Hymn on Prayer

James Montgomery, What is Prayer?

(1771-1854) Hymnwriter from Scotland. Montgomery wrote four hundred hymns, many which, like the following classic, are still sung today.

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed,
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of the eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer.

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

O Thou by whom we come to God,
The life, the truth, the way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray.

  Between Heaven and Earth (Prayers and Reflections that Celebrate an Intimate God) copyright 1997 by Ken Gire.