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Music I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
from 788_English
I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR! MUSIC
This hymn by Annie Sherwood Hawks has touched the hearts of believers since 1872. Written to worship God’s presence, it brings peace to those who sing it.
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“I Need Thee Every Hour” focuses on the need to feel Jesus Christ and the yearning to have a personal relationship with God. Written in June 1872 by Annie Sherwood Hawks, this devotional song offers peace through its stanzas.
About the origin of this hymn, the author revealed: “One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks during a bright June morning in 1872. Suddenly I became filled with the sense of nearness to the Master, and I began to wonder how anyone could ever live without Him, either in joy or pain. Then the words were ushered into my mind and these thoughts took full possession of me.”
After finishing the poem, Hawks gave it to her pastor, Reverend Robert Lowry, who mentored her in the production of songs to worship the Lord. He set the hymn to music and added a refrain. Thanks to the help of Lowry, who was a renowned Christian hymnwriter, the song was included in a hymn compilation prepared for the National Baptist Sunday School Convention in Cincinnati in November 1872.
OUTSTANDING POETESS Born in Hoosick on May 28, 1835, Annie Hawks wrote more than four hundred spiritual songs. At a very young age, while she was taking her first steps into the Gospel, she showed a special gift for conveying her feelings for the Redeemer through lyrical poetry. At the age of fourteen, a local newspaper published her first poem.
In January 1865, after marrying Charles Hial Hawks, the hymnwriter moved to Brooklyn. There she met Pastor Lowry at a local temple she had joined. With his support, she composed a number of poems for the Lord that
I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR!
1 I need thee every hour, Most gracious Lord; No tender voice like thine Can peace afford.
REFRAIN I need thee, O I need thee; Every hour I need thee! O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.
2 I need thee every hour, Stay thou near by; Temptations lose their power When thou art nigh.
3 I need thee every hour, In joy or pain; Come quickly, and abide, Or life is vain.
4 I need thee every hour; Teach me thy will, And thy rich promises In me fulfill.
5 I need Thee every hour, Most Holy One; Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
are now part of her vast legacy and are mainly sung in Sunday schools.
In 1888, impressed by the fame of “I Need Thee Every Hour!” and shaken by the death of her husband, Hawks reflected about the popularity of her song: “I did not understand at first why this hymn had touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long after, when the shadow fell over my way, that shadow of great loss, that I understood something of the comforting in the words I had been permitted to write and give out to others in my hours of sweet security and peace.” This renowned poetess from the 19th century died on January 3, 1918 in Bennington, Vermont, after fighting the good fight of faith and preaching the Lord’s Words through her hymns. Her evangelistic work has had a great impact on the world and has motivated many men and women to joyfully worship God.
