Lyrics
(Psalm 40: 2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10)
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, ""Behold I come.""
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
""In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!""
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Official LIVE video of Psalm 40 - 'Here Am I, Lord; I Come To Do Your Will' - with chanted verses for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sun. January 15). SHEET MUSIC is available NOW on my website (piano, vocal, choral, and guitar) at https://francescalarosa.com/collections/psalm-40-here-am-i-lord-i-come-to-do-your-will . This Psalm video includes the vocal line to help you sing along! Prayers for you and your families, and may you always grow in holiness!
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
This setting of Psalm 40 places willing obedience at the center of worship. The refrain, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will,” gives the psalm a clear response: the worshiper who has been heard and rescued answers God with readiness. Waiting, crying out, and receiving a new song establish gratitude before the text turns toward service.
The verses contrast outward offerings with an attentive life shaped by God’s instruction. Sacrifice is not dismissed as meaningless; rather, the psalm emphasizes ears opened to obedience and a law held within the heart. Delight in God’s will then moves beyond private devotion into public witness, as divine justice is announced before the assembly. The chanted form preserves the scriptural movement from answered prayer to obedient proclamation. Its repeated refrain gathers the entire passage into a concise confession of availability, trust, and delight in doing what God commands.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 40:1-3 The psalmist waits for the Lord, is heard, and receives a new song of praise.
- Psalm 40:6-8 The psalm contrasts sacrifice with delight in doing God’s will.
- Psalm 40:9-10 The psalmist publicly announces God’s righteousness and faithfulness.