Christian Colleges and Universities

A time of prayer is immeasurably enhanced with a good Christian hymn. Dating back to the Protestant Reformation during the 16th century, some of the history’s most talented composers and musicians have drafted songs of praise that have remained staples of Sunday morning services worldwide. Hymns show our deference to the Lord, capture our thoughts and emotions at a particular moment in time, and bring us closer to our fellow worshippers. Given the sheer amount of these songs to which Christians are exposed, compiling a modest list that we can all agree upon is a difficult task – so many have left indelible marks on the souls of countless worshippers and even the not-so-religious – but there are several that stand out the most. Below are a handful of hymns that many Christians name among their favorites.

1. Amazing Grace
   “Amazing Grace” was created in 1779 by John Newton – a slave trader turned abolitionist – and it has since become one of the best-known songs worldwide. The words of the hymn were first penned in 1772, describing Newton’s conversion from a sinner to a man of God.
2. Holy, Holy, Holy
   Reginald Heber’s “Holy, Holy, Holy” was originally a poem written for Trinity Sunday, but John Bacchus Dykes composed the tune Nicaea for it, forming the hymn with which we’re familiar today.
3. Be Thou My Vision
   “Be Thou My Vision” has been in existence since the 8th-century. It was created in Ireland when native missionaries were spreading the Good News through Europe, encouraging people to become devoted to Christ. The words of the hymn have been attributed to St. Patrick, who was responsible for the establishment of numerous churches and the conversion of thousands of people.
4. How Great Thou Art
   Carl Gustaf Boberg – a Swedish pastor, writer and member of the parliament – was inspired to author the poem “O Store Gud,” or “Oh Great God,” which became the English hymn “How Great Thou Art,” after walking through a thunderstorm and observing the tranquility that followed.
5. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
   As an unruly youth, Robert Robinson was told by a fortune teller that he wouldn’t live to see his offspring. As a result, he took an interest in Methodism, becoming a preacher at the age of 20. Two years later, he wrote “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” which has experienced a growth in popularity recently in England and the US.
6. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
   Recognized as one of Germany’s best hymn writers, Joachim Neander is perhaps most lauded for composing “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” which is a paraphrase of Psalm 103:1-6.
7. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
   “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” was created by Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation almost 500 years ago. The hymn mentions the refuge made available by God during trying times and the danger presented by the devil.
8. Rock of Ages
   Anglican clergyman Augustus Montague Toplady’s hymn “Rock of Ages” is said to have been inspired by a large rock at Burlington Combe under which he took shelter during a thunderstorm. Modern singers, including Amy Grant, have performed their own adaptations of the song.
9. Jesus Loves Me
   The first four stanzas of “Jesus Loves Me” were a part of a novel, written by sisters Anna and Susan Warner, in which a man comforts a drying boy by singing a hymn. In 1862, William Batchelder Bradbury composed the tune two years after the novel was published, and afterward, additional verses were added by different sources.
10. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
    Dr. Isaac Watts produced more than 700 hymns during his lifetime and he’s perhaps best known for bringing us “Joy to the World.” But “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is one of the most unique hymns ever written because it details a personal religious experience in the first person.