I Need You Every Hour You may want to sing (at least in your mind) as you read these words of Annie S. Hawks (1872):
I need Thee, O I need Thee. Every hour I need Thee! O bless me now, my Savior: I come to Thee! I need Thee every hour Every moment, every day Without Thy presence Lord, my life would be in vain Verse 1: I need Thee every hour, My most gracious Lord The tender sound of Thy voice Is what I'm longing for Verse 2 I need Thee every hour, Stay close to me now Temptations lose their power, When Thou art nearby Verse 3 I need Thee every hour, Teach me Lord Thy will The promises You've given, In my life fulfill This hymn was written by Annie Hawks when she was a young mother. In 1872, she wrote the lyrics of "I Need You Every Hour" while she was doing housework. The prose of Psalm 131 came to the writer of the Psalm when she was also doing traditional women's work by caring for her young child. When the lyrics of "I Need Thee" came to Annie Hawks, she said she was filled with a sense of nearness to God. Both the writer of Psalm 131 and the writer of our "I Need Thee" believed that God is so near to us that God's presence can bring us comfort and calm. We must seek out that comfort and calm to sustain us when we do God's work in the world. What a blessing it is that we are the beloved children of God. We are the babes being held in the arms of our Loving Savior. Thanks be to God. Amen. <http://www.newlivingtranslation.com/05discoverthenlt/ssresults.asp?txtSearchString=Psalm%20131>Psalm 131 [<http://www.newadvent.org/bible/psa130.htm>D-R 130] 1 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm>Lord, my heart is not exalted: nor are my eyes lofty. Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me. 2 If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14153a.htm>soul: As a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14153a.htm>soul. 3 Let <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08193a.htm>Israel <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07465b.htm>hope in the <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm>Lord, from henceforth now and for ever. Father, I do need You. I need you every hour of my day. Before I open my eyes in the morning I need You to be present in my thoughts so that when I do open my eyes I will begin my day by thinking of You, and consecrating the day to You. When I begin my day with You on my mind and in my heart, it is much easier to stay focused on You the rest of the day. When my day begins with a focus on my daily tasks, the problems I must face and feel I must solve consume my thinking, and my prayers. So Father, I need You in the morning hours. As I take my first steps I need You to remind me of the gift of another day that You have given me. The water I will use to brush my teeth, and shower reminds me that You are the living water that has and will continue to change my life. You are the Great Physician and You are willing to heal me of all my spiritual ills if I will only abide in You and do your will. Father, I need You to keep me well in every dimension of my life. As I greet my family I need You to remind me that You have entrusted me to be a father to my children, and to love my wife the way You love Your Church. I need you to remind me that with the conversations I have with these precious ones I can enrich their lives, or I can take the life out of their day. I can be a light, or I can bring darkness into their day. I can bless them and build them up, or I can frustrate or them and tear them down. Father, I need You show me how to be a father and a husband. I come to you! As I go through my day I need You to remind me that people are looking at me and looking to me to help them see You more clearly. I need You to help me use words that will build up and not tear down. I need You to help me use my ears to listen to the cares and concerns of those who come to me for help. I need You to help me use my heart to feel the pain of the broken-hearted, and the breaking heart that cannot speak. I need You to help me use my hands to perform the tasks that You will place before me. As I close my eyes at the end of the day I need You to remind me that if I have done my best to please You throughout the day then You are pleased with me. That if I have failed to please You, You will forgive me and still give me the peace of knowing You are a loving and patient God. I need You to remind me that You are ultimately in charge of everything, and that even with my failures I can rest in Your arms. Father, I need You every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year of my life. Bless me now, my Savior, I come to You. Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help (Psalm 86:1). Adapted <*}}}>< <http://halfthekingdom.mofuse.mobi/>Half the Kingdom! on your Mobile <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/wordpress/>Half the Kingdom! Blog <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the Kingdom! Main Site <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/by-the-by/>Half the Kingdom! By the by <*}}}>< Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your help, so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
