CHRISTIAN LIFE >> MEDITATION AND PRAYER
SDAH 486
Father, I stretch my hands to Thee;
No other help I know;
If Thou withdraw Thyself from me,
Ah, wither shall I go?
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For Worship Leaders
Make each hymn more meaningful with these helpful tools: Short, ready-to-use hymn introductions for church bulletins, multiple ways to introduce a hymn based on your worship theme and in-depth history and insights to enrich your song service.
Hymn Spotlight: I Do Believe
First appearing in the Wesley brothers’ Collection of Psalms and Hymns (1741) under the title “Prayer for Faith,” this hymn’s authorship is uncertain, though many attribute it to Charles Wesley. Of the original six stanzas, our hymnal uses three, joined with a heartfelt chorus likely from early American camp meetings: “I do believe, I now believe / That Jesus died for me.” The tune, often called CAMP MEETING, carries the warmth and sincerity of revival gatherings, inviting worshipers to a simple yet profound act of faith—trusting fully in the sacrifice of Christ for personal salvation.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
The original of this hymn appeared in the Wesley brothers’ Collection of Psalms and Hymns, 1741, under the title “Prayer for Faith.” The author is not necessarily Charles Wesley (1707-1788; see Biographies), as there are some hymns in this Collection by other authors, for example, Isaac Watts, but credit is not given to any hymn. In the 1877 edition of A Collection of Hymns, by John Wesley, the index of authors marks this hymn as “Unknown,” although the probability is that it is one of Charles Wesley’s hymns. Of his original six stanzas, SDAH’s first, third, and fourth are his first, fourth, and fifth.
SDAH’s sixth stanza is an addition from the chorus tune to which the hymn is now set, which carried the words:
I do believe, I now believe That Jesus died for me.
The tune I DO BELIEVE, also called CAMP MEETING, is an early American melody often used as a camp meeting chorus.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Father, I stretch my hands to Thee;
No other help I know;
If Thou withdraw Thyself from me,
Ah, wither shall I go?
2
On Thy dear Son I now believe,
O let me feel Thy power;
And all my varied wants relieve,
In this accepted hour.
3
Author of faith! To Thee I lift
My weary, longing eyes;
O let me now receive that gift;
My soul without it dies.
4
Surely Thou canst not let me die;
O speak, and I shall live;
And here I will unwearied lie,
Till Thou Thy Spirit give.
5
How would my fainting soul rejoice
Could I but see Thy face!
Now let me hear Thy quickening voice,
And taste Thy pardoning grace.
6
I do believe, I now believe
That Jesus died for me,
And that He shed His precious blood
From sin to set me free.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Ps 88:9; John 6:68 (c) Heb 12:2 (f) Acts 8:37
Author
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Year Published
1741
Hymn Tune
I DO BELIEVE
Metrical Number
C.M.
Theme
MEDITATION AND PRAYER
Charles was the other Wesley. Alongside his brother John who was considered the main guy behind the founding of Methodism, it was Charles’ hymns that pushed through the envelope of being “just another religion.” His lasting and well-known hymns have captivated Christians all around the world. Through his poetic lines, we are able to sing many hymns with such deep theology.
It was said that he wrote 8,989 hymns. That’s 10 lines of poetry every single day for 50 years. And we are privileged to have sung some of those hymns. Tell me, don’t these hymns ring a bell for you?
