Category: Praising God thro Hymns

Victory in Jesus

Backgrounder: Eugene Bartlett
was born in December 1885 in
Missouri and grew up in Arkansas.
He was educated as a music
teacher at Hall-Moody Institute
in Tennessee and William Jewell
College in Missouri. In 1918,
he established Hartford Music
Company. Over his career, Bartlett
wrote more than 800 songs.
In 1939, Bartlett had a stroke
that left him partially paralyzed.
After the stroke he was bed ridden.
Bartlett continued to study his Bible
during this difficult time. Although
he dealt with the physical strains,
he also looked towards the eternal
victory he knew was approaching.
During this difficult time after his
stroke, Bartlett wrote the words
to Victory in Jesus, which was the
final song he wrote. The hymn is
an optimistic reminder of the hope
of heaven. In the second stanza,
there are references to the
healing ministry of Christ.

Lord, we claim Victory in U Jesus:
For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world. And this
is the victory that has overcome
the world – our faith. Who is
he who overcomes the world,
but he who believes that Jesus
is the Son of God (1 John 5:4-5).

Dear loving Heavenly Father,
we thank you for your precious
Word of proclamation that
whoever is born of God
overcomes the world through
our faith in Christ Jesus.
And that when Jesus laid down
himself during his passion,
by His stripes we are healed.

Lord, we recognise that Loving
You God with all our heart, and
abiding in You is so important
in order to see answered prayer.
So, we purpose to know You God
intimately & abide in that intimacy.
For your word say: If you remain
in me and my words remain in u,
ask whatever you wish, and
it will be given you (John 15:7).
And we believe it according to
John 16:23, that whatsoever we
ask You, Father, You will give it
to us and we receive it, and
so we account this done.

Jehovah Rapha, grant unto us
individually & the body of Christ,
that with boldness we may speak
The WORD and for You to stretch
forth Your Hand to heal, that signs
and wonders may be released
in the name of Jesus Christ.
Give us we pray, gifts of healings, special faith and manifestations
of Yourself among us in notable miracles and ways that only the Holy Spirit can accomplish, in our personal lives as your disciples.
Lord, as we obey Your commands to go into the world and preach
this gospel, signs will follow us,
and we lay hands on the sick and they will recover to Glory of God!!

Friends, who need healing pray:
Lord, your mighty word proclaims
You are the God who forgives
all my iniquities; who heals
all my diseases (Psa 103:3).
You promised You will restore
health to me and heal me
of my wounds (Jer 30:17).
Above all, Jesus was bruised for
my iniquities; and by His stripes
I am healed (Isaiah 53:5).
We claim Mark 11:24: Whatever
we ask for in prayer, believe that
we’ve received it & it will be ours.
So, we proclaim that by the blood
of Jesus, all sickness, bacteria &
virus to go in Jesus’ name! Amen.
All Praise and Glory to the Lord
for the Victory in Jesus! Amen!

I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Then I repented of my sins;
And won the victory.

Refrain:
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him,
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood

I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing power revealing.
How He made t lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit,”
And somehow Jesus came
and brought To me the victory.

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory.
& I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
& some sweet day I’ll sing up
there the song of victory.

https://youtu.be/QC37VXrVNjE

We Shall Overcome

Backgrounder: We Shall Overcome
is synonymous with the African
American Civil Rights Movement
(1955-1968). And is frequently
sung today after hate tragedies.
Most ascribe the origin to a gospel
hymn by Methodist preacher
Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1953),
who penned 50 hymns while
ministering in Philadelphia; and
credit the lyrical origins of “We
Shall Overcome” to the refrain of
Tindley’s “I’ll Overcome Some Day.
Guy Carawan (b.1927), a white
folk musician introduced the song
to the Civil Rights Movement
by teaching it to the Student
Nonviolent Coordinating Comm
in North Carolina, in 1960.
The song was then picked up
by folk singers such as Joan Baez
in the early 1960s and sung at
folksong concerts & protest rallies
where it became adapted for the
Civil Rights Movt with new stanzas.

Lord, we will Overcome by Faith:
By this we know that we love the
children of God,when we love God
and keep his commandments.
For this is the love of God, that
we keep His commandments.
And His commandments
are not burdensome.
For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world. And this
is the victory that has overcome
the world – our faith. Who is
he who overcomes the world,
but he who believes that Jesus
is the Son of God (1 John 5:2-5).

Heavenly Father, thank you for
your saving grace and for your
Word that whoever is born
of God overcome the world.
We know You use circumstance
to help us to mature in the faith,
to grow in grace and to become
the person that You have us to be.
Lord often the circumstances of
my life do not reflect my choice,
but You are showing me that
Your ways are best for my life.
Thank You for all that You are
teaching me through adversities,
for You are drawing me ever
closer into Your arms of love.

