Perhaps they were in or near Atlanta, since they were gathered to write some music for a conference scheduled to take place there. A clock (perhaps not unlike the one shown here) was probably nearby, even if it did not necessarily inspire what Kristian Stanfill, Matt Maher, Christy Nockels, Daniel Carson, and Jesse Reeves were discussing. But, part way through their joint effort, one of them suggested that “Lord, I Need You” was rather similar to an old hymn (I Need Thee Every Hour, by Annie Hawks – see Nov. 12, 2017 Song Scoop entry). And so, they drew upon its lyrics for some extra stimulation. How many times during a clock’s 24-hour rotation does someone need God? It’s really a rhetorical question, but if you asked one of the contemporary artists this question, he might just point you to something C.S. Lewis wrote. It was something that was pivotal in this song’s genesis, so much so that they put one word in the song title and within the lyrics that underscored this. And, then one of the authors put a different spin on that concept in one of the interviews, giving a nod to the older hymn. See if you can guess what that was before reading on…if not, enjoy the rest of this entry!
Matt Maher talked in two separate interviews about ‘Lord, I Need You’, and how it emerged as he and his collaborators prepared for the Passion Conference in 2011, and he and Kristian shared about the song in a third interview. It was written for college students at the conference, as Jesse Reeves pitched the idea of using the old hymn by Annie Hawks as a springboard for the new song. They all tried to imagine students sitting in their dorm rooms and struggling with the various temptations and other issues that come their way. Matt says the song has an even broader audience, and that C.S. Lewis said something that he thought was key for everyone in life: ‘…there’s a love a believer never outgrows, and that love is need love.’ Many people, not just young college students, find it uncomfortable to admit this, including when they walk into a church and hear a message that says they are not ‘self-sufficient, self-reliant, nor self-determining’. But everyone has to admit this at some point, he says, and it’s a confession that can provide reassurance and hope in knowing that God is there to help. He’s not leaving. The most moving line for Matt was ‘where You are, Lord I am free, Holiness is Christ in me’, and that every time he and-or others lead the song, it is like a reaffirmation of what they experienced when they first wrote it. Matt further says that he hopes people will go to God not just with their needs, but also with their joys, too. Lots of people want God in their brokenness, and there are lots of division and strife issues at work in people’s walks (in 2011), but they should realize that He’s someone they need in their joys too. We witness to others when we lean on Him in our joyful moments, and not just when we feel broken. We can celebrate that, and this is as much a powerful witness to others as when we say we need him when we’re desperate.
It is interesting that this part about needing God in our joy is not written into this 21st Century song, but is in the 19th Century hymn. Hawks’ refrain for one verse is ‘I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain‘, an echo of what Matt was saying about needing Him in our times of pleasure and fulfillment, too. Needing Him in all of life really just raises one to another plane, so that ups and downs of mortality don’t make one feel the roller-coaster so much – something that Matt and his cohorts seemed intent upon emphasizing in their own lyrics. A person finds ‘rest’ with Him ‘guid(ing) the heart ‘(v.1); and has ‘grace’ that overwhelms sin’s condemnation (v.2), and even more than that, it makes someone ‘free’ and full of His ‘holiness’ (v.2). Rest, grace, freedom, and holiness…that’s quite a package God gives you and me, when we are willing to say we need Him.
Hear the comments about the song by one of its authors here (Interview # 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjJ9WaYCmVk
See here also (Inteview #2): Matt Maher - Story Behind "Lord I Need You" - NRT Insider - YouTube
See a 3rd interview of two of the authors here: https://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/lord-i-need-you-matt-maher/
See a review of the song here: https://www.thebereantest.com/matt-maher-lord-i-need-you
Public Domain status of the clockface picture: The copyright holder of this work released it into the public domain. This applies worldwide.
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