I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
Refrain
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.
Refrain: I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.
Refrain: I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
Refrain: I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
Refrain: I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

Hymns proceed from the experiences and response of believers throughout history. This hymn was inspired not by tragic circumstances but out of routine activities. One day as she was doing some housework, Annie Sherwood Hawkes was suddenly stuck by a powerful inspiration of what she later described as a compelling need to fully rely on God in every aspect of her life. She immediately stopped what she was doing and wrote out four beautiful verses now known everywhere as, I Need Thee Every Hour. She showed her verses to her pastor, Robert Lowry, himself a distinguished hymn writer and composer. With her permission, he added a refrain and quickly wrote out music for the tune, which he named, Need.