Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.
Hebrews 10:21–22
Words: Fanny Crosby, 1873. My friend, Mrs. Joseph F. Knapp, composed a melody and played it over to me two or three times on the piano. She then asked what it said. I replied,
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
This hymn was sung in the Academy Award winning movies Places in the Heart (1984) & Trip to Bountiful (1985). Based on the number of hymnals in which it appears (over 850), this song is one of Fanny’s most popular works.
Music: Assurance Phoebe P. Knapp (🔊 pdf nwc).
During the recent war in the Transvaal [South Africa],said a gentleman at my meeting in Exeter Hall, London, in 1900,when the soldiers going to the front were passing another body of soldiers whom they recognized, their greetings used to be,Four-nine-four, boys; four-nine-four; and the salute would invariably be answered withSix further on, boys; six further on.“The significance of this was that, in ‘Sacred Songs and Solos,’ a number of copies of the small edition of which had been sent to the front, number 494 was, ‘God be with you till we meet again;’ and six further on than 494, or number 500, was ‘Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.’
Sankey, p. 136–39
One of the most popular and useful of the ‘Gospel Hymns,’ this was sung by a large delegation of Christian Endeavorers on the train to Minneapolis [Minnesota], some years ago. And it was often sung at night as the street-cars were crowded with passengers on their way to the Convention Hall, greatly to the delight of the people of that city.
Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Refrain
Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Refrain