ideas I wanted us to explore. I told him that I felt we should write something intimate and worshipful that was full of passion and in the mid-tempo range.

The next night we met at our church, got out our laptops, and started the dialogue. However, there was very little dialogue this night. I asked him if he had any ideas. He said he did. I asked him to play them. He got out his guitar, and in typical Chris and Hunter fashion apologized and disclaimed what he was about to play completely. (just in case it was heinous) Then he opened his mouth and this came out:

I wanna live for You
I wanna die to me
I want to be emptied
I want to be freed
from all that holds me captive
all that brings me down
all that’s tried to lose me
now that I’ve been found
I wanna live for You.

After I dried my eyes and picked my jaw up off the floor I went into a rave session for about 10 minutes. There are very few moments where I’ve sensed the annointing of God so strongly on something. I made Chris play it over and over again just so I could hear it. He complied then said he had no more of the song written. So, we embarked on finishing this already incredible song in my opinion.

To be honest “Live For You” could have had “Ol’ MacDonald” as verses and “The HokeyPokey” for a bridge and would have still been a great song. Chris brought something to the table that night that was perfect apart from our culture and industry’s need for cookie cutter structure in a song. With this in mind I thought it would be fitting to write verses that were honest and simple. I remember wanting the verses to point to the chorus and really make it pop. The first verse is a vulnerable acknowledgement of God’s complete person and ability to cleanse us:

All that is within me
cries out to You my Lord,
my God, and King
For You alone can cleanse me
and set me free

The second verse is a picture I love. A picture of dependence and leaning set in the here and now. It is not an ideal to be attained. Rather, it is today’s need and longing for both the sustenance and intimacy of God:

Here in this hour
leaning on Your mercy
Your throne of grace
You are all I am after
The beauty of Your face

The bridge is my second favorite part of the song. As I’ve said before I believe a good bridge should sum up the overall message of the song AND iterate any final thoughts, emotions etc. This bridge is almost like a broken explosion of passion for God and a realization of who He is and who we are to Him. I love the melody also. It came from a little guitar part Chris had been working on:

All I am broken on the ground
In Your hands knowing You surround me Lord
Father now I know that I am Your’s

Every song is different. About 3 hours after Chris played the chorus for me the song was finished. There have been only a couple of minor modifications to it since that night. This song was and is the cry of Connersvine’s heart. We’ve played “Live For You” pretty much every time we’ve played or led worship since. The response to it has been overwhelming. Thankfully we had very little to do with it. God poured it out almost all at once and we just tried to be trustworthy with His idea. We carry this song with a deep fear of the Lord. This is a powerful message and we, by His grace, we will walk it out as we sing it.

Hunter