"Give Us Clean Hands"

(wow, it's been a long time since I've posted)

My best friend and I will be singing a song at church tonight (Lord willing) and I wanted to share some thoughts on it.  If you've never heard it I highly suggest going to YouTube and looking it up, the words are below.

So often Christians pray for strength, and patience, and purity but in my opinion, that it the wrong way to pray.  In this song it states, "give us clean hands, give us pure hearts, let us not lift our souls to another".  God isn't a sugar-daddy.  I think a more accurate and powerful way to pray would be, "Lord, give us the opportunity and grace to develop the strength and patience to endure the things that are to come.  Father, in Jesus' name, while being a powerful witness for you, help us to maintain our purity and keep our hands clean".  Just some thoughts I've had going through my mind, nothing earth shattering. 

Since I haven't posted in awhile, I'll share a dream that I had a few weeks ago.  In the dream I was around some people from work, we were in a rental unit, apartment type setting and were all looking at a spot on the wall.  In the dream, this one spot on the wall always appeared after a tenent would move out no matter how many times it was painted.  And after the spot would appear I would go inside and see this demonic being hovering (really it was just a ghostly face hovering but I knew it was demonic).  As I would pass by it I would rebuke it in the name of Jesus in my mind, and it never seemed to pay any attention to me. 

Then after about the 3rd time, I rebuked it in the name of Jesus and it looked at me and started accusing me.  It was shouting at me and I kept shouting back that I am a child of the Living God, am washed in the blood of Jesus, that it had no power over me and I would rebuke it in the name of Jesus Christ.  The more I fought back the angrier it got. 

Thankfully I could not hear the accusations that it was hurling at me, I just kept shouting about the God that I serve.  Then I started singing the hymn "Oh the Blood of Jesus......Oh the Blood has Power...."  Boy, that did it....it came after me and as it was flying at me and shouting accusations, right before it got to me I saw a covering of blood come over me and I woke up.  As I woke up I was singing "Oh the Blood of Jesus" in the Spirit.

The more I think about that dream, the more powerful a meaning it takes on for me.  About being covered by the blood of Jesus and being hidden behind the cross.  So many churches today fail to teach that these things are real, and that through them, and the Holy Ghost and the Word of God, is where the protection for the Saints of God is found. 

Give Us Clean Hands

Chris Tomlin
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

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
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

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place?

He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob.  Selah.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is the King of glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.”  Psalm 24:3-8