Abide With Me
by Henry Lyte

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.

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.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

• This hymn is a prayer. Can you think of a Bible verse that might comfort someone crying out for God to be near?
• What clues tell you that the hymn writer faces a serious problem? What clues in the hymn testify to great faith?
• What did Jesus say on the night before his crucifixion that comfort this hymn writer?
• Where did the hymn writer get the idea that death has lost its sting?
• What gives this writer the audacity to say that he fears no foe with God near?
• What problem in your life, now or in the past, might motivate you to pray this prayer? How does this hymn comfort or guide you to handle your problem?