Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart

Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
George Croly, 1854

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart.
Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move.
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art,
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

Hast Thou not bid us love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own--soul, heart, and strength, and mind!
I see Thy cross--there teach my heart to cling.
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find.

Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh.
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh,
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The baptism of the heav'n-descended Dove--
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.

See the Cyber Hymnal, which has words and music for this and many other Christian songs.

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Reposted, so as to take advantage of the indexing utility provided by Bloglines.

This text from the 19th century is still pertinent into the 21st. Would that this truly were the prayer of my heart. I want it to be, I hope that it is, but I fall short. I worship me too much.