“It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord. – just have your way with our lives.”, prayed an elderly lady at a weekly church prayer meeting. She did not pray for God’s blessing and other personal things, but simply petitioned Him for His will in life! In attendance at this little prayer meeting was Adelaide Pollard, who herself was experiencing distress in her soul at that time. Apparently, Adelaide had been sure that God would have her go to Africa to serve as a missionary but had been unsuccessful to raise necessary support. Inspired by this elderly woman’s prayer, she returned home that evening and meditated on Jeremiah 18. That passage tells of visiting the potter’s house and seeing the complete control the artist had as to the pot that was being fashioned out of the clay on the wheel. Before retiring that evening, Adelaide had completed the writing of all four stanzas for her hymn, HAVE THINE OWN WAY, LORD as it is still sung today.
Adelaide Pollard was born in November 1862. She taught in several girl’s schools and became rather well known as an itinerant Bible Teacher. She later became involved with the evangelistic ministry of Alexander Dowie. She also spent several years teaching at the Missionary Training School. Adelaide, finally did get to minister in Africa for a short time just prior to the first World War. Although Miss Pollard wrote a number of other hymns, HAVE THINE OWN WAY, LORD, is her only hymn still popular today. Her hymn could be your prayer of consecration too!