Favorite Lines from Great Hymns

Devotional thoughts from hymn lines in great hymns that encourage and inspire our faith as we walk with God.

Sunday, August 9, 2026

"Lord, I Need You"

This barn surrounded with golden rod was a lovely scene .

 “Lord, I Need You”
“Lord, I need You, oh, I need You.
Every hour, I need You.
My one defense, my righteousness,
Oh God, how I need You.”

I need you, Lord. The heartfelt cry of every believer who stands tall for Christ and lives to serve Him. In good times and bad times. We, who depend upon our Savior to be with us through our life, gladly and confidently say: “We need You.”

This chorus says it well. Every hour. Our one defense. My righteousness in You. Yes, God, I need you.

Matt Maher and a number of collaborators, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, Daniel Carson, and Jesse Reeves, wrote this Praise and Worship song for a Passion Conference where college students were coming together to worship God. Jesse Reeves shared the idea of using the old hymn, “I Need Thee Every Hour” by Annie Hawks as a springboard for the new song. The first verse of that well known hymn says: “I need Thee ev'ry hour, most gracious Lord; no tender voice like Thine can peace afford.” And so, they drew upon its lyrics for some extra stimulation. How many times during a clock’s 24-hour rotation does someone need God?

They tried to imagine students sitting in their dorm rooms and struggling with the various temptations and other issues that come their way. They pondered what needing God really meant for Christians.

The answer is obvious. We need God at all times. Sound too needy? Too weak? The strongest man or woman who is a believer relies on and calls on Jesus all the time. Jesus isn’t a crutch. Jesus is strength. Jesus is a deliverer. Jesus is what every believer needs to live a powerful and strong life. Believers live for and work for Jesus.

Never be afraid to call on Jesus. Yes, we all need Him. Because He is our life. He is our God. He is everything to us.

Verse One

“Lord I come, I confess,
Bowing here, I find my rest.
Without You, I fall apart,
You're the one that guides my heart.”

Lord, I need you.


"Lord, I Need You"

This barn surrounded with golden rod was a lovely scene .   “Lord, I Need You” “Lord, I need You, oh, I need You. Every hour, I need You. My...