Lyrics
Give me one pure and holy passion.
Give me one magnificent obsession.
Jesus, give me one glorious ambition for my life:
To know and follow hard after You.
To know and follow hard after You,
To grow as Your disciple in the Truth,
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing You my Lord.
Lead me on, and I will run after You.
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“One Pure and Holy Passion” frames discipleship as a single governing desire: knowing Jesus and following Him faithfully. Its language contrasts that pursuit with the emptiness of worldly gain, not by dismissing ordinary life, but by placing every ambition beneath fellowship with Christ. The prayer for a pure passion also recognizes that devotion requires God’s help rather than mere personal resolve.
The comparison between the world’s value and the surpassing worth of knowing Christ closely reflects Philippians 3:8. The appeal to follow hard after God also recalls Psalm 63:8, where steadfast attachment to God is sustained by His hand. By joining knowledge, obedience, truth, and spiritual growth, the lyric presents discipleship as both relationship and practice. Its final image of running after Christ gives motion to the prayer: holy desire is expressed through continued pursuit, formation in truth, and dependence on the Lord who leads.
Related Scripture
- Philippians 3:8 Paul counts all things as loss compared with the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
- Psalm 63:8 The psalmist clings closely to God while God’s hand provides support.