I Need Thee Every Hour
I love (LOVE) singing hymns, they remind me of my Glorious and Gracious Father in Heaven. They comfort me and give me peace. Hymns remind me of eternal truths. And singing hymns at our little Radnor Primitive Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, where we use no instruments but the voices God blessed us with is as close to prayer with angels singing as I can get in this life. Somehow, the Lord blessed us with the most beautiful voices, though I also must confess that as much as I love to hear brother Wayne sing, no singing voice on earth is more beautiful to my ears that my sweet Rebecca’s lovely singing of praise and worship.
Yesterday, during our singing session, someone called out the hymnal number for what is probably my favorite hymn. I mean, that can change about like my favorite scripture does. Of course we all have a variety of favorite scriptures; favorite for different doctrines and experiences and promptings. My favorite scripture almost any day of the year is 1 John 3, verses one through three (King James Version, of course).
- Behold, what manner of lovethe Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
- Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
- And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Oh, what a perfect brightness of hope it brings to know that one day, in and through Him who is mighty to save, even I will look on His face with pleasure. I will recognize Him because I will be like Him! Behold, this manner of love!!! I have no greater hope than to sing praises to His name when He comes in glory!
But yesterday during the singing service, someone called out hymn number 304. Brother Wayne led us singing “I Need Thee Every Hour.” Neither my brother or sister who called for it nor probably anyone else in the congregation knew this is my favorite him. Also, none of them would know that I sing it wrong when I sing it alone.
I mean, if they’ve heard me sing, they all know I sing it off tune, but they love me anyway.
But I do sing it with a slight alteration to the words of the last hymn when I sing it alone.
As I’m sure every Christian who sings a hymn does, I read and sing the words with my own context and experience. I sing the first verse acknowledging in my heart that I need Him every moment of every hour. There is no peace outside of Him, and I need His peace.
Verse 1:
“I need Thee every hour
Most gracious Lord
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee.”
I love that Christ allows lowly me to approach Him. Lord, I come to Thee! And then the second verse reminds me how much I despise the part of me that would turn me away from Him. Oh, that I would more quickly call on Him before temptations ever have their way with me; that He would be near me always and keep me from anything that isn’t holy and righteous. I still need Him every hour!
Verse 2:
“I need Thee every hour
Stay Thou nearby
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee.”
And He IS near me, protecting me and shielding me. How wonderful is Jesus! And verse three reminds me that there isn’t just one time I need Him. I need Him every hour. I need Him every moment. I need him when I am full of praise for Him, and I need Him when I am hurting or feeling lost or feeling alone.
I can’t help but run through these thoughts when I sing this hymn. It frequently leaves me singing more purposefully, and sometimes leaves me singing internally only because I struggle to mutter these holy words. But I sing this third verse wrong. I know how it goes:
Verse 3:
“I need Thee every hour
In joy or pain
Come quickly and abide
Or life is vain
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee.”
But I find myself altering it a bit.
“I need Thee every hour
In joy or pain
Come quickly and abide
Or life is vain
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O hear me now, my Savior
O help me now, my Savior
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee.”
I can’t help but acknowledge how sometimes it feels like I desperately need Him to listen and hear my prayers; like at times when it feels like maybe He is not listening. But Praise Him, for He listens!
I can’t help but add a line asking for His help. I am so entirely lost without Him. I need His hand in all that I do.
And then I return to singing it like it is written by Robert Lowry and Annie Hawks in 1782. “O bless me now, my Savior.” I plead, please Lord, bless me as Thou seest fit. Then, “I come to Thee.” And I can’t help but imagine looking up to see Him! Jesus, I come to Thee! How am I allowed to come to Thee but in Thy grace and mercy and infinite love!
This is one of the many hymns I’ve been singing all my life, present in the Old School Hymnal we use at Radnor, and present in the LDS hymnal I remember from my younger years. I know it well and I cherish it. Lord, forgive me for singing it wrong. It’s just my prayer.
I am grateful that God is not offended by my imperfect prayers. He listens when I come honestly, even when the words spill out differently than they were written.