Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Prayer in Trouble

Traditional

“Prayer in Trouble” as printed in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 390 1920 · historical text
Public domainHymnSacred song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Army and Navy Hymnal, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

AS the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, God.

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me,

How I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God,

With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?

Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him

For the help of his countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me:

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterfalls: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day-time;

And in the night his song shall be with me, even a prayer unto the God of my life.

I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?

Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

As with a sword in my bones, mine adversaries reproach me,

While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

Verse 2

Why art thou cast down, my soul ? And why art thou disquieted

within me?

Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him,

Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Verse 3

JUDGE me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation:

Oh deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man,

For thou art the God of my strength; why hast thou cast me off?

Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me: let them bring me unto thy holy hill,

And to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God,

Unto God my exceeding joy; and upon the harp will I praise thee, God, my God.

Why art thou cast down, my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?

Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. Historical text published in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920), “Prayer in Trouble”

The 1920 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; traditional and anonymous entries are public domain. Pages whose scan quality is below the proofread threshold are held for review.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-26. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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