Lord, Help us we pray to gain a
greater understanding of Your
perfect perspective on our life.
Give me patience in adversities
and help me to recognise
Your guiding hand towards me.
Pray that I’ll not be overwhelmed
or overcome by life’s difficulties,
but use each one to teach me
more of Your character, love
and grace – and make me
increasingly willing to be changed
into the person U want me to be.
And thanks that with your grace,
we shall overcome someday!
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

We shall overcome (2x),
We shall overcome, some day.
O deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

We’ll walk hand in hand (2x),
We’ll walk hand in hand, some day
O deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

We shall live in peace (2x),
We shall live in peace, some day.
O deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

We are not afraid (2x),
We are not afraid, TODAY
O deep in my heart, I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

Trust and Obey

Backgrounder: This song
was written after a DL Moody
evangelistic meeting in Brockton
Massachusetts. Daniel Towner
was the song leader that night
in 1886, & he asked the people to
share how they had been saved.
Several spoke of how certain they
felt of their salvation. But a young
man said I’m not quite sure but I’m
going to trust & I’m going to obey.
Towner couldn’t forget that
testimony. He jotted it down & sent
it to John Sammis hoping he would
find the inspiration for a hymn.
Towner was not disappointed.

Lord, we will Trust and Obey:
Everyone who believes that Jesus
is the Christ has become a child
of God. And everyone who loves
the Father loves his children too.
We know we love God’s children
if we love God and obey his
commandments (1 John 5:1-2).

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for
dying on the cross and I praise U
for Your resurrection and all that
it means to me – a sinner saved
by grace through faith in Christ.

Help me to fully trust You no
matter what I am called to do.
Give me the will to step out
in faithful obedience when You
ask me to say or do something
that is outside of my comfort
zone and to follow in the spirit
of those like Queen Esther, who
was called for such a time as this.

Help me to step out in faith and
not to fear that which I’m called
upon to undertake, knowing
that we have not been given
the spirit of fear but of power.
Keep my heart open to Your
promptings, and help me grow
in faith & obedience for Yr glory.
Lord, Help me to Trust and Obey!
in Jesus’ name. Amen.

When we walk with the Lord
in the light of His Word,
What a glory He shed on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust & obey.

Trust and obey,
for there’s no other way
To he happy in Jesus,
but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove
the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows
and the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust & obey.

Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do,
where He sends we will go –
Never fear, only trust and obey.

My Jesus I Love Thee

Backgrounder:16 year old William
Featherston of Montreal wrote
this simple hymn shortly after his
conversion in 1862. Featherston
sent the poem to his aunt in LA
who then sent it to England,
where it appeared in the London
Hymnbook of 1864. Baptist
minister Gordon was preparing a
hymnal for Baptist congregations
when he saw: My Jesus I Love
Thee in the British hymnal. He
didn’t like the music the words
were set to, and he later wrote
a tune which complemented
the simple words and soon the
hymn was sung across America.

Lord Jesus, we Love Thee:
This is real love – not that we
loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son as a sacrifice to
take away our sins. Dear friends,
since God loved us that much, we
surely ought to love each other.
If we love one another, God
abides in us… There is no fear
in love; but perfect love casts
out fear… God is love, and he
who abides in love abides in God.
We love Him because He first
loved us (1 John 4:10-12, 18-19).

Lord, thank U for first loving me!
As we live in You, our love grows
more complete. Although I don’t
understand the trials I may go
through, I trust in Yr love for me.
Help me to abide in you. Fill me
with your perfect love that casts
out all fear, so that I can live
in confidence and rest in You
and share your amazing love
with those around me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

My Jesus, I love Thee,
I know Thou art mine –
For Thee all the follies
of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer,
my Saviour art Thou:
If ever I loved Thee,
my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou
hast first loved me
And purchased my pardon
on Calvary’s tree;
I loved Thee for wearing
the thorns on Thy brow:
If ever I loved Thee,
my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life,
I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long
as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death-dew
lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee,
my Jesus, ’tis now.

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

Backgrounder: Many British
hymn writers were children of
the clergy or came from middle-
or upper-class backgrounds.
But not Edward Mote. He was
apprenticed to a cabinetmaker
who took him to church in a
London suburb. The chorus
came to Mite’s mind as he was
walking to work, and during
the day the stanzas came to him.
Two years later he published it
in a collection of his own hymns
entitled “The Immutable Basis of
a Sinner’s Hope.” It is a hymn that
combines deep biblical theology
with sincere personal experience.

Lord, our hope is in You:
If we are living in the light,
as God is in the light, then we
have fellowship with each other,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
cleanses us from all sin.
If we claim we have no sin,
we are only fooling ourselves
and not living in the truth.
But if we confess our sins to him,
he is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness (1Jn 1:7-9).

