About The Song
“Take My Hand, Precious Lord” is a gospel standard written by Thomas A. Dorsey in 1932. Dorsey composed the lyrics after the deaths of his wife and their newborn son, drawing on deep personal loss. The melody was adapted from an older hymn tune. The song quickly became one of the most widely performed pieces in the gospel repertoire and has been recorded by many artists across genres.
Jim Reeves included the song on his 1962 gospel album *We Thank Thee*, released by RCA Victor and produced by Chet Atkins. The collection featured a selection of sacred material, including both traditional hymns and newer compositions. “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” appears among tracks such as “I’ll Fly Away,” “Across the Bridge,” and “Where We’ll Never Grow Old.”
The lyric is a direct appeal for divine guidance. The singer asks the Lord to take his hand, lead him through weariness and darkness, and guide him home. Reeves delivers the words in his characteristic smooth, restrained baritone, maintaining the quiet intensity that marked his approach to gospel material. The arrangement remains understated, consistent with the polished Nashville Sound style of the period.
By the early 1960s Reeves had already built a substantial catalogue of country and crossover hits. The *We Thank Thee* album reflected his continued interest in sacred songs, a side of his work that ran alongside the secular recordings. He is often credited with helping to introduce or reintroduce several gospel numbers, including this one, to wider country audiences.
The album itself reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart in the months after Reeves’ death in 1964 and later received a Silver certification in Britain. Individual tracks from the collection, including “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” continued to appear on later compilations of his inspirational recordings. In some markets the song was also used as a B-side on posthumous singles.
Within Reeves’ body of sacred work the recording stands as a clear example of the calm, measured style he brought to gospel themes. It shares the same controlled phrasing and sense of quiet conviction found in other tracks from *We Thank Thee*, preserving one of the more reflective performances from the final phase of his career.
Video
Lyric
When my way groweth drear
Precious Lord, linger near-ear
When my li-ight is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my ha-and lest I fa-all
Take my hand, precious Lor-ord
Lead me on
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me sta-and
I am tired, I’m weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the li-ight
Take my ha-and, precious Lor-ord
Lead me home
When my work is all done
And my race here is are you-un
Let me see-ee by the light
Thou hast shown
That fair city so bright
Where the lantern is the li-ight
Take my ha-and, precious Lor-ord
Lead me on
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me sta-and
I am tired, I’m weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the li-ight
Take my ha-and, precious Lor-ord
Lead me home