Create in Me a Clean Heart, O Lord

You may listen to a recording of this song here.

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Don’t turn me away from Your presence, Lord,
Or withhold Your Spirit from me.
Don’t withhold Your Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation;
Let Your Spirit make me whole once more.

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord,
And renew a right spirit in me.
Lord, renew a right spirit in me.

About this Song
RogerCapped - smaller I have to be honest. Ever since I started writing novels in earnest over the past ten or twelve years, I’ve written fewer songs. I’ve really missed it, though, but I can’t write a new song until God gives me an idea, and He seems to have kept me busier with novels.

At my church’s weekly nursing home ministry one day three years ago, Bob Gearheart presented a devotional that concluded with a group prayer using Psalm 51:10-12. He prayed a phrase aloud, and everyone repeated it after him before he proceeded to the next phrase.

The devotional itself was quite good, but the use of the verses from that Psalm as a prayer–something Bob hadn’t originally intended to do–was especially moving. I couldn’t ignore the feeling that this was a song God wanted me to write.

What Christian hasn’t occasionally recognized that things between him and God aren’t quite right? Perhaps He seems distant. And the relationship with Him no longer seems as joyous and meaningful as it used to be.

How relevant Psalm 51:10-12 is to those problems:

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
¹²Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

King David wrote this psalm seeking God’s forgiveness after Nathan confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Bathsheba’s husband.

Hopefully, the things that affect our relationship with God aren’t quite that drastic. Nonetheless, this reminder that God will forgive any sin should be an encouragement. Along with the fact that He’s always willing to restore broken relationships with His rebellious children when they turn to him in repentance.

I felt a special need to remain as true to the biblical version of these verses as possible, but I was having problems with “and uphold me with thy free spirit.” I originally wrote “let Your Spirit set me free,” but that ultimately didn’t feel quite right. I pray that “Let Your Spirit make me whole again” at least fits the spirit of the biblical wording.

I pray that you may use this song in your own time of worship.

You’ll find a free PDF of this brand-new song here.

Feel free to leave a comment, and look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

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About Roger E. Bruner

Seventy-five-year-old Roger E. Bruner is the author and publisher of twenty Christian novels and the writer of more than two hundred Christian songs and choruses, a handful of musical dramas, and a number of shorter works. He sings, plays guitar and bass, and records his original songs in his home studio. He is active in his church's nursing home ministry He also plays bass guitar on the church raise team. Married for seventeen years to Kathleen, he has one grown daughter. Kathleen has two. Roger enjoys reading, moderate exercise, photography and book cover design (he's done all of his own except for Rosa No-Name), playing Snood, making walking sticks, and complaining about the state of the nation while continuing to pray for it.

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