During the next two decades Carman changed the face of Christian music and evolved contemporary evangelism into what it is today. Carman established "Carman World Outreach," a non-profit organization that helps touch the lives of literally millions of people worldwide. Billboard Magazine recognized Carman's influence in Christian music by first naming him "Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year" in 1990. He has received numerous gold and platinum albums and videos. Even with all this success, the heartbeat of this Champion for Christ continues to beat strong for the souls of people who need Jesus. As an outflow of this passion, Carman had more than 50,000 people attend his "Music for Peace" crusade in Johannesburg, South Africa. These numbers topped the charts as his largest concert crusade ever, until more than 70,000 people packed the legendary Texas Stadium, making it the largest Christian concert in history.
For over 26 years, Carman has entertained, encouraged and preached the Gospel to millions-crossing denominational, cultural and ethnic lines. During this time, he has never compromised the call to take the Gospel to every person.
Carman died on February 16, 2021 (28 days after his 65th birthday) in a Las Vegas hospital, after a series of complications resulting from surgery to repair a hiatal hernia. He was survived by his ex-wife, five stepchildren and ten step-grandchildren.
Hunger For Holiness
Carman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My lower nature fights to dominate
My spirit man is poised and locked in battle
With the carnal side of me I've grown to hate.
The trumpet of my prayers plays toward Heaven
A voice of desperation in my cry
Lord, strengthen me that I might not yield myself to sin
CHORUS
Lord, I hunger for holiness
And I thirst for the righteousness that's Yours
That my mind would be cleansed
And my spirit renewed
And this temple that You dwell in would be pure.
The tempter stalks about me as a lion
Searching for the slightest scent of blood
For when the skin of my resistance is broken
He moves in swiftly to deepen the cut.
Oh, Lord of all Creation, hear Your servant
You understand the weaknesses of man.
I'm counting myself crucified with Jesus
Alive to Christ and dead indeed to sin.
CHORUS
The song Hunger For Holiness by Carman talks about the internal struggle within a person between their sinful instincts and their spiritual self. The opening lines paint a vivid picture of this war that is silently raging within the singer. The use of the word 'silent' here speaks to how these battles are often internalized and not overtly visible to others. The singer then goes on to describe the conflicting forces at work - their lower nature that seeks to dominate and their spirit that is fighting against it.
The chorus of the song is a prayerful plea to God for help in overcoming these forces. The singer is yearning for holiness and righteousness, and wants their mind and spirit to be renewed. They recognize the temptations that are always present and describe the devil as a lion stalking around them, waiting for the moment to pounce. But even in the midst of this struggle, there is hope that God will hear their cries and strengthen them to resist sin.
Overall, Hunger For Holiness speaks to the universal struggle of staying true to one's spiritual self, even when it feels like the forces of darkness are closing in. It's a powerful reminder that we are not alone in our struggle and that with God's help, we can overcome even the most challenging obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a silent war that's raging deep within me
I am experiencing an internal struggle that is not visible to others.
My lower nature fights to dominate
My sinful desires are in a constant battle with what is good and right.
My spirit man is poised and locked in battle
My innermost being is ready and engaged in the fight against evil.
With the carnal side of me I've grown to hate.
I have come to despise my sinful ways and tendencies.
The trumpet of my prayers plays toward Heaven
My pleas for help are directed towards God above.
A voice of desperation in my cry
I cry out to God in desperation, knowing I am unable to overcome on my own.
Lord, strengthen me that I might not yield myself to sin
I am asking God to give me the strength to resist temptation and avoid sinning.
But keep Your righteous banner lifted high.
May God's righteousness be exalted and displayed through my life.
Lord, I hunger for holiness
I desire to be set apart for God and to live a life that is pleasing to Him.
And I thirst for the righteousness that's Yours
I long for the righteousness that comes from God alone.
That my mind would be cleansed
May my thoughts and attitudes be purged of anything that does not please God.
And my spirit renewed
May my innermost being be refreshed and strengthened by God's Spirit.
And this temple that You dwell in would be pure.
May my physical body and mind be a clean and suitable dwelling place for God's Spirit.
The tempter stalks about me as a lion
Satan is always lurking, waiting for an opportunity to lead me into sin.
Searching for the slightest scent of blood
Satan is looking for any weakness or vulnerability that he can exploit to cause me to stumble.
For when the skin of my resistance is broken
If I let my guard down and give in to temptation, Satan will pounce on me.
He moves in swiftly to deepen the cut.
Once I have given in to sin, Satan will try to make things worse by tempting me further.
Oh, Lord of all Creation, hear Your servant
God, who created everything, hear my plea for help.
You understand the weaknesses of man.
God knows that we are all prone to sin and struggle with temptation.
I'm counting myself crucified with Jesus
I recognize that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and as a result, I have to die to my own sinful desires.
Alive to Christ and dead indeed to sin.
Through faith, I am alive to Christ and have the power to overcome sin.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CARMAN LICCIARDELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mathieu Baker
Rest in peace! You fought the good fight! Now you have your Crown! Thank you for all your obedience to the Cross!
Lover of the Word of God
After hearing of our beloved Carman graduating to Heaven yesterday, this song has been staying on my mind.
jilz ie
Oh no... did he die? ....... oh... :( never know of when the children of God r called... oh my... geez... :(
Virginia Lewis
This is a beautiful trueful song
Jazz Sardinne
A precious song, thank you Carmen and Keith for this beautiful song. Heartfelt lyrics 🙏👍💕
Cheryl Fortin
This is my ❤️. No one could put it into words like Carman could. No one could capture the heart's cry like him. I miss him so much. 😢 How blessed the world was to have this amazing artist for the time we did. His music will live on for generations to come.
Tina Spencer
This is one of my favorite songs that I started singing in my 20's, now I'm 50 years old
Lover of the Word of God
We need this every day. Your voice is now one of the innumerable throng around the THRONE! Only now you know how many people were saved through your ministry!
I can't believe I still got to meet you in a small town of Oklahoma and tell you how much your songs strengthened us believers in East Germany before the wall fell....
William Roe
Reach down and touch me, LORD. I SEND THIS PRAYER OUT TO EVERYONE WHO NEEDS IT RIGHT NOW IN JESUS' NAME AMEN
jilz ie
Yes, yes. Note on 2022 more than ever