On this Wednesday, what are you in need of?  The list very well may be long, but at the top must be the Lord.  He is what you need more than anything else.  He created you, He’s sustaining you, and He’s made a way for you to be saved.  Even those who right now either reject that they have a need of the Lord or are ignorant of their need of Him nevertheless need the Lord.  That’s why today’s song is so relevant.  It’s simply called “Lord, I Need You.”

Written in 2011 for that year’s Passion conference by Christy Nockels, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, Kristian Stanfill, and Matt Maher and published through worshiptogether.com songs, this song has as its hook just enough of a nugget of the classic hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour” to remind us of that great tune.  However, everything else in it is completely new in this prayer of desperation sung to God.

The chorus declares that there’s not a moment when we don’t need the Lord.  Twenty-four/seven dependence, particularly for his protection and righteousness!  The first verse reminds us that in God we find rest, stability, and guidance.  Verse 2 beautifully captures the glory of God’s grace covering over sins, freeing us through Jesus Christ to be holy for the Lord.  The bridge simply asks the Lord to help the worshiper to lean on Him, especially in temptation.

What I love about Maher’s version of the song below is the authentic, folksy desperation with which he delivers the vocals, making your heart long for the Lord.  Excellent!

Alright, so worship the Lord right now.  You know you need Him!

VERSE 1
Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You’re the One that guides my heart

CHORUS
Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

VERSE 2
Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

BRIDGE
Teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay

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You can hear from Matt and Kristian how the song came together at this edition of New Song Café.