Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Hymn Lyrics and Story

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Hymn Lyrics

1 O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

2 Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conqu’rors we are!

3 His Word shall not fail you, He promised;
Believe Him and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Lyrics: Helen Howarth Lemmel (1863-1961)
Music: Helen Howarth Lemmel (1863-1961)
Key: F Major
Time: 3/4
Meter: 9.8.9.8. with chorus.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Hymn Story

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus is a hymn that has soothed the heart of many troubled souls since it came to the attention of the public. It is a beloved hymn of the sick, the stressed, the bereaved and all that need rest from our stress-filled life on earth.

This hymn is now found in most evangelical church hymnals. I have heard this song sung in America, Europe, and Mother Africa.

This hymn originally known as The Heavenly Vision is a composition of Helen Howarth Lemmel (1863 -1961). She wrote over five hundred hymns and poems, but this song is by far the most well-known of her songs.

Helen Howarth Lemmel was born in 1863, in Wardle, England. She was the daughter of a Methodist minister. She immigrated to the USA when she was twelve and spent most of life there.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus drew its inspiration from a Christian tract, “Focused: A Story and Song” penned by Isabella Lilias Trotter with its lesson on dandelion. Isabella was an English artist and missionary to Algeria.

Helen Howarth Lemmel - Turn your eyes upon Jesus hymn story and lyrics.
Helen H. Lemmel

The words that touched Helen most on reading the tract were, “So, then, turn your eyes upon Him, look full into His face and you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness.”

Immediately after reading this Helen sat down and wrote the words of this hymn. It is said that the words just flowed off her pen effortlessly.

“Oh, soul are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the savior.”

Powerful words that continue to bless us to this day!

Its first appearance was in a pamphlet published in 1918. It took another four years before the song found its way into the 1922 collection, Glad Songs.

From there nothing could stop the spread of this song. It found itself in collections such as Gospel Truth in 1924 and others. I would be that nowadays most protestants know this song and love it.

It is my hope that you will find the lyrics below helpful and inspiring.

For more stories and lyrics of famous Christian hymns and songs click popular and old hymns history.

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What a Wonderful Savior Hymn History and Lyrics

O Worship the Lord in The Beauty of His Holiness Hymn and Lyrics

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Hymn Video (Hillsong)

Below is a video featuring this hymn by Hillsong.

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