Abide with Me

Hymn lyrics and .mp3 Download

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1. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

2. Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see; O thou who changest not, abide with me.

3. I need thy presence every passing hour. What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power? Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

4. I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless; ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness. Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

5. Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Words by: Henry F. Lyte
Music by: W.H. Monk

Written in 1847 by Henry Lyte as he lay dying from tuberculosis. He lived only three weeks after writing the hymn. The lyrics are a prayer to God to remain present with us throughout life, trials and finally in death.

Video so you can sing along to Abide with Me

🌅 The Story Behind “Abide with Me”

✍️ Who Wrote It?

Henry Francis Lyte, an Anglican minister and poet, wrote the hymn in 1847. He was born in Scotland in 1793 and spent much of his life as a pastor in Devon, England.
Lyte was known as a kind and devout man, often preaching to fishermen and the poor, even while battling chronic illness, most likely tuberculosis.

🕊️ When and Why Was It Written?

Henry Lyte wrote “Abide with Me” shortly before his death, when he knew his time was near.
He had just preached his final sermon at his parish in Brixham and went home to rest, knowing he would not return. That evening, he gave his family the words to a new hymn he had just written: “Abide with Me; fast falls the eventide.”
The title comes from the Gospel of Luke 24:29, where the disciples walking to Emmaus ask Jesus:
“Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.”
Jesus had been walking with them after His resurrection, though they didn’t recognize Him. The hymn captures this moment — a prayer for Jesus to stay close when life grows dark.

📜 The Meaning of the Hymn

"Abide with Me" is a heartfelt prayer for God’s presence and comfort, especially in times of suffering, loneliness, or death.
Each verse reflects:

• The passing of time
• The weakness of human strength
• The unchanging presence of God

One of the most famous lines is:
“Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.”

It reminds us that even in death, God gives hope through Christ!