Scripture Verse

If I shut up Heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13–14

Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: James A. Brown, in The Light­house in Gos­pel Song, ed­it­ed by John D. Pat­ton (Bir­ming­ham, Ala­ba­ma: J. D. Pat­ton, 1910) (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Pray, pray, in the old-time way,
Come, Chris­tians, ga­ther round;
Pray, pray as they used to pray,
When the pow­er of God came down.

Refrain

Pray, pray, the on­ly way
To reach the saints’ high ground;
Pray, pray, the pray­er of faith
Will bring God’s bless­ings down.

Pray, pray where two or three
Are ga­thered in His name;
Pray, pray, for Je­sus said,
I am in the midst of them.

Refrain

Pray, pray and seek His face,
And turn from all your sin;
Pray, pray for grace to go
And bring the wan­der­ers in.

Refrain

Pray, pray, for souls are lost,
Their blood is on our hands;
Pray, pray ev­en now their feet
Are on death’s sink­ing sand.

Refrain

Pray, pray, O sin­ner, pray,
Your heart in guilt bowed down;
Pray, pray, for God will hear,
He says, I will be found.

Refrain

illustration
St. Dominic Praying
El Greco, circa 1588