Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire (Shaddick)

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Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire (Shaddick)

Text by: James Montgomery 1818
Tune: Shaddick by: Bates G Burt 1941
Source: Episcopal 1940 Hymnal #419

Here is my complete recording of the Episcopal 1940 Hymnbook:

1 Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

2 Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

3 Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains
That reach the Majesty on high.

4 Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters Heav’n with prayer.

5 Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, Behold, he prays!

6 The saints in prayer appear as one
In word, in deed, and mind,
While with the Father and the Son
Sweet fellowship they find.

7 No prayer is made by man alone
The Holy Spirit pleads,
And Jesus, on th’eternal throne,
For sinners intercedes.

8 O Thou by whom we come to God,
The life, the truth, the way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray.

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*Here is the whole song.*

1. Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast.

2. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye, When none but God is near.

3. Prayer is the simplest form of speech That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains That reach the Majesty on high.

4. Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death; He enters Heav’n with prayer.

5. Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice, Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

6. The saints in prayer appear as one In word, in deed, and mind,
While with the Father and the Son Sweet fellowship they find.

7. No prayer is made by man alone The Holy Spirit pleads,
And Jesus, on th’eternal throne, For sinners intercedes.

8. O Thou by whom we come to God, The life, the truth, the way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod: Lord, teach us how to pray.