384

O LORD, Come Quickly; Hear Me Pray

Scripture References

Thematically related:

Further Reflections on Scripture References

Beginning with a plea that God hear his prayer (st. 1), the psalmist asks the LORD to keep him from yielding to wicked people's enticements to join them in their evil deeds (st. 2; see Prov. 1:10­-19). It is better to suffer chastisement that turns from sinful ways than to enjoy the momentary fruits of wickedness (st. 3). They are a trap that can lead only to destruction (st. 4). Keep me from these ensnaring enticements, 0 LORD, says the psalmist, to preserve me from certain death (st. 5). Marie J. Post (PHH 5) versified Psalm 141 in 1985 for the Psalter Hymnal.

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

The spirit of this song can come only from those who thankfully receive each day as a gift from God’s hand. Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 44 teaches, “Life is a gift from God’s hand” which we receive thankfully “with reverence for the Creator...” (paragraph 44).

 
The call for God’s help in our daily living arises from those who are confident of his fatherly care; consider reading Belgic Confession, Article 13 and Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 9, Question and Answer 26.

384

O LORD, Come Quickly; Hear Me Pray

Tune Information

Name
WHEN JESUS WEPT
Key
d minor
Meter
8.8.8.8

Recordings

Musical Suggestion

The first stanza can be used alone as the beginning of a prayer, particularly in the evening. When using only stanza 1, it would be effective to sing this in canon, creating musically the sense of rising incense through the intertwining lines. This song is best sung unaccompanied, with instruments doubling the melody and a drone played or hummed on D and A if necessary. The text may also be sung to the tune FEDERAL STREET (see #337 or 759).
— Psalms for All Seasons (http://www.psalmsforallseasons.org)
384

O LORD, Come Quickly; Hear Me Pray

Hymn Story/Background

Beginning with a plea that God hear his prayer (st. 1), the psalmist asks the LORD to keep him from yielding to wicked people's enticements to join them in their evil deeds (st. 2; see Prov. 1:10-19). It is better to suffer chastisement that turns from sinful ways than to enjoy the momentary fruits of wickedness (st. 3). They are a trap that can lead only to destruction (st. 4). Keep me from these ensnaring enticements, O LORD, says the psalmist, to preserve me from certain death (st. 5). Marie J. Post versified Psalm 141 in 1985 for the Psalter Hymnal 1987.
— Bert Polman

Author Information

While attending Dutch church services as a child, Marie J. (Tuinstra) Post (b. Jenison, MI, 1919; d. Grand Rapids, MI, 1990) was first introduced to the Genevan psalms, which influenced her later writings. She attended Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she studied with Henry Zylstra. From 1940 to 1942 she taught at the Muskegon Christian Junior High School. For over thirty years Post wrote poetry for the Grand Rapids Press and various church periodicals. She gave many readings of her poetry in churches and schools and has been published in a number of journals and poetry anthologies. Two important collections of her poems are I Never Visited an Artist Before (1977) and the posthumous Sandals, Sails, and Saints (1993). A member of the 1987 Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee, Post was a significant contributor to its array of original texts and paraphrases.
— Bert Polman
Martin Tel is the C. F. Seabrook Director of Music at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. He conducts the seminary choirs, teaches courses in church music, and administers the music for the daily seminary worship services. He served as senior editor of　Psalms for All Seasons: A Complete Psalter for Worship　(2012) and the Psalm editor for Lift Up Your Hearts. His love for music began in a dairy barn in rural Washington State, where he heard his father belt out psalms and hymns while milking the cows. Martin earned degrees in church music and theology from Dordt College, the University of Notre Dame, Calvin Theological Seminary, and the University of Kansas. He has served as minister of music in Christian Reformed, Reformed Church in America, and Presbyterian congregations. With his wife, Sharilyn, he is raising three children in Princeton.
— Lift Up Your Hearts (http://www.liftupyourheartshymnal.org)

Composer Information

William Billings (b. 1746; d. 1800) was an American choral composer, thought by some to be the father of American choral music. His father died when William was 14, and he was forced to drop all formal education and take up tanning to get by. With no formal musical training he began to compose, and his songs were well-loved and traveled quickly. However, due to unsubstantial copyright laws, Billings received hardly a penny from the publication of his music. After a period of fame and prosperity, his music was forgotten, and his last decade was one of decline. Married with six children, he died in poverty, though his music would be resurrected after his death and sung to this day.
— Laura de Jong
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