Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.
Precious Lord, Take My Hand (1932)
By: Thomas A. Dorsey (1899 – 1993)
Listen to this version featuring Mahalia Jackson as you prepare to ponder this hymn. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.
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Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
We begin our journey through this great gospel song which voices our desire to have God take our hand. The last few weeks we considered the importance of holding to God’s unchanging hand, now we rest in the fact that He holds ours. Let’s tune our hearts.
Starting with Humility
Over the last four weeks we have been pondering holding to God’s unchanging. If you are just joining us, feel free to go back and consider some of those ideas. This gospel song takes a slightly different look at the same concept. Instead of holding to God’s hand, we ask Him to take ours.
There are really two parts to that acknowledgment. First, we must realize that we need to be held, carried, supported, assisted. Many people are aware they need some help from beyond their own capacity. That is not easy, but it is the easier of the two parts.
Second, we must ask for the help. Before you dismiss the ease of this part, think of the last time you asked God for help. You probably needed it countless times today, but have you asked. Do you think we should only ask when we are really desperate or more often? Consider the heartfelt words of Thomas Dorsey.
Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 ESV
We tend to be better at asking for help when we realize we need it. And we need if much more often than we ask for it. Difficult circumstances reveal our needs quicker than normal every day ones, but we must learn to ask not only at the end of ourselves, but way before then. We must learn to ask for the Lord’s direction in all the smaller decisions in life, not just the big ones. We need to learn to stand in His strength in every situation, not just the really heavy ones.
So how accustomed are you to placing your open hand out in front of you and asking your Lord to take it? Over these next few weeks I pray each of grows in the realization of our need and the willingness to ask. He is waiting to strengthen, help and uphold you.
RESONATE!
When was the last time you asked Him to take your hand? Think about the next hour. What is before you that could not benefit from your having asked God to take your hand and lead you, helping you to stand? How about tomorrow? What can you do to practice this simple and tender prayer with greater regularity? Thank Jesus for all He does when we ask Him to take our hand, and then ask Him to take your again today, repeating often.
Asleep at the Wheel
The problem many of us have is that we have fallen asleep at the wheel. What wheel? The wheel of faith. Because God is so benevolent we are quick to forget that we need to stay alert to circumstances that need His presence.
Living can lull us into an auto-pilot mode that can actually be very dangerous. This is especially true when we consider how haphazard our spiritual growth can become. We must be diligent in our care for our souls, but when we are weary that is difficult.
Let me ask you this. Have you ever fallen asleep while you were praying? It has happened to most if not all of us at one time or another. In one sense it is a beautiful thing, finding rest talking to God about something which ends in slumber. But the downside is when we only pray when we are tired, weak and worn so we struggle to give it the attention it deserves.
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Isaiah 40:29 ESV
Coming to the end of ourselves is a good thing because it reveals our need of God, but we can not live a the end of ourselves. We must learn to cry out at other times as well. We add to the child-like simplicity of “Lord take my hand” the more seasoned experience of “I am tired, weak and worn” which adds import to the prayer that follows.
So two things. Maybe you need to wake up and ask God for some help to walk closely with Him. Maybe you need His help simply becoming more diligent. Either way take a few minutes here or in the video above to ask for His help. He is ready to give it.
RESONATE!
Lord, help me to wake up to my spiritual life passing me by, to more diligently talk to you about my needs. Help me to be honest with you every day. Maybe doing so will help me avoid being so tired, weak and worn. Either way, I place my hand in Yours again today asking You to lead me.
Jesus, thank You for taking my hand every time I place it in Yours. Your care for me is so precious to me. Help me to walk with a greater awareness of it today. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Willing Tuning!
Keep coming back, and we will work to 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 20.1 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.
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.
There is such a tenderness in this prayer. It reveals the child-like faith with which Jesus admonished us to approach Him. Before we can be led, we must be able to stand. Ask Jesus to give you the strength to do so in Him today, so you are ready to be led.
Jesus, give me the strength to stand.
And coupled with the child-like faith is a more seasoned experience. Tired, weak, and worn, all three. Sometimes we are hesitant to acknowledge to God how we are feeling, but we never need to be. Ask Him to help you be honest with Him every day.
Lord, help me to be honest with you every day.
Regardless of the cause of the darkness, each of us faces periods when it is hard to see which way to go. We need to discern God’s light in those moments so we can be led to it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify God’s light so you can find your way through the darkness.
Holy Spirit, help me see the light of God, even in the darkness.
We ask God to take our hand, not only to stand and to be led through the dark seasons, but ultimately so we can find our way home. We are on a journey and this world is not our destination. Ask God to help you set your sights on your eternal home.
God, help me set my sights on my eternal home.
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.
The post Offering Your Weary Hand to God appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image Attributions
Precious Lord, Take My Hand – https://pixabay.com/photos/hand-hold-reach-place-846092/
Tired, Weak, and Worn – https://pixabay.com/photos/boy-male-man-young-sleeping-828850/
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