Gold Cord: A Sweeter Song

A Collection of Poems by Amy Carmichael, 

                               one of my personal heroes of the faith...

O Lord, my heart is all a prayer,

But it is silent unto Thee;

I am too tired to look for words,

I rest upon Thy sympathy

To understand when I am dumb;

And well I know Thou hearest me.

I know Thou hearest me because

A quiet peace comes down to me,

And fills the places where before

Weak thoughts were wandering wearily;

And deep within me it is calm,

Though waves are tossing outwardly.

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Strength of my heart, I need not fail,

Not mind to fear but to obey,

With such a Leader, who could quail?

Thou art as Thou wert yesterday.

Strength of my heart, I rest in Thee,

Fulfil Thy purposes through me.

Hope of my heart, though suns burn low,

And fades the green from all the earth,

Thy quenchless hope would fervent glow,

From barren waste would spring to birth.

Hope of heart, oh, cause to be

Renewals of Thy hope in me.

Love of my heart, me streams run dry.

O Fountain of the heavenly hills,

Love, blessed love, to Thee I cry,

Flood of all my secret hidden rills.

Waters of love, oh, pour through me;

I must have love, I must have Thee.

Lord, give me love, then I have all,

For love casts out tormenting fear,

And love sounds forth a trumpet call

To valiant hope; and sweet and clear

The birds of joy sing in my tree,

Love of my heart, when I have Thee.

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O Father, help, lest our poor love refuse
For our beloved the life that they would choose,
And in our fear of loss for them, or pain,
Forget eternal gain.

Show us the gain, the golden harvest there
For corn of wheat that they have buried here;
Lest human love defraud them and betray,
Teach us, O God, to pray.

Teach us to pray, remembering Calvary,
For as the Master must the servant be;
We see their face set toward Jerusalem,
Let us not hinder them.

Teach us to pray; O Thou who didst not spare
Thine own Beloved, lead us on in prayer;
Purge from the earthly, give us love Divine,
Father, like Thine, like Thine.