Lord, Speak to Me

A precocious child, Frances Havergal started reading when she was four. Inspired by the example of her father, a noted hymn writer, she began writing poems at age seven. Born on this day in England in 1836, she memorized much of the Bible as a child, and was committed to reach others with the Gospel.

In 1872, she wrote what she called “a worker’s hymn” at Winterdyne in England. It was a hymn that revealed the depth of her commitment to God, and her desire to grow in the faith. She wrote, “Lord, speak to me that I may speak in living echoes of Thy tone; as Thou has sought, so let me seek Thine erring children lost and lone.”

She asked God to lead her, strengthen her, and teach her. She prayed, “O fill me with Thy fullness, Lord, until my very heart overflow in kindling thought and glowing word, Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.”

She ended this hymn with a prayer of surrender: “O use me, Lord, use even me, just as Thou wilt, and when, and where, until Thy blessèd face I see, Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.”

Today, don’t let the world shape your heart and mind. Allow God to guide and direct you. Let Him take away your burdens and fears, fill you with His power, and give you His joy and peace. Surrender your life to Him. Let Him speak to you, that you may speak—and that He might use you to impact others with the Gospel.