Dear God, My Maker, Hear My Prayer

 

A Hymn of Repentance for Sexagesima

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Tune: Wenn mein Stündlein (TLH 594)

 

1 Dear God, my Maker, hear my prayer,

And for my guilt don’t judge me;

My sins - I see them everywhere!

Dear Father don’t begrudge me

The comfort that You know I need,

And who is there for me to plead,

But Christ, Your Son, My Savior?

 

2 Does He not sit at Your right hand,

In blood-bought pow’r and glory?

But I alone in shame now stand,

Though I have heard the story

Of all His suffering, pain, and loss –

It’s You who sent Him to the cross

To bear Your wrath against me.

 

3 But thorns and thistles choke the seed;

I fear my heart will harden,

Since I so often did not heed

Your Spirit’s voice of pardon,

And in the day of trouble I

Avoided prayer and did not cry

For help in my temptation.

 

4 God, do not take Your Word from me –

It’s all I have to guide me.

Without its Light I only see

That grace should be denied me.

I see all joys must pass away

Except the joys Your Scriptures say

Belong to all the faithful.

 

5 I cannot see faith in my heart,

Still, Lord, let me receive You

In Him whose words new life impart

With nothing I could give You,

But with the blood He shed for me,

With His obedience, full and free,

Which He for me once offered.

 

6 As ocean’s sands are all my sins,

Their weight enough to crush me,

And only death my labor wins,

And all too soon will shush me.

The dead, O God, can give no praise,

But You have pow’r from death to raise –

Just as Your Son has risen.

 

7 What sin have I He did not bear?

What pain did He not suffer?

What sorrow did He fail to share?

What good does He not offer

To me, who have but guilt to give,

But He takes that and I receive

His robe of spotless beauty!

 

8 How can this be, my Father dear,

That all was dark and cheerless

Until You turned my heart to hear

A voice that makes me fearless!

I face my sin with Christ my Lord,

I mock my death with His reward

Of joy that He will give me.

 

9 Lord Jesus, fill my soul with love

For Him who gave You to me;

I know I always have enough

In You who can renew me

Whenever all my pow’r is gone –

It’s then You teach Your mercy’s song

That shows Your strength in weakness. 

 

10 I want to sing eternally

To God, our heavenly Father,

I scarce can wait when I shall see

His face in You, my Brother;

Until then, teach me, Lord to pray,

So that when all things pass away

Your Word in me is sounding. 

2/27/19