An Earnest Prayer

I love music.  I listen to it all the time.  That being the case, I’m very familiar with many songs, especially the good old hymns I’ve sung all my life.  When we started traveling the country to raise our mission support, I realized I didn’t know quite as many hymns as I thought.  With so many churches having different hymnals, I discovered many “new” songs.

But that was nothing compared to my experience since moving to Wales.  Many of the chapels here use a book they refer to as “The Sankey Hymnal,” though that’s not its actual name.  The book has 1200 hymns, and I only know about 150 of them.  No lie!  I don’t think Jason and I have been in a service yet where we knew all of the songs (except for the services where I pick out the hymns), and we don’t know any of them a lot of the time.  It’s definitely been a learning game for us.

That said, we’ve been introduced to some of the most beautiful hymns I’ve ever heard.  Though I don’t know the tune (and can’t follow along with the melody because the books only contain words, not music), I’m captivated by the lyrics.  Some of them have brought me to tears, while others put a smile on my face.  Today, I want to share one of the beautiful hymns introduced to us this past Sunday.  Not only is it a song, but it’s also a heartfelt prayer and is as lovely as it is convicting.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Father, Hear the Prayer We Offer by Love Maria Willis

Father, hear the prayer we offer:

Not for ease that prayer shall be,

But for strength that we may ever

Live our lives courageously.

Not for ever in green pastures

Do we ask our way to be;

But the steep and rugged pathway

May we tread rejoicingly.

Not for ever by still waters

Would we idly rest and stay;

But would smite the living fountains

From the rocks along our way.

Be our strength in hours of weakness,

In our wanderings be our guide;

Through endeavour, failure, danger,

Father, be thou at our side.

Let our path be bright or dreary,

Storm or sunshine be our share;

May our souls, in hope unweary,

Make Thy work our ceaseless prayer.