Growing up in the house of prayer, she was surrounded by music. Songwriting came naturally for Laura—she wrote her first song at the age of eight—and she decided to attend the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City to develop her songwriting skills. She graduated with a degree in music theory and now teaches voice classes at the Forerunner Music Academy, which is part of the International House of Prayer University.
Laura is also an associate worship leader at the house of prayer. Her songs have been featured on four different compilation albums and she has sung backup vocals on over ten albums; her first full-length solo album has been released in Fall 2009. Her motivation for songwriting comes from the desire to draw people back to God’s heart.
Be Thou My Vision
Laura Hackett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul's Shelter, Thou my high Tow'r:
Raise Thou me heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heav'n's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whate'er befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
The song "Be Thou My Vision" is a beautiful hymn of prayer that speaks of the Lord as the ultimate guide and source of strength in one's life. The lyrics describe the Lord as the center of the singer's thoughts and desires, and they seek His divine wisdom to guide them through every moment of their lives. The words add that the Lord is not only their source of wisdom but also their protection, their dignity, their delight, their shelter, and their high tower. All of these descriptions show the singer's desire to be completely dependent on and satisfied in the Lord alone.
The song begins with the declaration that the Lord is the object of the singer's affection and that nothing else can satisfy them but Him. They then ask the Lord to be their wisdom and their true word, indicating their desire for the Lord to guide their every thought and word. The following verses continue to describe the Lord's role in the singer's life as their father, shield, sword, dignity, and treasure. The final verse speaks of the victory that the Lord has won for them and their desire to reach heaven's joys one day. However, the song ultimately ends with the plea for the Lord to remain the center of the singer's heart and be their vision in all circumstances.
Overall, "Be Thou My Vision" is a beautiful portrayal of a heart that seeks after the Lord and desires to follow Him in every aspect of their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Oh Lord, be the sole focus of my heart and life; guide and lead me in all things.
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Let nothing else take priority or distract me from my devotion to You; You are above all else.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Keep my mind focused on You all the time, every moment of the day and night, as You are my greatest thought.
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Whether I am awake or asleep, may Your presence and guidance be my source of light and direction.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
You are the source of all wisdom and truth; let Your word be the guide of my life.
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
May I always be in Your presence, and may You always be with me in all things, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
You are my loving Father, and I am Your faithful child.
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
May Your Spirit live within me, and may I be united with You as one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Help me to fight the battles of life with You as my protector and defender.
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Let my dignity and joy be found in You alone.
Thou my soul's Shelter, Thou my high Tow'r:
Be my refuge and shelter in times of trouble, and be the strong tower that I can always run to for safety.
Raise Thou me heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.
May You lift me up towards heaven, as You are the ultimate power that fuels my own strength.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
I don't care about wealth or what others think of me, as You are my true treasure and the only one whose opinion matters.
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
You are my ultimate inheritance, both now and forever.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
You alone have first place in my heart and life, above everything else.
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
You are the king of heaven, and You are the greatest treasure in my life.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
You are the victorious king of heaven, having conquered all things.
May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heav'n's Sun!
Help me reach the joy of heaven, which is made bright by Your presence and glory.
Heart of my own heart, whate'er befall,
You are the center of my being, and no matter what happens or comes my way, I will always choose to follow You.
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Lord, continue to be the vision that guides my life, for You are the ruler of all things.
Contributed by Nathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.