From the smooth psalms of King David, to the meaningful metaphors of wise King Solomon, Christian poetry and verse has a profound effect on one's mind and soul.
My top Christian poems to enjoy
As a Christian, there is something beautiful about reading and writing poetry divinely inspired by God. Whether this inspiration comes through reading the bible, personal prayer time or simply careful reflection on the situations we face in life. Christian poetry has the ability to draw us closer to God for a number of reasons.
Christian poems and psalms can be used to strengthen our faith and inspire us. Many find that the words of Christian poems allow them to express their devotion and admiration towards God. Christian poetry lets us release words of worship and praise. But they also allow us to express the challenges faced by believers on a daily basis. We can often relate to the thoughts and feelings expressed by Christian poets in their work.
In this post, I’ve collated some great Christian poems below for you to enjoy and be inspired by.
This first Christian poem is from my collection Words of Faith. It is a poem that is centered on the passion of Christ and focuses on how He thought it worth it to lay down His life for unworthy sinners. Indeed, ‘God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Romans 5:8)
Unworthy, Yet Worth It by Faith (From Words of Faith)
He looked at the cross
And He looked at me
'It's worth it', He says
Unworthy, undeserving -
'You're worth it' He says.
Every lash, every whip
The pain -
'You're worth it'
Every wound, every bruise
The shame -
'You're worth it'
They spat at Him
Mocked Him
Left Him best for dead
Yet still He said -
'You are worth it'
'Lord, let this cup pass'
But still, went on
For His love drew Him on.
I look at my life
And I look at Christ
'You're worth it' I say
Every tear, every struggle
My little cross that I bear
'You're worth it'
And so, I'll press on
Through the trials and the lows
Because one day I'll meet my King
And
It'll all be worth it.
My eyes fixed on the cross
Mind stayed on above
It's worth it, dear Child of God.
I picked up my cross
I followed Christ
For He is worthy
And all because
He thought me worth it.
I wrote this to encourage believers to know that even when we don’t see our worth, Christ has already found it deep within us. When we think we are unworthy, Christ has already seen that and still loves us in spite of any downfalls we have. So, what we can do in response as Christians, is to live a life that is pleasing unto Him.
The next few Christian poems are written by English poet John Donne (1572-1631). Though written many many years ago, I believe the words are still so relatable today. Donne freely expresses his heart towards God in these poems, making simple statements that ring true to many Christians today.
Holy Sonnet II by John Donne
As due by many titles I resign Myself to thee, O God. First I was made By Thee; and for Thee, and when I was decay'd Thy blood bought that, the which before was Thine. I am Thy son, made with Thyself to shine, Thy servant, whose pains Thou hast still repaid, Thy sheep, Thine image, and—till I betray'd Myself—a temple of Thy Spirit divine. Why doth the devil then usurp on me? Why doth he steal, nay ravish, that's Thy right? Except Thou rise and for Thine own work fight, O! I shall soon despair, when I shall see That Thou lovest mankind well, yet wilt not choose me, And Satan hates me, yet is loth to lose me.
What sticks out most to me in this Christian poem is the reminder that we are all God’s. Made by Him, for Him and redeemed back to Him by the blood of Jesus Christ. To me it speaks to knowing your place as a Christian and not allowing the devil to take advantage in any way.
Holy Sonnet X by John Donne
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou'art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy'or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
This Christian poem reminds me of the resurrection of Jesus! It speaks that as believers, we do not need to fear death as our Lord has conquered the grave, giving us eternal life once we finish here on this earth. This is supported by the scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
Holy Sonnet XI by John Donne
Spit in my face, you Jews, and pierce my side, Buffet, and scoff, scourge, and crucify me, For I have sinn'd, and sinne', and only He, Who could do no iniquity, hath died. But by my death can not be satisfied My sins, which pass the Jews' impiety. They kill'd once an inglorious man, but I Crucify him daily, being now glorified. O let me then His strange love still admire; Kings pardon, but He bore our punishment; And Jacob came clothed in vile harsh attire, But to supplant, and with gainful intent; God clothed Himself in vile man's flesh, that so He might be weak enough to suffer woe.
In this Christian poem, John Donne opens up about the faults and shortcomings we may experience on this journey of faith. Acknowledging how he sins and seems to crucify Christ daily. To me it ends in a powerful way, reminding us that God saw man's sinful nature, yet still put on flesh so that He could deliver us from that very nature.
