This is hymn 39 of the Open Heavens daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
HYMN 39: I AM THINE, O LORD
1. I am Thine, O Lord
I have heard Thy voice
And it told Thy love to me
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee
Chorus:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord
By the pow’r of grace divine
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine.
3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee,
my God I commune as friend with friend
4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
I AM THINE, O LORD HYMN COMMENTARY
Beloved in Christ, this tender and intimate hymn, “I Am Thine, O Lord,” draws us into the quiet chamber of personal devotion. It is the breath of a heart that has been captured by grace and now burns with a single, holy ambition: to know Christ more deeply. This hymn gives us language for the sacred tension of the Christian life—the joy of belonging and the longing for greater nearness. It is a prayer for nearness, consecration, communion, and ultimate fulfillment.
Why Sing This Hymn
We sing this hymn to give voice to our holy dissatisfaction with a distant or routine faith. It is the song of a soul that has tasted God’s love and now craves the fullness of His presence. It transforms our prayer life from a list of requests into a pursuit of intimacy with our Savior.
1. It is a Hymn of Secure Belonging and Holy Longing (Verse 1)
The hymn begins with the most wonderful confession a believer can make: “I am Thine, O Lord.”This is the foundation of our faith—a relationship of belonging, secured by His grace. We have “heard Thy voice” in the Gospel, and it spoke of love. But a true encounter with Christ’s love does not lead to complacency; it ignites a sacred hunger. The believer longs to “rise in the arms of faith”and be “closer drawn to Thee.” Our salvation is secure, yet our souls are perpetually restless, seeking deeper communion with the One who saved us.
2. It is a Hymn of Consecrated Surrender (Verse 2)
The natural response to being drawn nearer is a desire to be fully His. “Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord” is a prayer of total surrender. This is only possible “by the pow’r of grace divine.”The beautiful result is a soul anchored in “steadfast hope” and a will that finds its true freedom and purpose when it is “lost in Thine.” This is the pinnacle of discipleship: our desires merging with His, our plans dissolving into His perfect will.
3. It is a Hymn of Prayerful Delight (Verse 3)
This verse captures the sublime joy of personal devotion. It calls prayer a “pure delight,” reframing it from duty to the highest privilege. The image of spending an “hour… before Thy throne” and communing “as friend with friend” reflects the breathtaking reality that the Almighty God invites us into intimate relationship (John 15:15). This is the source of our strength and the wellspring of our joy—knowing we can approach not just a King, but a Friend who listens and loves.
4. It is a Hymn of Hope-Filled Expectation (Verse 4)
The hymn ends with a sober yet glorious recognition: our communion here, as sweet as it is, is still partial. There are “depths of love” we cannot yet fathom and “heights of joy” we cannot yet scale. But this is not a note of despair, but of triumphant hope! It points us to our eternal home, “till I cross the narrow sea” and “rest in peace with Thee.” Our present drawing nearer is a foretaste of the perfect, unbroken fellowship that awaits us in glory.
The Chorus: The Heart’s Constant Cry
The repeated chorus is the soul’s perpetual prayer: “Draw me nearer… to Thy precious, bleeding side.” Our closeness to God is always measured by our nearness to the cross. It is at the place of His sacrifice that we understand His love, receive our cleansing, and find the magnetic center that pulls our hearts away from sin and self, and into deep fellowship with Him.
A Word for Your Spirit Today
Has your spiritual life felt routine? Have you felt a gentle, holy tug on your heart, a sense that there must be more than this? That is the very voice this hymn embodies. You belong to Him. Do not ignore that longing; embrace it as a gift from the Spirit.
Today, in your quiet moment, make this hymn your prayer. Tell the Lord you are His. Ask Him to draw you nearer to the reality of the cross. Surrender your will afresh to His service. Seek the pure delight of a few unhurried minutes in His presence, talking to Him as your dearest Friend.
And be encouraged: every step you take in response to this longing brings you deeper into His love now, and prepares you for the indescribable depths and heights you will know when you finally see Him face to face.
Answer the call. Seek His nearness.
In the name of Jesus, our Friend and Savior, Amen.
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