Lord, I confess my sins before U.
Thank You that you are faithful
to forgive them and to cleanse
me from all the effects of them.
And I can live in the wholeness
of complete forgiveness and
purified of all unrighteousness,
faultless and without blemish for
Jesus alone is my righteousness.

Lord, Thank you for your Word
that says U are our solid rock,
no matter the circumstances
around us. You are always with
us and we are safe and secure
under Your everlasting arms.
Lord, our hope is in You alone.
We don’t have any alternative.
You are my all in all, You are
my only hope and I rest on You.
So support us Oh God in the
overwhelming flood of life, for
we look up to U our solid rock!
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood & righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid rock I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veil His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the vale.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

Yesterday Today Forever

Backgrounder: Albert Simpson
was born on Prince Edward
Island, Canada. In 1864,he began
a successful pastoral ministry
at Knox Presbyterian Church,
in Hamilton, Ontario. He was
an eloquent preacher and able
leader, and during his eight years
there, God used him to add 750
new members to the church.
Albert Simpson’s keen interest in
world missions, led him to found
the Christian & Missionary Alliance
denomination. And although he
had no formal musical training,
Ps Simpson had a keen sense of
melody and wrote many hymns,
including Yesterday Today Forever,
which was inspired by Hebrews 13.

Lord, we put our Trust in You:
He Himself has said: “I will
Never leave you nor forsake you.”
So, we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my Helper, I will not
fear. What can man do to me?”
Jesus is the Same yesterday,
today and forever (Heb 13:5-8).

Lord, although life is faced with
uncertainty and challenges,
we thank you that you are
our Helper and that you will
never leave us nor forsake us.
And that all things work for the
Good for those who love God.
So, though there are times
in life where what we hope for
did not come to us yet, we will
continue to have faith in God and
move on bravely thro the journey.

Lord, Your unchangeable nature
is an assurance that Your Word
is faithful; and none of the many
precious promises contained in
the Word of God can ever fail.
For Your many precious promises
that are ‘yes’ & ‘amen’ in Christ.
U are holding me up & continue to
do so by Yr righteous right hand.
And Lord on those days when
we prove faithless, You in Your
grace will remain faithful & true.
For U cannot deny Yr holy name.
Thank You that Your goodness
and grace to us is unchangeable.
Thank you that You are the same
yesterday, today & forever! Amen

Oh, how sweet the glorious
message simple faith may claim:
Yesterday, today, forever,
Jesus is the same;
Still He loves to save the sinful,
heal the sick and lame,
Cheer the mourner, still the
tempest—glory to His name!

Refrain:
Yesterday, today, forever,
Jesus is the same,
All may change, but Jesus never
—glory to His name!
Glory to His name! Glory to
His name!
All may change, but Jesus never
—glory to His name!

Oft on earth He healed the
suff’rer by His mighty hand:
Still our sicknesses and sorrows
go at His command;
He who gave His healing virtue
to a woman’s touch
To the faith that claims His
fullness still will give as much.

Faith of Our Fathers

Backgrounder: Whether we
turn to the OT and see how God
called Abraham out of Ur or
turn to the NT and see how God
stopped Saul of Tarsus on the
road to Damascus, the Bible is
filled with things that actually
happened. Our Christian faith
is rooted in history. Frederick
Faber appreciated the continuity
with the past that he found there
and he respected the martyrs
who had given their lives for
Christ. So he wrote this hymn.

Lord, we will be Faithful to You:
So, since we are surrounded by
such a huge crowd of witnesses
to the life of faith, let us strip off
every weight that slows us down,
especially the sin that so easily
trips us up. And let us run with
endurance the race God has
set before us (Heb 12:1).

Lord, remind me the works of
the huge cloud of witnesses
to stay faithful and true to You.
Help me throw off every weight
that stands in the way each day.
Help me throw off the sin that
holds me and let me accept
the grace You offer so freely.
Help me run the race that you
have marked out for me to run.
Keep my eyes focused on Yr Son,
in whom my faith is perfected.
And fill me with the joy you give.
Help us emulate our fathers
of faith, who strive for You,
loving others with kindly words,
virtuous life, sharing the gospel.
Grant me grace to stay true
to you and bring glory to you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Faith of our fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire & sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious word!
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers! We will strive
To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes
from God
Mankind shall then be truly free.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend & foe in all our strife;
And preach thee too as love
knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be be true to thee till death.

