My Three GO-TO Hymns for Pentecost

Have you prepared your church music selection for Pentecost Sunday? If you haven’t planned anything yet, I’m here to help you! Check out my three go-to songs for Pentecost Sunday:

(1) Every Time I Feel the Spirit

One of my favorite songs about the Holy Spirit is the traditional spiritual Every Time I Feel the Spirit. Definitely a toe-tapper! I bet you’re already humming it as you read this blog post:

Every time I feel the spirit
Moving in my heart, I will pra-a-ay!

And it’s an obvious choice given that the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the song’s title! You can’t go wrong with this one! :)


(2) Open My Eyes, That I May See

A less obvious choice is Open My Eyes, That I May See. Why is it less obvious? Well, based on the title alone, we don’t know if this hymn is about God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit. Or just the Triune God. Actually, we don’t know until the LAST LINE of each stanza! Check it out:

Open my eyes that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Ding Ding! This hymn is clearly a prayer to God the Spirit! Therefore, I believe that “Open My Eyes” is another suitable hymn for Pentecost Sunday! :)


(3) Take My Life and Let It Be (Consecrated, Lord, to Thee)

Another direction for Pentecost Sunday is focusing on the Spirit’s work of sanctification. For example, in Take My Life and Let It Be (Consecrated, Lord, to Thee), we ask God to transform every aspect of our lives. Check out the fifth stanza:

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

God transforms our lives through His Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that descended on the apostles on Pentecost Day. What sweet communion! Therefore, I believe that sanctification hymns are also suitable for Pentecost Sunday, even though it seems to take a detour / alternate route from the “Pentecost” section of the hymnal.

To summarize, here are my three go-to songs for Pentecost Sunday:
• the toe-tapper – Every Time I Feel the Spirit
• the not-so-obvious – Open My Eyes, That I May See
• the alternate route – Take My Life and Let It Be

I pray you will experience the presence of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday and on all other days of the year!

Thank you for keeping hymns alive!