Scripture Verse

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Introduction

Words: Ed­na R. Wor­rell, 1906. Ap­peared in Al­ex­an­der’s Gos­pel Songs No. 8, ed­it­ed by Charles M. Al­ex­an­der (New York: Flem­ing H. Re­vell, 1908), page 11.

Music: Cro­atia Ed­na R. Wor­rell, 1906 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Wor­rell (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Anecdote

I was stand­ing at a bank coun­ter in Li­ver­pool, wait­ing for a clerk to come; I picked up a pen and be­gan to print on a blot­ter in large let­ters, two words, which had gripped me like a vice: PRAY THROUGH. I kept talk­ing to a friend, and print­ing un­til I had the blot­ter filled from top to bot­tom with a co­lumn.

I trans­act­ed my bu­si­ness and went away. The next day my friend came to see me, and he said he had a strik­ing sto­ry to tell me.

A bu­si­ness man came in­to the bank soon af­ter we had gone. He had grown dis­cour­aged with bu­si­ness trou­bles. He start­ed to trans­act some bu­si­ness with the same clerk ov­er that blot­ter, when his eye caught the long co­lumn of PRAY THROUGH.

He asked who wrote those words, and when he was told ex­claimed: That is the ve­ry mes­sage I need­ed. I will pray through. I have tried to wor­ry through in my own strength, and have mere­ly men­tioned my trou­bles to God; now I am go­ing to pray the si­tu­ation through un­til I get light.

Charles M. Al­ex­an­der

Lyrics

Don’t stop pray­ing! the Lord is nigh;
Don’t stop pray­ing! He’ll hear your cry,
God has pro­mised, and He is true,
Don’t stop pray­ing! He’ll an­swer you.

Don’t stop pray­ing for ev­ery need,
Don’t stop pray­ing! the Lord will heed;
No pe­ti­tion to Him is small;
Don’t stop pray­ing! He’ll give you all.

Don’t stop pray­ing when led to sin;
Don’t stop pray­ing! that good may win;
Christ was tempt­ed and un­der­stands;
Don’t stop pray­ing! He’ll hold your hands.

Don’t stop pray­ing when bowed with grief;
Don’t stop pray­ing! you’ll get re­lief;
Troubles ne­ver es­cape God’s sight;
Don’t stop pray­ing! He’ll make it right.

Don’t stop pray­ing, but have more trust;
Don’t stop pray­ing! for pray we must;
Faith will ban­ish a mount of care;
Don’t stop pray­ing! God an­swers pray­er.