LYRICS

1. Whisper a prayer in the morning,  Whisper a prayer at noon.
Whisper a prayer in the evening to keep your heart in tune.

2. God answers prayers in the morning,  God answers prayers at noon.
God answers prayers in the evening so keep your heart in tune.

3. Jesus may come in the morning,  Jesus may come at noon.
Jesus may come in the evening so keep your heart in tune.

Take My Life
(1874)

Hymn Background:

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”       Philippians 3:8

Although hymnist Frances Havergal, 36, had served the Lord for years, she felt something was missing in her Christian experience.  Then one day in 1873, she received a little book called,  “All for Jesus,”  which stressed the importance of making Christ the King of every corner and cubicle of one’s life.  Soon thereafter, she made a fresh and complete consecration of herself to Christ.

Years later when asked about it, she replied, “Yes, it was on Advent Sunday, December 2, 1873, I first saw clearly the blessedness of true consecration.  I saw it as a flash of electric light, and what you see you can never un-see.  There must be full surrender before there can be full blessedness.”

Not long after, she found herself spending several days with ten people in a house, some of them unconverted. Others were Christians, but not fully surrendered to Christ.  “Lord, give me all in this house,” she prayed.  She went to work witnessing, and before she left, all ten were converted Christians.  On the last night of her visit, Frances — too excited to sleep — wrote this great consecration hymn,  “Take My Life . . .”

In the years that followed, Francis frequently used this hymn in her own devotions, especially every December 2, on the anniversary of her consecration.

On one occasion, as she pondered the words, “Take my voice and let me sing / Always only for my King,” she felt she should give up her secular concerts.  Her beautiful voice was in demand, and she frequently sang with the Philharmonic Orchestra.  But from that moment, her lips were exclusively devoted to the songs of the Lord.

On another occasion she was praying over the stanza that says, “Take my silver and my gold / Not a mite would I withhold.”  She had accumulated a great deal of jewelry,  but she now felt she should donate it to the Church Missionary Society.  Writing to a friend, she said, “I retain only a brooch for daily wear, which is a memorial to my dear parents; also a locket with the holy portrait I have of my niece in heaven.  Evelyn, I had no idea I had such a jeweler’s shop; nearly fifty articles are being packed off.  I don’t think I need to tell you I never packed a box with such pleasure.”

Have you given your whole life — everything — over to Jesus?  Why not make this the date of your own complete consecration?

Take My Life
LYRICS:

1. Take my life, and let it be consecrated Lord to thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee;
Swift and beautiful for thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing unto God my praise I bring.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee.
Filled with messages from thee.

6. Take my love my Lord I pour at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee.
Ever, only all for thee.

I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord