Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now

Lord Jesus Christ, be present now,

Our hearts in true devotion bow,

Thy Spirit send with grace divine,

And let Thy truth within us shine.

Unseal our lips to sing Thy praise,

Our souls to Thee in worship raise,

Make strong our faith, increase our light

That we may know Thy name aright.

Until we join the hosts that cry,

“Holy art Thou, O Lord, most high!”

And in the light of that blest place

Fore’er behold Thee face to face.

Glory to God the Father, Son,

And Holy Spirit, Three in One!

To Thee, O blessed Trinity,

Be praise throughout eternity!

GERMAN HYMN

Cantionale Sacrum, 1651

Translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)

WHERE IS JESUS? There are several ways to answer that question. As God, He is omnipresent, all around us. He said that He was somehow present in the poor and needy people that we meet. Scripture also speaks of Him sitting at the right hand of the Father. This is a place of honor, where He waits for the right time to return to earth in triumph. Through His Spirit, He is present in our hearts.

If Jesus is in all these places, why should we invite Him to be present now? Well, there are several other Scriptures to take note of. Jesus said that where two or three gather in His name, He would be there with them. That happens each time we worship. Another verse says that the Lord inhabits His people’s praise. And Christ is in some way present when we observe the Lord’s Supper.

This hymn is a call to worship, inviting Christ to inspire, inhabit, and enjoy our praises.

[Jesus said,] “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

Matthew 18:19-20