Thursday Hymn Reflection: "I Need Thee Every Hour"

[On Thursdays, we “reflect” on hymns submitted by our readers. If you would like to add your favorites–no more than 3, please–to our upcoming list, leave the names of the songs in the comments.]

Written by a housewife in 1872, the simple words of “I Need Thee Every Hour” continue to bring comfort to many folks each time they are sung. In his book Then Sings My Soul, Robert Morgan gives the Annie Hawks’ own words as to where the poem came from (from page 179):

One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, ‘I need thee every hour,’ were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me.

To me, the greatest line in the song is in the 2nd verse, where Hawks wrote, “Temptations lose their power / When Thou art nigh.” While it is true that we need the Lord at all times, there is nothing more comforting to me than knowing He is near when I am fighting a temptation. That knowledge always makes the fight easier to win.

Millions have gained comfort from these words at other times, though, as they speak to nearly any difficult situation. It would be hard to think of the number of funerals at which I’ve sung this song of simple comfort, and it has, no doubt, been sung at the bedside of those passing from this life into the next, as well.

One thing I take from this song is the final line of the chorus, where we sing, “O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.” I take from this line that there is nothing wrong with asking for a blessing. We can often cower from doing so, but, if we are walking near to God, we will be blessed!

For many, the best part of this song, though, is the line that says, “No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.” What a beautiful statement about God. Not a “booming” voice, as in the movies. Not a “harsh” voice, when we are hurting. His is a “tender” voice that brings peace in the midst of storms. What a great God, in that He doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves. He is nearby, and we do need Him.

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Enjoy this good version a classic hymn: