628

Give Us Clean Hands

Scripture References

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

God’s children are not called to come before God’s throne with a list of accomplishments, or merits or goodness; they are called, says Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 26, to come with the humility that “…offers nothing but our need for mercy.” Such a cry for mercy comes from our “dying-away of the old self” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 33, Question and Answer 88) which expresses that we are “genuinely sorry for our sin and more and more…hate and run away from it” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 33, Question and Answer 89).

 
The gifts of renewal and pardon come only “through true faith” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 7, Question and Answer 20) and are “gifts of sheer grace, granted solely by Christ’s merits” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 7, Question and Answer 21). The very act of faith is to plead for his mercy.

628

Give Us Clean Hands

Confession

Almighty God,
you despise nothing you have made,
and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent.
Create in us new and contrite hearts,
that, truly repenting of our sins
and acknowledging our brokenness,
we may obtain from you, the God of all mercy,
full pardon and forgiveness,
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
[prayer written by Thomas Cranmer for the Book of Common Prayer (1549), alt., PD]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hid.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name,
through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
[BCP, p 355],alt.,PD]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Additional Prayers

A Prayer for Deliverance
Mighty and loving God, you wrestled with Jacob till his magnificent defeat. Wrestle with us too, we pray. You made a crooked man straight. Straighten us too, we pray. You are the God of Jacob. You are forever our God too, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
628

Give Us Clean Hands

Tune Information

Name
GIVE US CLEAN HANDS
Key
G Major

Recordings

Musical Suggestion

Piano Only Accompaniment:
If you have vocal leadership to lead this song, or if your congregation knows it well, consider playing triads in the right hand on the beat. Play the triad of the chord symbol directly above the staff. Play the bass notes as written.
— Diane Dykgraaf
628

Give Us Clean Hands

Hymn Story/Background

Like many songwriters, Charlie Hall sat down with a guitar and a Bible, and asked God to show him what he needed to sing about. One day, he came across Psalm 24, in which the psalmist wonders, “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? The one with clean hands and a pure heart.” Charlie began to sing it back to God, not to write a song, but simply to affirm the voice of God. Out of that, “Give Us Clean Hands” was written.
— Laura de Jong

Author and Composer Information

Charlie Hall (b. May 30, 1974) is a singer-songwriter based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Writing, leading, and travelling since 1991, Hall is one of the voices of the Passion Movement, working with other artists including Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin. Along with band members Quint Anderson, Dustin Ragland, and Ben Freeman, Hall has released a number of albums, including The Bright Sadness and The Rising. He is currently working on an album titled The Death of Death, a record funded entirely by fans through a Kickstarter campaign. Hall currently serves as the worship and arts director at Frontline Church.
— Laura de Jong

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