January - O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

Lyrics

Oh for a thousand tongues to sing

My great Redeemer’s praise

The glories of my God and King

The triumphs of His grace

My gracious Master and my God

Assist me to proclaim

To spread through all the earth abroad

The honors of Thy name

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb

Your loosened tongues employ

Ye blind, behold your Savior come

And leap, ye lame, for joy

He breaks the power of canceled sin

He sets the prisoner free

His blood can make the foulest clean

His blood availed for me

In Christ our head ye then shall know,

Shall feel your sins forgiven;

Anticipate your heaven below,

And own that love is heaven.

He speaks, and listening to His voice

New life the dead receive

The mournful, broken hearts rejoice

The humble poor believe

On this glad day the glorious Sun

Of righteousness arose,

On my benighted soul he shone,

And filled it with repose.

Glory to God, and praise and love,

Be ever, ever given;

By saints below and saints above,

The Church in earth and heaven.

Bible Memory Verse

Psalm 147:1, ESV

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

Story Behind the Song

If you have sung this hymn before, you know there are a lot of verses. They are also often sung in different orders. Charles Wesley, the author of this hymn, originally wrote 18 verses! 

He wrote it in 1739, a year after a special day in his life when he firmly recommitted to follow the Lord. He had faced many hard questions and doubts about his Christian faith. Reading His Bible again, and with the help of Christian friends, his faith was made new. The words he wrote are both in celebration and thankfulness to God.

His first verse began ‘Glory to God and praise and love’. But the hymn became known by a later verse ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing’. As he sings, he wishes he had more tongues than just his own so that he could sing out with them all in praise to God. How wonderful it is that when we sing together our voices can join in such a big sound of praise. 

In the UK and Australia, we often sing the lyrics to a melody by Thomas Jarman called ‘Lyngham’. In the US, most people use the melody ‘Azmon’ written by Carl G Glaser in 1828 and arranged by Lowell Mason.

Note about the song links:

We have included our Kids hymnal version link. But you might want to explore other versions and verses! We have added a link to the St Michael’s Singers of Coventry Cathedral. This version is the one we grew up singing and it is a lot of fun to sing. The arrangement has different sections for men and women!

Something to Think About

When we think of a particular moment the Lord has helped us, it is good to sing His praise as our thank you to Him. Charles Wesley wrote this hymn to do just that.

Last year, a friend sent me a letter to thank us for our work at a worship conference and to encourage us. He knew we would be tired and feeling a little run down. He wrote that he was praying we would ‘recover in the Lord’. This letter was used by the Lord to help us, to remind us to rest in the Lord and in His people.

Can you think of a moment, a conversation, even a note from someone that helped you and turned your eyes to the Lord? A hymn can help us do that. A hymn can also give us words to thank God for his daily care of us as we follow Him.

At the beginning of a new year we have a moment to remember His goodness and to praise Him. And this is a perfect hymn for that. It is through the everyday moment by moment that the truth of these lyrics are seen and lived!

Prayer

Father in heaven,

Thank you for your every moment care and love for us. Please use this hymn to remind us of your never changing truth and to praise you for it! As we do this may our voices encourage those around us to do the same.

In Jesus name

Amen

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