Scripture Verse

Woman, behold thy son!…Behold thy mother! John 19:26–27

Introduction

portrait
Bentley Ackley
(1872–1958)

Words: Liz­zie De­Ar­mond, 1912.

Click here for a real life sto­ry of this song. Warn­ing: Have tis­sues rea­dy!

Music: Bent­ley D. Ack­ley (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Lizzie DeArmond (1847–1936)

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Background

Mrs. De­Armond as­sumes cor­rect­ly that mo­thers have more to do in de­term­in­ing the des­ti­ny of their child­ren than any oth­er hu­man agen­cy. This song has no thought of the weak sen­ti­men­ta­li­ty and in­dul­gence oft­en mis­tak­en for love, but ra­ther fear­less Christ­ian dis­ci­pline, stu­rdy, strong, rig­id as steel, wo­ven with the en­dur­ing fi­bers of eter­ni­ty. This un­der­stand­ing has made Mrs. De­Ar­mond’s po­em an ef­fec­tu­al mes­sage for right­eous­ness.

Sanville, p. 64

Lyrics

I grieved my Lord from day to day,
I scorned His love so full and free,
And though I wan­dered far away,
My mo­ther’s pray­ers have fol­lowed me.

Refrain

I’m com­ing home, I’m com­ing home,
To live my wast­ed life anew,
For mo­ther’s pray­ers have fol­lowed me,
Have fol­lowed me, the whole world thro’.

O’er des­ert wild, o’er mount­ain high
A wan­der­er I chose to be,
A wretch­ed soul con­demned to die,
Still mother’s pray­ers have fol­lowed me.

Refrain

He turned my dark­ness in­to light,
This bless­èd Christ of Cal­va­ry,
I’ll praise His name both day and night,
That mo­ther’s pray­ers have fol­lowed me.

Refrain