There Shall Be Showers of Blessing is a gospel hymn written by Daniel W. Whittle in 1883, with music by James McGranahan. Its first line quotes Ezekiel 34:26, where God promises His people, there shall be showers of blessing. The refrain, Showers of blessing we need; mercy-drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead, is a prayer for revival: thankful for the small mercies God already gives, but asking Him for an outpouring. The hymn is often sung at the start of revival meetings, prayer services and church anniversaries.
Daniel Whittle was a Civil War officer, wounded and taken prisoner, who became a traveling evangelist after the war and worked closely with D. L. Moody. He wrote many gospel songs, often under the pen name El Nathan, among them I Know Whom I Have Believed and Moment by Moment. James McGranahan, who wrote the tune for this hymn, was his song leader for years. There Shall Be Showers of Blessing is built on one verse of Ezekiel. The prophet had rebuked Israel's selfish shepherds and promised that God Himself would shepherd His flock, make a covenant of peace with them and send rain in its season. Whittle heard in that promise a picture of what God does when He revives His people. Below are the four verses and refrain as printed in 1894, followed by 12 KJV passages that explain the promise, the refreshing and the prayer at its heart.
There Shall Be Showers of Blessing: the words
Verse 1
'There shall be showers of blessing:'
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above.
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
Verse 2
'There shall be showers of blessing'—
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
Verse 3
'There shall be showers of blessing;'
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy word.
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
Verse 4
'There shall be showers of blessing:'
Oh, that to-day they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
Words: Daniel W. Whittle (1840-1901), who often signed his hymns El Nathan, 1883. Music: James McGranahan (1840-1907). Text copied from Gospel Hymns Nos. 1 to 6 Complete (New York and Chicago, 1894), hymn 315 (Internet Archive scan). The 1894 book prints the first line of each verse in quotation marks because it quotes Ezekiel 34:26; we print them as single quotes. The refrain is sung after every verse. Public domain.
There shall be showers of blessing: the promise in Ezekiel
1. Ezekiel 34:26
"And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing."
This is the verse Whittle quotes at the start of every stanza: I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. In a land that depended on rain for every harvest, this was a promise of life. Notice that God says I will twice in the verse. The showers are His gift, sent in his season, at the right time. Notice too that the people themselves become a blessing, and the places round about God's hill. When God blesses His people, the blessing spreads. The hymn calls this the promise of love, and it is: God does not owe rain to anyone.
2. Ezekiel 34:25
"And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods."
The promise of showers is part of a larger promise: I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land. Ezekiel 34 describes sheep scattered and hurt because their shepherds cared only for themselves. God says He will gather them, heal them and keep them safe. They shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods, places normally full of danger. The showers of blessing come to a flock that has been rescued and brought under God's own care. Revival is not a reward for strong sheep. It is mercy for weak ones.
3. Ezekiel 34:23
"And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd."
Who will bring these blessings? I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David. David had been dead for four hundred years when Ezekiel wrote this. The promise points to the Son of David, the Messiah. Jesus took this title when He said, I am the good shepherd (John 10:11). Whittle's hymn says the seasons refreshing are Sent from the Saviour above. The showers of Ezekiel 34 are not a weather report. They are the blessings Christ the Shepherd brings to His flock, above all the gift of the Holy Spirit.
4. Psalms 72:6
"He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth."
Psalm 72 is a prayer for the king, and it looks beyond Solomon to the Messiah. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. A field after mowing is cut and bare. Rain on it brings new growth. That is how the reign of God's King is described, not as a crushing weight but as refreshment. When Christians pray for showers of blessing, they are praying for Christ's rule to be felt in their churches and homes the way rain is felt on dry ground: gently, everywhere, and with new life following.
Seasons refreshing, precious reviving again
5. Acts 3:19
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"
Whittle's line There shall be seasons refreshing comes almost word for word from Peter's sermon in the temple: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Notice the order. Repentance and forgiveness come first, and refreshing follows. Notice also where the refreshing comes from: the presence of the Lord. The hymn's last verse makes the same link, Now as to God we're confessing. Revival is not produced by excitement. It begins when God's people turn from sin and come into His presence.
6. Psalms 85:6
"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?"
Precious reviving again is the hymn's way of praying this psalm: Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? The word again shows that the psalmist remembers earlier times when God restored His people (Psalm 85:1). Remembering what God has done is a reason to ask Him to do it again. And the goal is joy in God, not in the revival itself. A church that prays for showers of blessing should want, above all, to delight in the Lord. See our Revive Us Again hymn page, which is built on the same verse.
