For our opening hymn on Sunday, we sang “Prayer is the Soul’s Sincere Desire”. This is one of my favourite hymns. I find it so poetic, and parts of it really resonate with me.
The phrase “prayer is the burden of a sigh” brings to mind all those times when praying where I felt stress and burdens melt away.
“The upward glancing of an eye” reminds me of all those times I looked to heaven and said a quick, silent prayer before a talk, or presentation, or entering a home to counsel someone.
I think my favourite verse, however, is the fourth:
Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from their way,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”
Oh, to imagine the angels rejoicing when my family members and close friends decided to turn back to God!
It is no wonder the suggestion in the hymnal is to sing this song peacefully.
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Kim,
We sang this today. I just google’d for the title and was surprised to see your link as 4th on google.
Anyway, you captured my thoughts, just a few weeks ahead of me. In the U.S. “Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,” is the fifth verse and my favorite as well. :D
Maybe I should subscribed to “our thoughts” again.
That’s cool. It doesn’t come up fourth for me, but it’s cool it does for you.