Blessed Assurance

Backgrounder: Fanny Crosby
wrote three hymns each week
during much of her adult life,
totalling more than 8,000 hymns.
The fact that she was blind
didn’t diminish her productivity.
Phoebe Knapp composed a tune
in 1873 and brought it to Crosby
in Brooklyn. Play it for me on the
organ, Crosby asked. Knapp did
and then asked, What does
the tune say? She turned to see
Crosby kneeling in prayer. Knapp
played a 2nd time & then a third.
Then the blind woman responded
That says: Blessed assurance,
Jesus is mine! O what a
foretaste of glory divine!

Lord, we’ll hold on to assurance:
We can boldly enter heaven’s
Most Holy Place because of the
blood of Jesus..Without wavering
let us hold tightly to the hope
we say we have, for God can
be trusted to keep his promise.
Think of ways to encourage one
another to outbursts of love and
good deeds… especially now that
the day of his coming back again
is drawing near (Heb 10:19-25).

Lord, empower me to hold tightly
to the blessed assurance so that
I can encourage those around
who needs inspiration to love
and good deeds. Inspire me
to encourage other believers
to stay close to you & worship U.
Use me to give others assurance
and hope in You. Give me ideas
that will spur others to love and
good deeds. And I give you all the
glory for the Blessed Assurance.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His
blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all the day long
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Standing on the Promises

Backgrounder: Russell Carter (1849
-1928) of Baltimore, attended the
Methodist Holiness movt which had
a profound impact on his life and he
was ordained into ministry in 1887.
Carter held a number of teaching
posts at the Pennsylvania Military
Academy including professor of
chemistry, civil engineering and
mathematics. Carter also edited
hymnals, and assisted in the
compilation of a hymnal for the
Christian and Missionary Alliance
Church, a collection that contained
68 of his tunes and 52 of his texts.
“Standing on the Promises” was
composed in 1886 while Carter
was teaching at the military
academy. And his military
experience was reflected in the
martial musical style of the hymn.

Lord, we’ll Stand on Yr Promises:
Stand firm then, with the belt
of truth buckled around your
waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place (Eph6:14).
And we desire that each of you
show the same diligence to the
full assurance of hope until the
end, that you do not become
sluggish but imitate those who
through faith and patience inherit
the promises. For when God
made a promise to Abraham,
he said: Surely blessing I will
bless you, and multiplying I will
multiply you. And so, after he had
patiently endured, he obtained
the promise (Heb 6:11-15).

Dear Lord, thank You that you
are faithful. Your word is sure and
steadfast and cannot be broken.
And Your word will not return void
but will certainly accomplish the
purpose which it was sent forth.
Help us to stand firm patiently on
Your Word and on Your Promises,
And when things of this world
become tough, grant us grace to
be diligent to assurance of hope.
And help us imitate the heroes
of faith who thro faith & patience
inherit their promises. Amen.

Lord, grant us grace of making
Your Rhema word so clear to us.
For Satan is so good at sowing
doubts. Grant us inner witness
that Your promised will stand and
cannot fail. For God is not a man
that He can lie. And that U Jesus
will never leave nor forsake us.
Lord deliver us from every spirit
of unbelief in Jesus Name, Amen.

Lord, thank you for the hymn:
Standing on the Promises,
which remind us Your promises
stand forever and cannot fail.
By the living Word of God, we’ll
prevail, and by the Spirit’s sword,
we will overcome. And resting
in our Saviour as our all in all,
standing on the promises of God.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Standing on the promises of
Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His
praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will
shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of
God my Savior;
Standing, standing, I’m
standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that
cannot fail,
When the howling storms of
doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God
I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of
Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by
love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the
Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I
cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the
Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my
all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

O Jesus I Have Promised

Backgrounder: When John Bode
served the parish of Castle
Camps near Cambridge England,
in the middle of the 19th century,
he had the privilege of officiating
the confirmation of his daughter
and two sons. This hymn was
written for the occasion, and
originally the first line was:
“O Jesus, we have promised”
as all three children were making
the dedication themselves to the
Lord. While Bode wrote the hymn
for young people and referred
to the alluring temptations of
the world, its message applies
to Christians of any age.

Lord, we dedicate ourselves to U:
Our greatest desire is that you
will keep on loving others as long
as life lasts, in order to make
certain that what you hope for
will come true. Then you will
not become spiritually full and
indifferent. Instead, u will follow
the example of those who are
going to inherit God’s promises
because of their faith and
endurance (Heb 6:11-12).

Lord, grant that I may always
allow myself to be guided by you,
always follow your plans, and
perfectly accomplish your will.
Grant that in all things, great
and small this day that I may
do whatever you require of me.
Help me respond to the slightest
prompting of your grace,
so that I may be your trustworthy
instrument for your glory.
May your will be done in time
and in eternity through me.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

O Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
Ny Master and my friend:
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my guide.

O let me feel Thee near me,
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear:
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But Jesus draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee,
That where Thou art in glory,
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my friend.