APRIL 30
Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.”
Psalm 86 stands as a deeply personal and heartfelt prayer of David, expressing his profound dependence on God’s mercy and unwavering faithfulness. Like many other psalms, it is marked by his earnest cries for help, grounded in his confidence in the Lord’s compassion, forgiveness, and steadfast love. Central to David’s plea is a sincere desire to be taught God’s ways and to walk in obedience. Among the most stirring lines is David’s cry, “Unite my heart to fear Your name”—a longing for undivided devotion and a life centered in reverent worship.
This same spirit of wholehearted consecration is beautifully echoed in the life and work of Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–1879), often referred to as the “consecration poet.” Havergal devoted her life to Christ with a singular focus, and her hymns reflected her devotion. Her spiritual journey began remarkably early—memorizing Scripture by age four and composing poetry by the time she was seven. Despite a life marked by frail health and lasting only 43 years, she left a lasting legacy through her writings, including the beloved hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be,” written in 1874.
The story behind the hymn is as moving as the words themselves. In her own account, Havergal describes a brief visit to Areley House, where she prayed earnestly for the spiritual renewal of everyone there. She recalled: “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 every one 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!'”
Havergal’s experience that night reflects the same longing expressed in David’s psalm—a yearning for God’s presence to transform hearts and lives, beginning with her own. Both the psalm and the hymn invite us to consider what it means to live a life wholly surrendered, with hearts united in devotion to the One who is ever faithful.
“Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne.” — Frances Ridley Havergal
Application Questions: David prayed, “Unite my heart to fear Your name.” In what areas of your life do you feel divided in your devotion to God, and how might you invite Him to bring unity and focus to your heart?
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