Lord, Speak to Me

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek
Thine erring children lost and lone.

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wandering and the wavering feet;
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hungering ones with manna sweet.

O strengthen me, that while I stand
Firm on the rock and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a loving hand
To wrestlers with the troubled sea.

O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

O use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt and when and where,
Until Thy blessèd face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

In last week’s post, a song by Frances Ridley Havergal, ( Master, Speak, Thy Servant Heareth )she asked the Lord to speak His specific messages to her spirit, to cheer her and make her a stronger follower of Jesus. In this week’s hymn, she asks Him to speak to her so that she may reach out to others in love, kindness and spiritual nourishment. She intended it for the use of lay helpers in the church.

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Frances began her Christian experience early, memorizing Scripture at the age of four. When she was nine years old, her pastor father and the family moved to a house in which Frances had her own room. Her mother said, “Dear child, you have your own little bedroom now – it ought to be a little Bethel.” (This was a reference to Jacob’s wayside place of prayer in the Old Testament, and means “House of God”.) Sadly, when Frances was only eleven, her mother died. In some of her last words to her daughter, Mrs. Havergal said, “Remember, nothing but the precious blood of Christ can make you clean and lovely in God’s sight… How glorious to know I shall soon see my Saviour face to face! Now go and play and sing some of your little hymns for me.” Those childhood hymns gave way to the deeper words Frances wrote as she matured and developed in her faith and experience and became the well-known author of numerous lovely hymns.