Hymn text author Frances R. Havergal (1836-1879) shares this story about the inspiration for this hymn text:
“I went for a little visit of five days. There were ten persons in the house, some unconverted and long prayed for; some converted, but not rejoicing Christians. He gave me the prayer: ‘Lord, give me all in this house.’ And He just DID! Before I left the house everyone had got a blessing. The last night of my visit, after I had retired, the governess asked me to go to the two daughters. They were crying, etc. Then and there both of them trusted and rejoiced. It was nearly midnight. I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration; and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart one after another till they finished with ‘ever, only, all for Thee’” (Lutheran Hymnal Handbook, 486).
This hymn text has been set to several different tunes. This hymn is found twice in our Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal (the cranberry book), set to the tunes TOMA MI VOLUNTAD (#583) and PATMOS (#685).
A wealth of details about this hymn text, the over 60 tunes to which it has been set, and the hymnals it has appeared in (over 2000 throughout the years!) is available on www.hymnary.org.
This Sunday, a day on which we consecrate our care team ministers, Ascension will sing this to the tune TOMA MI VOLUNTAD as our hymn of the day.
