Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart Lyrics George Croly, 1854
4 verses, public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art,
And make me love thee as I ought to love.
Verse 2. I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.
Verse 3. Hast thou not bid us love thee, God and King?
All, all thine own, soul, heart, and strength, and mind;
I see thy cross—there teach my heart to cling:
Oh, let me seek thee, and oh, let me find.
Verse 4. Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
Words copied from New Baptist Hymnal (1926). They were published in 1854, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
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The story behind Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
George Croly was an Irish-born Anglican clergyman who moved to London around 1810 to write. He produced poetry, novels, history and biography. In 1835 he took charge of St. Stephen's, Walbrook, where he stayed until his death in 1860. His hymn is a prayer for the Holy Spirit to draw the heart away from earthly things. It was first titled "Holiness Desired." Sources disagree on where it first appeared. The Praise.org.uk hymn note says Scenes from Scripture with other Poems in 1851, with six stanzas, and adds that Julian is wrong on the point. Discipleship Ministries and Hymnary give Croly's Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship (1854), a hymnal he prepared for his congregation. Hymnary also names Charles Rogers's Lyra Britannica (1867), where the hymn carried his name after his death. Most hymnals pair the words with MORECAMBE. Frederick C. Atkinson wrote the tune in 1870 as a setting for Henry Lyte's Abide with Me, and it was first published in the Congregational Church Hymnal in 1887. Hymnary calls it by far the most popular tune for Croly's text. Other hymnals use HUNTINGDON, SONG 22 or SHELDONIAN. Churches sing the hymn most often at Pentecost.
George Croly
1780-08-17 to 1860-11-24
George Croly was born in Dublin on August 17, 1780, and earned degrees at Dublin University. He was ordained and worked in Ireland until about 1810, when he moved to London to write. He produced poetry, novels, history, biography and articles for Blackwood's Magazine. In 1835 he took charge of St. Stephen's, Walbrook, and a neighboring parish, and held them until his death. He collected Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship in 1854. He died suddenly in the street in Holborn on November 24, 1860. Hymnary lists thirteen texts under his name, and Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart is the best known.
Frederick C. Atkinson
1841 to 1896
Frederick C. Atkinson was born in Norwich, England, in 1841. He sang as a chorister and worked as assistant organist at Norwich Cathedral, and he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Cambridge in 1867. He later served as organist and choirmaster at St. Luke's Church in Manningham, Bradford, and at St. Mary's in Lewisham. He wrote MORECAMBE in 1870 as a setting for Henry Lyte's Abide with Me. The tune was first published in the Congregational Church Hymnal in 1887 and is now the usual tune for Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart. Hymnary gives his death year as 1896, and Discipleship Ministries gives 1897.
- Hymnary.org, text Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart , read 2026-10-16
- History of Hymns: Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart (Discipleship Ministries) , read 2026-10-16
- Praise.org.uk, Spirit of God, descend upon my heart , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, tune MORECAMBE , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
The Bible passages behind the words, with the verse of the hymn that draws on each.
- Psalm 51:10-12
- Romans 8:26 In verse 26 of the hymn
- Luke 11:13 In verse 13 of the hymn
- Matthew 22:37 In verse 37 of the hymn
- Ezekiel 36:27 In verse 27 of the hymn
- Romans 5:5 In verse 5 of the hymn
Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart videos
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Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart - FPC Congregation waltzingmatsuda, Congregation
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Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart - Congregational Hymn Singing FairhavenMedia, Congregation
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Spirit of God, Descend Upon my Heart performed by The Riverside Choir | October 31, 2021 The Riverside Church, Choir
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Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart Cathedral Choral Society - Topic, Choir
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Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart - Instrumental Hymn with Lyrics Julie Ann Kitchen, Piano
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Print and project
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in B♭ or C.
Questions people ask
Who wrote Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart?
George Croly wrote the words. Frederick C. Atkinson wrote the usual tune, MORECAMBE, in 1870.
When was Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart written?
In the early 1850s. Sources give 1851 in Scenes from Scripture or 1854 in Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship.
What Bible passages are behind Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart?
Hymnary ties the stanzas to Psalm 51:10-12, Romans 8:26, Luke 11:13, Matthew 22:37, Ezekiel 36:27 and Romans 5:5.
What tune goes with Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart?
MORECAMBE by Frederick C. Atkinson, usually in B-flat major. Some hymnals print it in C.
Is Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart in the public domain?
Yes. Croly's words were first published in the 1850s and Atkinson's tune dates from 1870, so both are public domain in the United States. Modern arrangements may be copyrighted.
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