eHymns.org

S. O'Maley Cluff

Ira David Sankey

N/A

I am Praying for You

Words by S. O'Maley Cluff Music by Ira D. Sankey

"I have a Saviour, He's pleading in glory;
A dear, loving Saviour, tho" earth friends be few."
On our first visit to Ireland, in 1874, we came
across these words in a printed leaflet. It was the second
hymn to which I wrote music, and it was much
used in our meetings in London. It has long been a
favorite prayer-meeting hymn in many churches.

At the close of a gospel service in Evanston, Illinois,
the minister was requested to visit a man who
was not likely to live many days, and who was a spiritualist.
Though pressed by other engagements, the
minister said, " I will take time." He called, but
thought it not best to introduce the subject of religion
because of the patient's known hostility to evangelical
views. Seeing a little organ in the room, the minister
asked if he might sing a song. Consent being given,
he sang " I have a Saviour, He's pleading in glory."

The sick man seemed pleased, and asked the minister
to sing it again. This he did, and then gave other
songs. Thus he sang the truths which he had
not the courage to mention in conversation. The
songs evidently accomplished their work • for when the
minister called again the sick man's heart had been
opened, and the truth had been savingly received
through their instrumentality.

A gospel worker of Hunter, New York, tells of
this experience in connection with the hymn : " While
1 was holding revival meetings at Hensonville, New
York, a man and his wife were converted through the
hymn ' I Am Praying for You.' The song went directly
to the heart of the wife. All the way to her home the
first line of the hymn, ' I have a Saviour, He's pleading
in glory,' kept ringing in her ears, and next morning
as she awoke she heard my voice singing, ' I have
a Saviour.' That night she came to Jesus. Her husband
followed immediately after her. They had sent
out invitations for a large dancing party at that time,
which no doubt would have injured the meetings very
much had it taken place ; but the dance was turned into
a prayer-meeting. I shall never forget the night she
stood up in a crowded church, and said, ' Oh, Brother
L , your singing " I have a Saviour " brought us to
Jesus.' "

A young man who came from Sweden writes : " ' I
Am Praying for You ' was the first Moody and Sankey
hymn I ever heard. It was on a cold winter night up
in the land of the midnight sun, more than a quarter

of a century ago. Two evangelists had come to the
neighborhood, but found it difficult to get a place in
which to hold their meetings. At last a poor woman
opened for them her log house, consisting of two
rooms. From house to house the meetings were announced.
I was a small boy, and out of curiosity I
attended the first meeting. About twenty people were
present, seated on chairs borrowed from the neighbors.
At one end of the low, dark room the evangelists
were seated, by a small table on which two
home-made candles were burning. After one of the
evangelists had led in prayer, he said to the other, '
Sing one of Sankey's hymns.' Upon which he sang
this now well-known hymn, ' I Am Praying for You,'
accompanying himself on a guitar. Since then I have
heard these sweet hymns sung in many European
countries, and in the small meeting-houses and primitive
homes of the settlers on the Western plains, as
well as by choirs of hundreds and congregations of
thousands in the larger cities of this broad land."

Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=KSgPAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA108&lpg=PA108&dq=S.+O%27Maley+Cluff&source=web&ots=ZOSlbV2ePu&sig=IrX3wDs-ZXsyKcew-hNZicCBjqA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result#PPA108,M1

I have a Saviour, He's pleading in glory,
A dear, loving Saviour, tho' earthfriends be few;
And now He is watching in tenderness o'er me,
And, oh, that my Saviour were your Saviour, too.

I have a Father; to me He has given
A hope of eternity, blessed and true;
And soon will He call me to meet Him in heaven,
But, oh, that He'd let me bring you with me, too!

I have a robe: 'tis resplendent in whiteness,
Awaiting in glory my wondering view;
Oh, when I receive it all shining in brightness,
Dear friend, could I see you receiving one too!

When Jesus has found you, tell others the story,
That my loving Saviour is your Saviour, too;
Then pray that your Saviour may bring them to glory
And prayer will be answered 'twas answered for you!

Chorus:
For you I am praying, For you I am praying,
For you I am praying, I'm praying for you.