Pray

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Prayer is the breath of the soul's deep life

Author: William M. Runyan
Tune: [Prayer is the breath of the soul’s deep life]
Published in 3 hymnals

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Prayer is the breath of the soul’s deep life,
Pray, pray, pray;
Prayer is the shield in the midst of strife,
Pray, pray, pray.
Pray when about you the clouds hang low,
Pray when you know not which way to go;
God’s holy will you may surely know,
If you pray, pray, pray.

2 Prayer is the key to the door of grace,
Pray, pray, pray;
Prayer is a look tow’rds the Father’s face,
Pray, pray, pray.
When tribulations are thronging you,
When you are burdened, when friends are few,
Jesus the Savior will help you thro
If you pray, pray, pray.

3 Prayer will bring blessing from heav’n above,
Pray, pray, pray;
Prayer claims salvation for those we love,
Pray, pray, pray.
Nations and neighbors in darkness wait;
Chained to their idols, how sad their fate!
They may be saved ere it be too late
If you pray, pray, pray.

4 Pray when the shadows of grief hang low,
Pray, pray, pray;
Pray in life’s morning and evening glow,
Pray, pray, pray.
Pray until evil shall take its flight,
Pray till triumphant you win the fight;
Burdens so heavy will soon seem light
If you pray, pray, pray.

Source: Songs of Full Salvation #36

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Author: William M. Runyan

Showing early musical promise, William Marion Runyan (b. Marion, NY, 1870; d. Pittsburg, KS, 1957) was a substitute church organist by the age of twelve. He became a Methodist minister in 1891 and served several churches in Kansas but turned to evangelism in 1903; he worked for the Central Methodist Conference for the next twenty years. Following that service, Runyan became pastor at the Federated Church at John Brown University, Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. Editor of Christian Workers Magazine, he also served the Moody Bible Institute and was an editor for Hope Publishing Company until his retirement in 1948. Runyan wrote a number of hymn texts, gospel songs, and hymn tunes. Bert Polman Go to person page >

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