Jesus, lover of my soul,
let me to thy bosom fly,
while the nearer waters roll,
while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
till the storm of life is past;
safe into the haven guide;
O receive my soul at last.
Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head
with the shadow of thy wing.
Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
more than all in thee I find;
raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy Name;
I am all unrighteousness:
false and full of sin I am,
thou art full of truth and grace.
Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
let the healing streams abound,
make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
freely let me take of thee;
spring thou up within my heart,
rise to all eternity.
Amen.
Jesus, Lover of My Soul
Also known as Charles Wesley's Hymn-Prayer ยท Jesus, Lover of My Soul (Wesley)
About this prayer
Jesus, Lover of My Soul is one of the most beloved hymn-prayers in the Christian tradition, composed by Charles Wesley (1707-1788), the brother of Methodist founder John Wesley and the most prolific hymn writer in English-language Christian history. Charles Wesley wrote approximately 6,500 hymns over his lifetime, many of which remain in continuous use across all branches of Protestant Christianity, in Anglican worship, and in modern ecumenical hymnals. Jesus, Lover of My Soul, published in 1740 in Hymns and Sacred Poems, is among his most famous compositions.
The hymn is structured as a sustained personal prayer to Christ, blending biblical imagery with the language of intimate personal devotion that became characteristic of the Methodist revival in 18th-century England. The opening image of fleeing to Christ's bosom while storm and tempest rage echoes Psalm 91 ('he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty') and the New Testament image of Christ calming the storm. The third stanza's confession ('Thou, O Christ, art all I want / more than all in thee I find') is one of the great expressions of total reliance on Christ in the English-language Christian tradition.
Charles Wesley's hymns differ from earlier English Protestant hymnody in their emotional directness and their use of intimate personal address to Christ. Where the metrical Psalms and the early Watts hymns of the late 17th century used a more formal, communal voice, Charles Wesley's hymns speak in the voice of an individual Christian addressing Christ directly and personally. This 'experiential' or 'evangelical' voice became one of the defining features of the Methodist movement and shaped the subsequent development of Protestant hymnody for centuries.
The hymn has been set to many tunes over the centuries; the two most common are Aberystwyth (Joseph Parry, 1879) and Hollingside (John Bacchus Dykes, 1861), both in the public domain. Like all Charles Wesley hymns, the text is in the public domain by age (Wesley died in 1788).
When it's said
Sung as a hymn in Methodist, Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian, and most other Protestant denominations. Included in nearly every major English-language Christian hymnal published since 1740. Used at funerals, in personal devotion, in evening prayer services, and at moments of personal trial or grief when its themes of refuge in Christ are particularly resonant. Often sung at Methodist Covenant Service in conjunction with the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer.
Notes on the text
Charles Wesley (1707-1788), the younger brother of John Wesley (1703-1791), is the author of more hymns than any other Christian writer in history. His estimated 6,500 hymns include 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,' 'Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,' 'Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,' 'O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,' and many others that remain in continuous use across the worldwide Christian tradition. He was an Anglican priest his entire life, never separating from the Church of England as some of his Methodist colleagues eventually did. The hymn was originally published in Hymns and Sacred Poems (London, 1740), a collection compiled by Charles and John Wesley together. The original 1740 form has five stanzas; modern hymnals usually print the first, second, third, and fourth, occasionally with the fifth. The four stanzas presented here are the most commonly used selection across Protestant hymnody.
Common questions
Who wrote 'Jesus, Lover of My Soul'?
What is the relationship between Charles Wesley and John Wesley?
How is this hymn used in worship?
Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems (London: William Strahan, 1740), where the hymn was first published. Public domain by age (Wesley died 1788).
Last reviewed: June 2026 against primary source.