Or The Story of How Poem on “LIFE’S DESIRE” Originated
Life’s Desire
1.) I need the promised Holy Ghost;
To stir the gift, O LORD of hosts.
Create in me concrete desire;
To be for Thee a flame of fire.
2.) I need the presence of His Son;
From world and sin and self to turn.
To live by faith through God’s great grace;
And walk with Him in grateful praise.
3.) I need my Father’s guiding grace;
To spur me on the upward way.
Show me the path to man’s chief end;
Stay by my side, dear Heavenly Friend.
4.) Though weak and weary I fight on;
Till some from this wide world I’ve won.
Averting men from God’s great wrath
And turn them to the heavenly path.
5.) The promise of an endless life;
God welcomes you to claim the prize.
A thousand million years and more;
With Christ forever, forever more
Calvin E.Y. Tan
God gave me these 5 Stanzas as a Birthday Wish
First Stanza was given to me on my 21st Birthday on July 2nd, 1977.
It was after a day spent in fasting & prayer on Mt Faber far into the night in Singapore.
1.) I need the promised Holy Ghost;
To stir the gift, O LORD of hosts.
Create in me concrete desire;
To be for Thee a flame of fire.
The Words center around God the Holy Spirit. Only the Living Fire of the Holy Spirit can keep our zeal alive.
Fast forward 19 years later in year 1996 I was given the 2nd Stanza on another Birthday
This time kneeling on Gasing Ridge, Petaling Jaya
2.) I need the Presence of His Son;
From world and sin and self to turn.
To live by faith through God’s great grace;
And walk with Him in grateful praise
The 2nd stanza centers around God the Son
4 Years later in Year 2000 again on my Birthday God gave me 3 Stanzas in just one hour – standing in SBS (Singapore Bus Service) BUS on the way to Church on Sunday
3.) I need my Father’s guiding grace;
To spur me on the upward way.
Show me the path to man’s chief end;
Stay by my side, dear Heavenly Friend.
4.) Though weak and weary I fight on;
Till some from this wide world I’ve won.
Averting men from God’s great wrath
And turn them to the heavenly path.
5.) The promise of an endless life;
God welcomes you to claim the prize.
A thousand million years and more;
With Christ forever, forever more
Stanza 3 talks about God the Father while Stanza 4 talks about saving lost souls
Finally, Stanza 5 speaks of heaven & eternity
When I came to Stanza 5 there were 2 phrases
The promise of an endless life;
“God welcomes you to claim the prize” and another phrase came to mind
The promise of an endless life;
“God welcome you to claim it Christ”
So there were 2 phrases
“to claim the prize” or “to claim it in Christ”
In the end I was led to include “to claim the prize”
Why?
Answer:
Eternal life is a “gift” so it is a prize to be claimed.
John 3: 16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life”
For God so loved = “HE GAVE”
God gave what?
Answer = HE GAVE EVERLASTING LIFE
After so many birthdays have passed with all the intense wishes the poem has finally emerged with the title = “LIFE’S DESIRE”
Amen & Amen.
Now after sometime I found to my gladness that the words rythme with the Hymn called “O Master Let Me Walk With Thee”
Inspire To Pray 