I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I Need Thee Every Hour
By: Annie S. Hawks, 1836-1911 (1872)
Listen to this beautiful piano version as you read, or watch the video then read.
We begin a six week journey of exploring and expressing our constant need of God. This must be a concept we become very comfortable practicing, for doing so takes us to a much deeper intimacy with God. I pray you develop the habit of routinely telling our Lord how much you need Him during this journey. Let’s tune our hearts.
I Need You
It is not easy to admit we need anything, until of course we are at the end of ourselves. This reality alienates us from God, and others, in direct correlation with how self-sufficient we pretend to be. And it can be a very subtle sufficiency, cloaked in the guise of not wanting to be a burden to others, or asking God for help, but let’s call it what it really is, sin.
As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! Psalm 40:17 ESV
When we need deliverance from situations too big for us and help with circumstances too great, we have no trouble crying out for quick relief. That’s good, but there is another kind of need with which we use reacquaint ourselves. It is the continual awareness of our need for God, particularly in the mundane, that takes our relationship with Him to that deeper level.
In that moment we first realized we needed a Savior and that Jesus was willing to be ours, we easily declared, “I need You!” Do you remember that moment? “The hour (you) first believed” in God’s amazing grace? It is just as amazing every other hour after that, and you certainly continue to need it, but something happens to all of us.
Over time we slowly become callous to our need of God all the time.
Can you recall the last ordinary moment you told Him you needed Him? That might be a little tricky because ordinary moments are simply not very, well, extraordinary, so they are easy to forget. Even still, is it a habit of yours to confess your need of God?
Tell Him right now. God, I need You. In this hour, I need You.
Every Hour
Our need for God never changes, but our awareness of it does.
I am not even going to try to convince you of this one. You are poor and needy, just embrace it, and the incredible truth that Jesus wants to help you. You are on His mind. Now, to develop your ability to keep yours on Him.
So what are you going to do about that? May I make a suggestion.
Begin to develop this habit with one of these simple reminders today.
- Every time you pass through a doorway tell Him you need Him. It is a good reminder that as you transition from one place to the next you need to confess your need of Him.
- Set an alarm for an hour from now. When it goes off simply tell Him you need Him, and you are open to His care. Then restart the alarm for an hour again, and repeat.
These are simple things but they can help cultivate an awareness of your need for God’s presence.
Which one will you do today? Commit to one right now before this concept slips away, and with it several more hours when you could have been confessing your need for God.
Most Gracious Lord
What perspective of Jesus comes to mind in those moments when you are telling Him you need Him?
Consider this verse.
…the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Isaiah 30:18 ESV
That first phrase really struck me. Jesus is waiting to be gracious to you. I think that means He is longing to do it, more than looking for the right circumstance.
Join that concept of longing with this image and I think that makes sense. Jesus wants to be gracious to You, and actually is being gracious always, but we are unaware so His grace is effectively lost on us. How sad that is, and how sad that must make Him.
I believe it makes Him sad for two reasons.
- He wants to be gracious to us because He loves us. When we are unaware of it, I believes is saddens Him.
- He is exalted when He shows mercy to us, and since He is more aware than we are of just how worthy He is to be exalted, not doing so saddens Him.
Easy fix. Make Jesus glad today and engage in exalting Him by telling Him how much you need Him. Nothing makes Him happier.
You may just be surprised to learn that nothing will make you happier than that either.
Tell Him how much you need His grace. Thank Him for it and receive it in this hour. Then repeat it again in 60 minutes or less.
Jesus, I need You continually, and I want to remember that at least hourly. Help me to practice that today, and find myself reveling in the wonder of Your grace to me in my need. In Jesus name. Amen.
Needful Tuning!
Keep coming back and we will work help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence. We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.
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Video 11.1 Transcript
Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.
I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
This is a beautiful place to begin, admitting to God you need Him. Of course, that was easy to confess as you began the journey with Jesus, but often our self-sufficiency kicks in. Tell Jesus you need Him in this hour. Then embrace of life of repeating that hourly.
The grace of our Lord makes it easy to admit our need. But we often feel guilty about a thought, or word, or deed and let that keep us from coming. Begin to develop the discipline of coming often to God, by asking Him right now to help you receive His grace.
Our gracious and gentle Shepherd said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” We must learn to tune our ears to hear His voice, and then follow wherever He leads. Ask the Holy Spirit to tune you heart to identify Jesus’ tender voice.
We must learn to follow because doing so leads us to inner peace, even in the hours when things are not peaceful externally. Have you experienced the peace of Jesus? Either way, ask Him right now to help you listen and learn the way.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.
Sing
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
Image Attributions
I Need Thee – https://pixabay.com/photos/hands-hand-fold-woman-finger-work-2274255/
Every Hour – https://pixabay.com/photos/clock-alarm-clock-watch-time-old-1274699/
Most gracious Lord – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/painting-artwork-art-russian-art-1023419/
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