"I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow"

The famous hymn composer, John Newton (1725 – 1827) wrote “I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow” for publication in Olney Hymns in 1879. Most famous for having written “Amazing Grace,” Newton’s early life was full of reckless adventure and abandon. He lost his mother at age seven and joined his seaman father at age eleven with only 2 years of schooling in Latin. He escaped death several times, once from being a slave for 15 months, another from being lost at sea in a waterlogged ship. He even commanded a slave ship for nine years. Eventually, he came to a deep faith in Christ, and became friends with John Wesley, Methodist founder.

Herbert Stanley Oakley (1830 – 1903) set Newton’s “I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow” to music in 1874 using his composition “Abends.” Oakley attended Oxford University and continued his education in Germany. He became Queen Victoria of Scotland’s Composer of Music five years after he had become a knight in 1876.

“I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow”

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

Eventually, John Newton became very close friends with another hymnist and composer, William Cowper (Cooper). The two of them published the Olney Hymns in which “I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow” was one hymn.

“I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow”

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