Scripture Verse

She said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. 1 Kings 2:20

Introduction

portrait
Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, in Band Mu­sic, new edi­tion (To­ro­nto, On­ta­rio, Ca­na­da: Will­iam Briggs, 1886).

Music: Mrs. Frio­lin Slues­sy, Jr., ar­ranged by Ro­bert E. Mc­Neill in Bi­ble Songs of Sal­va­tion and Vic­to­ry (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Mar­tin W. Knapp, 1902), num­ber 75 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
Robert E. McNeill (1861–1937)

Lyrics

A prayer on the wings of an angel,
Is borne to the portals of light;
I feel in my heart the assurance
That mother is praying tonight.
My spirit is wounded and broken,
My sins with contrition I see,
To Je­sus I’ll go and confess them,
While mother is praying for me.

Refrain

My mother is praying for me,
My mother is praying for me,
To Je­sus I’ll go, who will pardon, I know,
While mother is praying for me.

I know I am weak and unworthy,
No merit of mine would I bring;
The cross of my Lord is before me,
And there, tho’ I perish, I’ll cling.
Oh, yes I will go to my Sav­ior,
His child from this moment I’ll be,
My faith shall look up and receive Him,
While mother is praying for me.

Refrain

For long I have wandered unheeding,
The warnings so tender and true,
The tears she has wept o’er my childhood,
That fell on my cheeks like the dew.
And now while she kneels in her closet,
When no one but Je­sus can see,
I’ll ask for His loving forgiveness,
While mother is praying for me.

Refrain