Lyrics
Verse
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver
Purify my heart
Let me be as gold, pure gold
Chorus
Refiner's fire
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will
Bridge
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from my sin
Deep within
Chorus (Repeat)
Refiner's fire
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“Refiner’s Fire” by Brian Doerksen is a prayer for purity written as a plain request. The verse asks God to “purify my heart” and pictures the singer as gold and precious silver, language borrowed from the work of a refiner who heats metal to remove impurities. The refrain names the singer’s one desire: to be holy, set apart for the Lord, and ready to do His will.
The bridge asks for cleansing from within and from sin, and the final lines repeat the commitment “I choose to be holy.” The song does not describe the fire itself; it asks for the result of it and offers consent.
The imagery is close to Malachi 3:2-3, where the Lord is like a refiner’s fire who purifies silver, and to Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart.” The call to be set apart also echoes 1 Peter 1:15-16. The song’s mood is quiet and humble, suited to personal prayer.
Related Scripture
- Malachi 3:2-3 The Lord as a refiner’s fire who purifies silver
- Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God”
- 1 Peter 1:15-16 Be holy as He is holy