MORE LOVE TO THEE

A friend of mine just told me that he has just met the love of his life. And he is so excited. It is special to find a person that you can love with your whole heart and who loves you as well. When you do find such a person, you want to spend all of your time with them. You want to share all of your dreams, your cares and your experiences with them. You want to honor them, and trust them, and give them your all. Unfortunately, human love often fails. But there is one who loved us even when we were unlovable. And He is a true friend who has promised never to leave us or forsake us. Our desire should be to love Him and we should want our love for Him to grow deeper and fuller every day. This was the desire of Elizabeth Payson Prentiss who struggled with insomnia and severe headaches for her entire life. After the loss of two children in short succession, Elizabeth's frail health was nearly broken and she cried out in her distress "Our home is broken up, our lives wrecked, our hopes shattered, our dreams dissolved, I don't think I can stand living for another moment." But it was during this time of tremendous emotional suffering that Elizabeth wrote the lyrics that eventually became the hymn, More Love to Thee, O Christ. The words that Elizabeth wrote joyously proclaim the Christian's desire to love their Savior more everyday. However, Elizabeth originally did not finish her poem. Thirteen years later, she found the unfinished poem. She would have left it unfinished but for her husband's encouragement. Her husband printed several copies, one of which found its way to William Howard Doane, a musician in Cincinnati. He set the words to music and published the hymn in his Songs of Devotion. Elizabeth once said that "To love Christ more, is the deepest need, the constant cry of my soul … Out in the woods and on my bed and out driving, when I am happy and busy, and when I am sad and idle, the whisper keeps going up for more love, more love, more love!" Is that your desire as well? It should be. We love Him because He first loved us.

(1) More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!

Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee.

This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

(2) Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;

Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best.

This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

(3) Let sorrow do its work, come grief or pain;

Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain,

When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

(4) Then shall my latest breath whisper Thy praise;

This be the parting cry my heart shall raise;

This still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Listen to it sung here. LISTEN