CHRISTIAN LIFE >> FAITH & TRUST
SDAH 517
My faith looks up to thee,
thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine;
Now hear me while I pray,
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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: My Faith Looks Up to Thee
Written in 1830 by Ray Palmer as a private expression of his own devotion, this hymn was born out of deep emotion—Palmer later recalled finishing the final line “with tears.” Its four original stanzas form a simple yet profound prayer: hear me, strengthen me, guide me, save me. Palmer kept the poem tucked in his pocketbook until Lowell Mason, searching for material for a new hymnal, asked if he had anything to contribute; Mason immediately recognized its spiritual power and composed the tune OLIVET to accompany it. Published in Spiritual Songs for Social Worship (1831), the hymn became Palmer’s most enduring legacy, just as Mason predicted. Its earnest plea for cleansing, strength, and divine leading continues to resonate with believers who lift their faith—and their hearts—up to Christ.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
This hymn was the first one written by Ray Palmer (1808-1887; see SDAH 242), in the year 1830. It was for his personal benefit, as an expression of his own faith. He said of the hymn, “I gave form to what I felt by writing, with little effort, the stanzas. I recollect I wrote them with very tender emotion and ended the last line with tears.” The original had four stanzas. In brief, the petition in the four stanzas ate: hear me, strengthen me, guide me save me.
Palmer carried the poem about with him in his pocketbook for some time. When asked by Lowell Mason (1792-1872; see Biographies), if he had anything to contribute to a new compilation, Palmer produced the four stanzas of this hymn. Mason soon composed the tune OLIVET, which has been associated with the words ever since. In 1831 Mason published the complete hymn in Spiritual Songs for Social Worship, compiled by himself and Thomas Hastings (see SDAH 300). Time has proved true Mason’s prediction that Palmer might live long and do many good things but would best be remembered as the author of “My Faith Looks Up to Thee.”
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
My faith looks up to thee,
thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine;
Now hear me while I pray,
take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
be wholly Thine.
2
May thy rich grace impart
strength to my fainting heart,
my zeal inspire!
As thou hast died for me,
O may my love to thee
pure, warm, and changeless be,
a living fire!
3
While life’s dark maze I tread,
and griefs around me spread,
be thou my guide;
bid darkness turn to day,
wipe sorrow’s tears away,
nor let me ever stray
from Thee aside.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Ps 61:1 (b) Heb 12:28 (c) Ps 48:14; Rev 21:4
Author
Ray Palmer (1808-1887)
Year Published
1830
Hymn Tune
OLIVET
Metrical Number
6.6.4.6.6.6.4.
Composer
Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
Year Composed
1832
