Lyrics
Verse 1
We bow our hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes
From evil things
Oh Lord we cast down our idols
Chorus
So give us clean hands
And give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh give us clean hands
And give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Bridge
Oh God let this be
A generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Verse 2
We bow our hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes
From evil things
Oh Lord we cast down our idols
Chorus
So give us clean hands
And give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Give us clean hands, oh God
And give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Bridge
Oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God of Jacob
Chorus
(Give us clean hands)
So give us clean hands
And give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Give us clean hands, oh God
And give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Bridge
Oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God of Jacob
Outro
Oh God of Jacob
Give us clean hands
And give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Give us clean hands, oh God
And give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God of Jacob
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Chris Tomlin's congregational prayer is built almost word for word on Psalm 24:3-6. The psalm asks who may stand in God's holy place and answers that it is the one with clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up the soul to an idol. The song turns that answer into a request: "Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts."
The verse sets the posture first, with bowed hearts, bent knees and idols cast down, and asks the Spirit to make the singers humble. The bridge then borrows the psalm's phrase about "a generation that seeks" the face of the "God of Jacob."
Because the lines are short and repeat often, a whole room can pray them together. It fits a service of confession, a call to repentance or a quiet time before communion.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 24:3-6 Clean hands, a pure heart and a generation that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
- James 4:8 Draw near to God and purify the heart.
- 1 John 5:21 Keep away from idols.
- Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.