I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

"Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy." 

Psalm 86:1

"I Need Thee Every Hour" is a  beautiful song that expresses the need for our Lord and the peace He brings to those who sincerely trust in Him, a peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:4-7). Our Lord graciously speaks to us with a tender voice so that we may hear Him and live (John 5:25). 

"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."

We need our gracious Lord in times of temptation and trials.  He has promised to stand by us to help us and provide for our spiritual needs. 

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' 6 So we can confidently say,  'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'"  (Heb. 13:5-6)

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it"  (1 Cor. 10:12-13). 

But we must draw near to Him with a sincere heart and the full assurance of faith that He will do what He has promised.

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water"  (Heb. 10:22).

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded"  (Jas. 4:8). 

Since life is filled with joy and pain (Phil. 4:11-12), we need the Lord to abide with us.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing"  (John 15:4-5). 

Life is vain when the Lord does not abide with us (in faith and hope).

"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope[a] in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied"  (1 Cor. 15:12-19). 

Moreover, we need the Lord to teach us to know and do His will.

"If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority"  (John 7:17).

God wants us to do His will always. By striving to do His will, we can rest assured that He will exceedingly keep His promises to us.

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ"  (Phil. 1:6).

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire"  (2 Peter 1:3-4). 

We need the Lord to fully belong to Him and be made His since He is the most Holy One.

"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God"  (Mk. 1:24).

"But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you" (Acts 3:14).

"So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's"  (1 Cor. 3:21-23). 

And since His beloved Son gives us life and we are His, we have the hope of eternal life.

"And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:11). 

CONCLUSION:

The song "I Need Thee Every Hour" is a prayer to me that reminds me that I can talk to my God during my trying and difficult times of tribulation and grief as well as times of happiness and peace. 

Therefore, my humble heart bows down to tell Him repeatedly, "I Need Thee Every Hour."

I need Thee every hour, 

Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine 

Can peace afford.

I need Thee every hour, 

Stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their power 

When Thou art nigh.

I need Thee every hour, 

In joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide, 

Or life is in vain.

I need Thee every hour; 

Teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

I need Thee every hour, 

Most Holy One;

O make me Thine indeed, 

Thou blessèd Son.

Chorus,

I need Thee, O I need Thee;

 Every hour I need Thee;

O bless me now, my Savior, 

I come to Thee.

Luci