Refiner’s Fire, a “classic” worship song is a beautiful prayer-song. It’s been going through my mind all week. I find myself singing it under my breath as I clean, or cook, or drive.
I thought I’d give you the opportunity to enjoy “Refiner’s Fire”, and add it to your Practice of Praise.
These lyrics bring the worshipper into a place of relinquishment, humbly offering oneself to God. Though none of us enjoy the purifying process, we want to want what He wants most of all.
The Need to Be Cleansed
The Holy Spirit is faithful to bring to mind our sins, and by confessing these to God and allowing Him to wash us, we can be made clean. See what David wrote.
This is just a small part of this beautiful prayer of a contrite sinner:
9Hide Your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from Your presence;
take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and sustain me with a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:9-12
If you are inspired by these words, find Psalm 51 in your Bible, and read the whole thing.
For background, King David, a man “after God’s own heart”, chosen and dearly loved by God, sinned in a mighty way. After committing adultery with a loyal soldier’s wife, David had the soldier killed to cover his own transgression.
Found Out
But God loves us too much to leave us hiding, covertly trying to pretend we are not sinning like we do. The Lord sent a prophet whose words cut David to the quick.
This Psalm, Psalm 51, is the beautiful prayer David prayed, who truly longed to be purified, made holy, and set apart for God’s work once more.
Refiner’s Fire
The lyrics to this song line up with God’s intention, to grow us up into all that we were made to become. For God desire us to be conformed into the image of His beautiful, perfect, Son (see Romans 8:28-29).
Here are some of the amazing words in today’s song:
Purify my heart,
let me as gold,
and precious silver…
Refiners Fire,
My heart’s one desire
is to be holy,
set apart for you Lord…
Refiner’s Fire was written by Canadian Christian writer and singer Brian Doerksen, 35 years ago!
The rendition we are enjoying today Doerksen produced in 2024, featuring himself and the Mission House. It is a lovely update, complete with beautiful harmonies.
Click below to hear his official lyrics video, the 35th anniversary edition.
(This version also includes a bridge not offered in the original. Doerksen added lyrics, defining what being like Christ means to him.)
Ready to do your will…
Love like You love…
Serve like You serve…
To care like you care…
I hope today’s addition to our Practice of Praise becomes a favorite for you…maybe you’ll find yourself humming at as you go about your day.
