Sharondalyn Y. DuPree
CBF-Endorsed Chaplain and Founder of Chaplain Life
Salinas, California
My everyday prayers include the Lord’s Prayer, Psalm 23 and a prayer that rises from the words of a familiar hymn, “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” The hymn was written by William Williams of Pantycelyn, a Welsh Methodist preacher who lived in the 18th century. Although it was born far from the American South, this hymn has crossed oceans and cultures and has become a prayer that speaks to the human condition everywhere.
For me, it carries the sound of my grandfather’s powerful voice. Tall and slender, bald at the crown with mid-length silver hair along the sides, dressed in a suit and tie every Sunday, he carried a quiet authority. He was a man of few but wise and steady words; yet when he sang, his voice rose with a strength that felt as if it came straight from heaven. He was affectionately known as Mr. B. J., a deacon who served faithfully for more than 70 years in our small rural church in the deep South. I can still hear him standing at the deacons’ table, singing this hymn a cappella with a strength that rose from the depths of his soul. His voice filled the sanctuary with conviction, with my grandmother waving along in praise. People often called on him to sing because he carried a sound that moved hearts. I remember sitting beside him as a child. Sometimes he would create his own verses, songs that rose from the Spirit and flowed from a place only he and God really understood. Those soul stirring renditions shaped me and everyone who heard him.
The words of “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” are not simply lyrics. They are a prayer. This prayer has been carried by many communities, including Black congregations across the African diaspora. People who knew hardship and uncertainty found in this hymn a steady plea for guidance, strength and provision. While it holds a special place in the Black Church, its message is not isolated to any one person. Every person who sings it may find meaning in its cry for direction andsustaining grace.
While I do not know everything this hymn meant to my grandfather, I still hear his voice singing the lines. Over time, I have crafted my own meaning. When I begin my day, I stand in awe of God who is powerful and mighty and yet willing to guide, hold or protect and carry me. I ask God to direct my thoughts and my steps with wisdom for the day. I ask for a favor that only God can bestow. I am humbled by the gift of divine guidance. The source of God’s Spirit for me yields hope and strength. The hymn speaks of a barren land in a world or situations that can feel barren at times. This hymn reminds me that the weak and even the exhausted can find strength and restoration through the mighty hand of God. The final portion reminds me that I can be resourceful because God provides what I need.
This prayer is not only for me. It is for those around me and for those I serve. It contains so many essential elements in just a few lines. For that, I rejoice. I am grateful that I can still hear the sound! May you hear the sound of what this hymn means for you.
Prayer
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty.
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.
Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.
– William Williams of Pantycelyn, 1745