“Lay Down The Burden of Your Heart” by Amy Grant
It’s a cold, cold world
That we walk in through.
Lay down the burden of your heart.
But it’s warm as toast
Walking two by two,
Lay down the burden of your heart.
Lay down the burden of your heart.
I know you’ll never miss it.
Show your Daddy where it hurts,
And let your Daddy lift it.
It’s a fine, fine line
Betwixt love and hate.
Why, it’s tough to tell the two apart.
But you know it’s love
That He offers you.
Lay down the burden of your heart.
Lay down the burden of your heart.
I know you’ll never miss it.
Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts,
And let your Daddy lift it.
Lay down the burden of your heart.
I know you’ll never miss it.
Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts,
And let your Daddy lift it.
Ohh-ohh, show your Daddy where it hurts,
And let your Daddy lift it.
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Adrian Plass / David Clifton / Ian David Blythe / Philip Andrew Baggaley
Dear God, the other day I was doing a prayer through the song “The Words I Would Say” by Sidewalk Prophets that I told you at the time I normally sing for others, but maybe it was meant for me. This song is the opposite. I normally sing this old Amy Grant song for myself, but this morning, I have a couple of people on my heart for whom I want to sing this. They are hurting. From a distance, it seems like they are trying to figure out how to lay them down, but they don’t know how. One in particular doesn’t seem to know to to submit to you and let go. This song this morning is for them. It’s my prayer for them.
This song is off of Amy Grant’s second album, “My Father’s Eyes,” released in 1979. I remember my dad owning the LP. As I recall (and this could be wrong because it’s been a long time), the liner notes had a message from Amy to the girls in her dorm. She was 19-ish when she was recording this album so her life was unique at this point. I’m sure she looks back now as a 63-year-old woman and wonders how she had the audacity to tell anyone anything about you at such a young age. I certainly do when I look back on my naivete from when I was younger and hadn’t gone through some of life’s trials that accumulate over the years of living. I can’t help but wonder what kind of burdens were on the heart of 19-year-old Amy that she had in mind as she sang vs. the burdens on 63-year-old Amy’s life. I can tell you that 19-year-old me had a totally different view of life than 53-year-old me has.
Looking back on this song, the verses are okay, but it’s the chorus mixed with her soft voice that makes it comforting. “Lay down the burden of your heart. I know you’ll never miss it. Show your daddy where it hurts, and let your daddy lift it.”
Father, I am rifling through a list of people in my head right now who are carrying burdens that need laid down. This is my prayer for them. Show me my role in their lives. Raise up others in their lives who can speak into them with your voice. Bring them to you. Bring them (and me) into repentance and the freedom that you offer through it. Oh, please be merciful. And show me how to lay down the burdens on my heart as well.
I pray all of this through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection for my sake,
Amen
Emails to God 