7. Hosea 6:3
"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth."
Hosea calls Israel to return to the LORD, and promises: he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. In Israel the former rain came in autumn to soften the ground for sowing, and the latter rain came in spring to ripen the crops. Both were needed for a harvest. God's coming to His people is like both: He prepares hearts, and He brings them to maturity. The verse begins with a condition: Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD. Showers of blessing come to people who keep seeking Him.
8. Isaiah 44:3
"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:"
Isaiah gives the meaning of the rain picture plainly: I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. The water is the Holy Spirit. This is why Christians have long used showers of blessing as a prayer for the Spirit's work. Notice who receives it: the thirsty and the dry. The hymn's refrain admits need, Showers of blessing we need. A sense of dryness is not a reason to stop praying. It is the very condition God promises to meet.
Sound of abundance of rain: for the showers we plead
9. 1 Kings 18:41
"And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain."
The second verse ends, Over the hills and the valleys, sound of abundance of rain. Whittle is quoting Elijah. After three and a half years of drought and the contest on Mount Carmel, Elijah told King Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. At that moment the sky was clear. Elijah heard the rain by faith before anyone could see a cloud. Then he went to the top of Carmel and prayed seven times until a little cloud appeared. The hymn asks God's people to pray the same way, trusting His promise before they see the answer.
10. James 5:17-18
"Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit."
James uses Elijah as an example of prayer: Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly. Elijah was not a superhero. He was a man with the same weaknesses we have, and soon after Carmel he was so discouraged that he asked to die. Yet he prayed, and the heaven gave rain. James's point is that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16). The hymn's refrain, But for the showers we plead, is this kind of prayer. Ordinary believers may plead with God for revival, and He hears.
11. Zechariah 10:1
"Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field."
Zechariah tells the people: Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain. It might seem unnecessary to pray for rain in the rainy season. But God wants His people to ask even for the blessings He has promised and that seem natural. Asking keeps us aware that every good thing comes from Him. So the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain. The hymn's third verse is exactly this kind of request: Send them upon us, O Lord. God has promised showers of blessing, and He invites us to ask Him for them.
12. Isaiah 55:10-11
"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
The third verse ends, Come, and now honor Thy word. Isaiah compares God's word to rain: as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, so God's word shall not return unto me void. Rain always does its work, and so does God's word. This is why Christians can pray for revival with confidence. They are asking God to do what He has said. When the Scriptures are preached and believed, the showers of blessing follow, softening hard hearts and making them fruitful.
A short prayer
Lord, You have promised that there shall be showers of blessing. Thank You for the mercy-drops already falling around us, for every answered prayer and every sign of Your kindness. But we plead for more. Send times of refreshing from Your presence. Pour out Your Spirit on the thirsty and on dry ground. Revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You. As we confess our sins and call on Jesus, come and honor Your word among us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Pray for revival with the 30-Day Prayer Journal · Get the free Scripture writing plan · Memorize Ezekiel 34:26 with Scripture memory cards
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote There Shall Be Showers of Blessing?
Daniel Webster Whittle (1840-1901), an evangelist and former Union army officer who worked with D. L. Moody, wrote the words in 1883. He often signed his hymns El Nathan. The music is by James McGranahan (1840-1907), Whittle's song leader. The hymn appeared in the Moody and Sankey Gospel Hymns books.
What Bible verse is Showers of Blessing based on?
The hymn is based on Ezekiel 34:26: I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. Its other lines echo Acts 3:19 (times of refreshing), Psalm 85:6 (revive us again) and 1 Kings 18:41 (a sound of abundance of rain).
What does mercy-drops round us are falling mean?
Mercy-drops are the smaller blessings God is already giving, like the first scattered drops before a storm of rain. The refrain thanks God for them but asks for more: But for the showers we plead. It is a prayer for a full outpouring of God's Spirit, which is what Christians usually mean by revival.
Is There Shall Be Showers of Blessing in the public domain?
Yes. Whittle's words and McGranahan's tune were published in 1883 and are in the public domain in the United States. Modern arrangements and recordings may be under copyright, but the original four verses and refrain may be printed and sung freely.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Revive Us Again · 2 Chronicles 7:14 · Holy, Holy, Holy · Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing · Blessed Assurance · Revival · Rain · Blessing
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