In my office, I have two large framed prints hanging on the wall. Each of these displays a quote, one being, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all,” and the other, “Oh Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee”. While these quotes both carry a powerful message on their own, what makes them so special and meaningful to me is that they are pulled from two of my favorite hymns, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go”.
I don’t think I’m alone in saying that whenever something is set to music, it makes it much easier to remember. This is why I find the singing of hymns to be so important to my faith. Oftentimes I will sing a hymn up in the choir loft on Sunday morning, and then later in the day or even the week, I will find myself singing or humming a few lines of it. Once I catch myself doing this, I always try to pause to reflect on these phrases that have become stuck in my head. The text of hymns have often become my prayers when I am at a loss for words—and what beautiful prayers they make!
Besides the two I’ve mentioned, here are a few of my favorite excerpts to lift up to God in prayer:
“Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.”
“Precious Jesus, Savior, friend; And I know that He is with me, Will be with me to the end.”
“Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”
Whenever you want to pray to express your gratitude, ask for God’s blessings upon you or a loved one or acknowledge your need for God’s presence in your life, but you find that the words aren’t coming to you as freely as you’d hoped, I encourage you to start with a few lines from a hymn that illustrates the message of your heart.
Morgan Jones, Director of Small Group Ministry
