Jabu Hlongwane + ZimPraise - There is A Race I Must Run Lyrics
Lyrics
Intro There is a race that I must run There are Victories to be won Give me power every Hour
There is a race that I must run There are Victories to be won Give me power every Hour To be true
There's a race that I must run There are victories to be won Give me power, every hour, to be true
There's a race that I must run There are victories to be won Give me power, every hour, to be true
"Everybody has a race ... let us start our race... Keep on running 123... "
Call: There is a race Response There's a race that I must run There are victories to be won Give me power, every hour, to be true
There is a race you must run There are victories you must win Ask for power every hour to be true
I know there is a race you must run There are victories to be won Pray for power every hour
Call: There is a race
Response
There's a race that I must run
There are victories to be won
Give me power, every hour, to be true
Call: I know There is a race
Response
There's a race that I must run
There are victories to be won
Give me power, every hour, to be true
...
To the left To the right
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Video
There is a race - Jabu Hlongwane & Zimpraise (Pentecost 2016)
Meaning & Inspiration
Jabu Hlongwane and the choir from ZimPraise captured something essential during that 2016 Pentecost recording. When they cry out that there is a race to run, they aren't talking about a casual jog around the block. They are tapping into the high-stakes reality Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 9:24, where he instructs us to run in such a way as to win the prize. Life in the Spirit demands a specific kind of stamina, one that only comes when we admit our own tank is empty. By repeatedly asking for power every hour, the song rejects the self-reliant gospel that plagues so many modern believers. We aren't built to finish the course on our own merits. We need the same strength that raised Jesus from the dead, which is exactly why the lyrics demand that we be true, or faithful, to the calling placed upon our lives.
Faithfulness isn't just a mood we pick up on Sundays; it is a grueling commitment to stay in the lane God marked out before we were born. The repetition in the chorus feels like a rhythmic pulse, pushing back against the urge to quit when things get heavy. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to throw off everything that hinders us so we can run with perseverance. When the song switches to addressing the collective, telling everyone they have a race to run, it shifts the focus from an individual task to a communal call to holiness. You don't get to spectate while your brother or sister struggles; you are in the arena with them. You pray for their power just as you pray for your own, because the victory mentioned in the lyrics isn't just about personal success. It is about staying true to the King while the world tries to pull you to the left or the right. True victory is crossing the finish line with your integrity intact and your eyes fixed solely on the author of your faith.