LBW #406, "Take My Life, That I May Be"
Devotion
This is a great hymn to sing in response to Jesus’ statement: "Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39)
The author, Frances Ridley Havergal, wrote this hymn at the end of a five-day visit to a home where she asked God to allow everyone in the house to become Christians and rejoice. "Lord," she prayed, "Give me all in this house."
Her prayer was answered. This made her want to have a spiritual renewal. Notice in her act of consecration she does not offer all that is wrong (sin and addictions) in her life, she offers God everything that is good in her life:
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect and use
ev'ry pow'r as thou shall choose. (v.4)
Prayer
Gracious God, as I hear your call to lose my life and to take up my cross and follow I ask that you help me make this hymn my prayer. "Take my life that I may be, consecrated, Lord, to thee; take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise." Amen.