How can I ever stay away

1
How can I ever stay away
And grieve Thy Spirit all the day
  While Thou dost wait for me?
I now am willing to return,
And wait no longer, for I yearn
  Henceforth to follow Thee.
2
I offer now without reserve
All that I am and all I have
  Thy purpose to fulfill.
Oh, may the Lord accept and keep,
That henceforth I may only seek
  To do the Father’s will.
3
When I look back, what grief and shame
That I’ve brought none to trust Thy name,
  Thy word I’ve locked within.
Oh, may the Lord anointing give
And richly through my being live,
  That I may speak of Him.
4
My gracious Lord has giv’n much grace,
Exceeding e’en a friend my place;
  I fain would be His bride.
I’d share His life and suffer loss,
Accepting willingly the cross,
  With Him identified.

Copyright Living Stream Ministry. Used by permission.

4
Brian

Louisiana, United States

Each verse is my prayer.

“Thou dost wait for me. ”

“I yearn to follow Thee. ”

“My gracious Lord has given much grace”

“ I’d share His life and suffer loss, accepting willingly the cross, with Him identified. ”


Yedam Lee

Ansan, South Korea

How can I ever stay away

And grieve Thy Spirit all the day

While Thou dost wait for me?

I now am willing to return,

And wait no longer, for I yearn

Henceforth to follow Thee.

Lord, I’m willing to return to you every moment


Jean Patience

Kolwezi, Katanga, Democratic Republic Of Congo

I can't stay away. I need to involve in this matter because of You O Lord Jesus Christ.

"I offer now without reserve

All that I am and all I have

Thy purpose to fulfill".


John MacDonald

Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

What a wonderful hymn this is. May we all sing this hymn to the Lord. What a revival so many could have by making this their honest prayer and longing before God.

Brother Lee wrote this hymn for the sake of those in the church who are weak, backsliden or cold, in order to help them. (See Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord's Recovery, Book 4, p.157)

Lord Jesus, may we no londer remain in such a state. Make this prayer our prayer Lord Jesus, that we would follow You.

Hymns, #471 uses an 8.8.6.8.8.6. metrical form; that is, the words in each stanza are in two lines of eight syllables and one line of six syllables, which are repeated twice. The sound is very regular and rhythmic. I mention this hymn because I want to stir up an atmosphere of seeking out our brothers and sisters. Stanza 1 says, "How can I ever stay away / And grieve Thy Spirit all the day / While Thou dost wait for me? / I now am willing to return, / And wait no longer, for I yearn / Henceforth to follow Thee."

The last line of the first stanza says, "Henceforth to follow Thee." As we sing, our spirit will be stirred up. As we sing another verse, our spirit will go forth. As we continue singing, we will desire to seek out people, just as the Lord Jesus did, who after being incarnated in the flesh, was willing to go to the cross because of His deep desire to gain man.

Piano Hymns