Rice was born in Washington DC, and has been a resident of Franklin and Nashville TN since his early twenties.
From his official website: "In 1996 he signed with a record label (Rocketown Records) as their first artist. After four plus albums and a few handfuls of Christian radio hit singles, he moved to an indie label (Eb+Flo) started by his producer and long time friend Monroe Jones. This new label relationship helped him expand his musical reach into more mainstream pop radio, especially with his light-hearted love songs 'When Did You Fall (In Love With Me)' and 'Lemonade,' still heard in Home Depots, Toys-R-Uses, restaurant bathrooms, airports and shopping malls around the country."
In June 2022, Tates Creek Presbyterian Church released a report on allegations of past sexual misconduct by Rice after commencing an investigation in October 2020.
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Chris Rice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here there by Thy great help I've come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in the blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy wondrous grace
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry
Take my ransomed soul away
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
In Chris Rice's "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," the lyrics express the desire for God to be the source of every blessing in life. The opening line is an invocation, calling upon God as the foundation of all goodness and provider of grace. The singer asks God to "tune" their heart, essentially asking for God to synchronize their emotions and desires with His own. This is followed by an affirmation of God's infinite mercy, referred to as "streams of mercy, never ceasing." The singer then reflects on the heavenly praise given to God, desiring to be a part of this chorus.
The second verse references the Biblical story of Samuel raising a stone of remembrance called "Ebenezer," symbolizing God's help in the past. The singer reflects on how all they have accomplished is through God's help, recognizing the need for God to ensure their safe return home. The last three verses deal with the hope for eternal rest and peace with God. The singer expresses a desire to be free from sin and stand before God. The final verse displays the singer's commitment to God, stating they are "daily constrained to be" grateful for God's grace but also acknowledging their own tendencies to stray away from God. The singer offers their heart to be sealed by God to remain in His courts above.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Lord, you are the source of all good things in my life
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Please inspire me to sing of your love and mercy
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Your mercy is continually flowing like a never-ending river
Call for songs of loudest praise
Your mercy is so amazing that it deserves to be praised with the highest volume
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Teach me a beautiful love song that speaks of your grace
Sung by flaming tongues above
A song of your love that is sung by your angels in heaven
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
I will praise you as I stand firm with my faith in you
Mount of Thy redeeming love
You are the savior who has redeemed me
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here, I remember how you have helped me in the past
Here there by Thy great help I've come
With your help, I have come this far
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
I pray that you will continue to guide me with your grace and love
Safely to arrive at home
I pray that I will reach my eternal home with you safely
Jesus sought me when a stranger
You have searched for me when I was lost
Wandering from the fold of God
I have been lost and away from your love
He, to rescue me from danger
You rescued me from harm's way with your precious blood
Interposed His precious blood
You placed your precious blood between me and harm
Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I long for the day when I am free from sin and its grasp
I shall see Thy lovely face
I will see your beautiful face when I am with you
Clothed then in the blood washed linen
I will be clothed with your righteousness that comes from your blood
How I'll sing Thy wondrous grace
I will sing of your incredible grace and love for me
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry
Please come soon, Lord, and bring me to your kingdom
Take my ransomed soul away
Take my saved soul to be with you
Send Thine angels now to carry
Send your angels to take me with you to heaven
Me to realms of endless day
Bring me to a place of eternal happiness where the day never ends
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
I cannot repay you for your amazing grace and love towards me
Daily I'm constrained to be
I am continually bound to you because of your grace and love
Let that goodness like a fetter
May your goodness hold me tight like a chain, never letting me go
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Help my wavering heart to be steadfast in love for you
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
I know that I am weak and likely to stray from your love
Prone to leave the God I love
I am prone to leave the love that I have for you
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Here is my heart, please take it and keep it safe in your love
Seal it for Thy courts above
Keep my heart continually longing for you and heaven
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Bluewater Music Corp., Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hal H. Hopson, Robert Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-hi8rg7bl2s
Yes!
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
[The rest is my prayer - ]
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
* Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
* Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
@user-hi8rg7bl2s
Annam Obaid, the LORD bless you and keep (protect) you, make his countenance shine upon you and give you both peace (Deut. 6).
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
[This part next is my prayer, I hope it is yours, too.]
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
[Every day let us offer Him our hearts!]
@andressantiago7
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here there by Thy great help I've come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in the blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy wondrous grace
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry
Take my ransomed soul away
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
@aardvark1956
This is one of two hymns to be sung at my funeral in a few weeks. I’m dying of cancer. (The othering one is “Be Thou My Vision.”) How blessed to be with Him❗️
@colinkillian9265
Amen, may Chris be resting and at the lord's side.
@TonyLauLetta
godspeed
@lucindajosh9004
Oh wow, Chris, may you be made perfect with your new heavenly body and no more pain or sorrow. Lord Bless You. ❤️🙏🏽✝️
@stephenmunene6342
You encourage me as a Christian ...Joyful even at the sight of death
@comfortbolanlepatrick3125
May you rest well
@denissem.8121
Am I the only one who can't resist the part. " prone to wonder Lord I feel it,, prone to leave the God I love".
I love it!
@user-hi8rg7bl2s
Yes!
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
[The rest is my prayer - ]
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
* Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
* Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
@ronrichardson4805
Even as Christians we are all prone to wander from time to time, but Gods grace always accepts us back into his loving arms. How great and loving God is !!! Amen.
@dennisespinosa3539
No your not , its our sinful nature that is the battle, The Holy Spirit indwells us Amen