Holy Sonnet XV by John Donne
Wilt thou love God as he thee? then digest, My soul, this wholesome meditation, How God the Spirit, by angels waited on In heaven, doth make His temple in thy breast. The Father having begot a Son most blest, And still begetting—for he ne'er begun— Hath deign'd to choose thee by adoption, Co-heir to His glory, and Sabbath's endless rest. And as a robb'd man, which by search doth find His stolen stuff sold, must lose or buy it again, The Son of glory came down, and was slain, Us whom He had made, and Satan stole, to unbind. 'Twas much, that man was made like God before, But, that God should be made like man, much more.
What an encouraging Christian poem this is! It is so beautiful to know that the King of Kings chooses to make His home in our hearts. To know that He has chosen us to be heirs to His glory. To know that He became like us to save us and ultimately make us like Him. The poem speaks to me that God already has so much love for us, now it is up to us to search within ourselves and love Him in return. ‘We love Him because He first loved us.’ (1 John 4:19)
A Hymne to God the Father by John Donne
Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun, Which was my sin, though it were done before? Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run, And do run still, though still I do deplore? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more.
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won Others to sin, and made my sin their door? Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun A year or two, but wallow'd in, a score? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more.
I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun My last thread, I shall perish on the shore; But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore; And, having done that, thou hast done; I fear no more.
This Christian poem takes me on a journey. Through it, I see the writer in a constant state of repentance, asking God to forgive him more and more. The particular sin which stands out to me is the sin of fear. The fear of perishing without eternal life in Christ. However, much more powerful than our fears is Jesus Christ! In the midst of our fears and darkness, the light and power of Christ shines brighter. Leading us to a place of rest in Him where we can boldly say we ‘fear no more.’
The next few Christian poems are by Ruth Bell Graham (1920-2007), wife of renowned evangelist Billy Graham. Though both have passed on to be with the Lord, they leave behind a powerful legacy that lives on and inspires Christians till today.
Pray by Ruth Bell Graham (Sitting By My Laughing Fire)
Pray
when all your soul
a tiptoe stands
in wistful eagerness
to talk with God;
put out your hands
God bends to hear;
It would be sin
not to draw near.
Pray
when grey inertia
creeps through your soul
as through a man,
who fights the cold,
the growing languid
slumbereth,
and slumbering
knows not
it is death.
Pray
when swamped
with sin and shame
and nowhere else
to pin the blame
but your own will
and waywardness;
God knows you,
Loves you nonetheless
So...
Pray.
It goes without saying that this beautiful Christian poem encourages us to pray! As Christians, we should pray at all times and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). Through the great days and the challenging times, we should always seek time with our Heavenly Father. Regardless of how sinful and shameful we may feel, God receives us with a warm embrace when we pray to Him. This Christian poem creatively and succinctly emphasizes the need for prayer.
Home Address by Ruth Bell Graham
My home address? Christ. In Him I dwell, wherever else I be.
As Bird in the air, as branch in the vine, as tree in the soil, as fish in the sea. He is my home.
My business address? Here.
Little piney cove, or London, Corinth, Calcutta, or Rome, Shanghai, or Paris.
My business address? Wherever He puts me, but He is my home.
This Christian poem brings joy to my heart and resonates with me. As believers we should always remember that although we dwell in the world, our home is with Christ Jesus. When we dwell in Him, we are covered, protected and nurtured. In the secret place, Christians receive strength, peace, grace and so much more!
Let us be more like Jesus In everything we do; Let’s live a life of service, A life that’s fresh and new.
Let’s relinquish worldly things, And not be slaves to fashion; Let’s fill our hearts with love, Forgiveness and compassion.
Yes, let’s be more like Jesus, Being always in God’s will, For if Jesus’ light shines through us, Our earthly purpose we’ll fulfill.
This encouraging Christian poem is written by poet Joanna Fuchs and serves as a simple reminder to Christians! As followers of Christ, we must aim to be more and more like Jesus each day. Through this, we deny ourselves and begin walking in the will of God, pleasing Him with each step that we take.
If you would like to read more poems by Fuchs, please head to poemsource and enjoy their abundant collection of Christian poems, love poems, life poems and so much more!
So... What’s your favourite Christian poem?
And that is all! I hope you’ve enjoyed this collation of Christian poems and found some inspiration and encouragement within the words! I’m sure there are so much more that we as Christians could all benefit from reading. If you know any I’ve not shared here, please feel free to post some of your favourite Christian poems in the comments below.
If you’re looking for a Christian poetry book, check out Words of Faith on Amazon today.
- Faithful xoxo
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