Thursday Hymn Reflection: “Prince of Peace, Control My Will”

[NOTE: Each Thursday, we reflect on a hymn, usually ones that are suggested by our readers. If you would like to add your favorites to our list, leave a comment with up to three suggestions and we’ll write about it in the future.]

——————————-

Nearing its 200th birthday, the hymn “Prince of Peace, Control My Will” continues to be sung as a simple, but insightful prayer to God for His guidance in our lives. Another blog writer gives this good history of the song:

The text was written by Mary Ann Serrett Barber, who was born in England in 1801, the daughter of Thomas Barber. During her life, she had many poems published in the Church of England Magazine, and she also authored several books. This hymn was first printed as a poem, probably anonymously, in the March 3, 1838, edition of the Church of England Magazine, entitled “He Is Our Peace.” At one time, it was erroneously attributed to another hymnwriter who lived about the same time, Mary Stanley Bunce Palmer Dana Schindler (1810-1883). The poem originally consisted of four eight-line stanzas. In the present four-stanza version of the hymn most commonly found today, there are a number of excisions, transpositions, and other alterations.

Exactly who made such changes is unknown. Miss Barber died at Brighton, England, on March 9, 1864 (some sources say 1884, though this is unlikely), and her autobiography, Bread Winning: or, The Ledger and the Lute, an Autobiography, was published posthumously in 1865. The tune (Hatfield) used in most of our books was composed by W. T. Porter. No information is available on this composer. The date sometimes given for its composition is 1874. It first appeared with Barber’s text in 1882 in The Christian Hymnal, Revised: A Collection of Hymns and Tunes for Congregational and Social Worship, published by the American Christian Missionary Society through Bosworth, Chase, and Hall in Cincinnati, OH.  This was the last revision of the hymnal series started by Alexander Campbell in 1828.

In my opinion, what has kept this song in regular usage after all these years is its simplicity. The actual message of the hymn is profound. It is a deeply emotional song, admitting our dependence upon Christ and our willingness to lay our lives at His feet. However, to state that poetically yet simply is a gift, and this 8-line song has that.

Often in our lives, it seems as though things are out of control, yet we try to take control ourselves. After some time, though, we realize that we cannot do it all ourselves; that there are far too many variables completely out of our hands. Eventually, we must come to the point where we either give those things over to Christ and find the peace that only He can give, or let our lives spiral even more out of control.

My favorite line in the hymn is in the 3rd verse, which ends with the words, “Chase these doubtings from my heart; Now Thy perfect peace impart.” Isn’t that the answer? It may be simply stated, but that is the answer to our struggles.

Here are the lyrics to this wonderful prayer song:

Prince of peace, control my will;
Bid this struggling heart be still:
Bid my fears and doubtings cease:
Hush my spirit into peace.

Thou hast bought me with Thy blood,
Opened wide the gate to god;
Peace I ask, but peace must be,
Lord, in being one with Thee.

May Thy will, not mine be done;
May Thy will and mine be one;
Chase these doubtings from my heart,
Now Thy perfect peace impart.

Savior, at Thy feet I fall,
Thou, my life, my God, my all;
Let Thy happy servant be
One forevermore with Thee.

————————————-

As you leave comments on this song, enjoy this video from Harding University, as a chorus sings “Prince of Peace, Control My Will.”