[Biblemat] hymn study, "

[Wayne S Walker]

Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study.

"FATHER, HEAR THY CHILDREN'S CALL"
"Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee" (Ps. 102.1)
     INTRO.:  A song that asks God to hear the cry of His people is,
"Father, Hear Thy Children's Call."  The text was written by Thomas
Benson Pollock (1836-1896).  It was a section of a three-part litany
published in his 1870 Metrical Litanies for Special Services and General
Use.  The entire text was found in the 1906 Church Hymns from the Society
for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge.  Our books have stanzas 1, 2,
6, and 7 of Part 1, and stanza 7 of Part 2.  The tune (Gower's Litany)
was composed by John Henry Gower (1855-1922).  It was first published in
his 1890 Original Tunes (some sources give the date as 1891).
      Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church for use
in churches of Christ during the twentieth century, the song was found in
the 1921 Great Songs of the Church (No. 1) and the 1937 Great Songs of
the Church No. 2, both edited by E. L. Jorgenson; the 1959 Majestic
Hymnal No. 2 and the 1979 Hymns of Praise both edited by Reuel Lemmons;
and the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater.  It is used in
the 1971 Songs of the Church and the 1990 Songs of the Church 21st C.
Ed., both edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited
by Forrest M. McCann; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P.
Wiegand.  The same tune was used in Slater's Christian Hymnal with
"Jesus, With Thy Church Abide," also by Pollock.
     The hymn is certainly a good one to sing before prayer.
I. Stanza 1 addresses the one to whom we pray.
"Father, hear Thy children's call; Humbly at Thy feet we fall,
Prodigals, confessing all: We beseech Thee, hear us."
 A. God is our Father in Heaven to whom we speak in prayer: Matt. 6.9
 B. Falling at God's feet is a symbol of the humility with which we
approach Him in prayer: 1 Pet. 5.6-7
 C. Something that needs to be included in our prayers is a confession of
sin: 1 Jn. 1.9
II. Stanza 2 addresses the one through whom we pray.
"Christ, beneath Thy cross we blame All our life of sin and shame;
Penitent, we breathe Thy name: We beseech Thee, hear us."
 A. Christ is our Mediator, through we come to the Father in prayer: Jn.
14.6, 1 Tim. 2.5
 B. It is to Him and His cross that we come, brining all our life of sin
and shame, to find rest: Matt. 11.28-30
 C. However, to be made right with God through Him, He requires
repentance: Lk. 13.3, Acts 17.30-31
III. Stanza 3 mentions reasons why we need to come to God in prayer
"Sick, we come to Thee for cure; Guilty, seek Thy mercy sure;
Evil, long to be made pure: We beseech Thee, hear us."
 A. There is certainly nothing wrong with asking God to heal us when we
are sick and grant us health: Jas. 5.13-15, 3 Jn. 2
 B. But more importantly, we are guilty of sin and need to ask God's
mercy upon us: Acts 8.22
 C. And because we have sinned, we have allowed evil in our hearts and
need to ask God to make us pure, as did David: Ps. 51.10
IV. Stanza 4 mentions more reasons why we need to come to God in prayer
"Blind, we pray that we may see; Bound, we pray to be made free;
Stained, we pray for sanctity: We beseech Thee, hear us."
 A. When we have allowed Satan to blind our eyes, we must go to God that
we might see: 2 Cor. 4.3-4
 B. When we are bound by sin of which we are guilty, we must go to God to
be made free: Rom. 6.17-18
 C. When we are stained by the evil which we have allowed in our hearts,
we must go to God to be sanctified: 1 Thess. 5.23
V. Stanza 5 mentions the bases upon which we can go to God in prayer
"By Thy love that bids Thee spare, By the heaven Thou dost prepare,
By Thy promises to prayer: We beseech Thee, hear us."
 A. It is God's love that bids us come to Him in prayer: Jn. 3.16
 B. It is because of His desire for us to live with Him in heaven that He
has opened up the avenue of prayer: 1 Pet. 1.3-5
 C. It is His exceeding great and precious promise to hear us that gives
us the boldness to come to Him in prayer: 2 Pet. 1.4, 1 Jn. 5.14-15
     CONCL.:  It used to be common for song leaders to choose "prayer
songs" for the congregation to sing immediately before prayer in order to
put the worshippers in a more prayerful mood.  There is nothing in the
scriptures which demand this practice, but neither is there any principle
in God's word that would make it wrong.  In many instances, it can be
helpful.  In any event, when we go to God in prayer, especially in public
worship, one of our purposes is to ask Him, "Father, Hear Thy Children's
Call."
     Brotherly,
Wayne S. Walker
9024 Amona Dr.
Affton, MO  63123
home phone: (314) 638-4710
office phone: (314) 842-1612
e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com
website: www.defenderoftruth.com