About “Before the Throne of God Above”
Irish hymn writer Charitie Lees Smith, later Bancroft, published this text on Christ's ongoing intercession in 1863. In 1997 Vikki Cook of Sovereign Grace Music heard the words at her church and wrote the melody now sung everywhere, recalling, "I had to find a way to sing these words to God, even if it was only for myself," and that the tune came in about an hour. Shane & Shane recorded this version in 2014 for The Worship Initiative, their platform for training worship leaders and teams.
Written by Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vikki Cook · Released 2014 on The Worship Initiative, Vol. 3 · CCLI #2306412
- Vikki Cook's melody was first recorded on Sovereign Grace Music's 1997 album Depth of Mercy
- Bancroft's own 1867 collection headed the hymn with Hebrews 6:19-20
Scripture Hebrews 4:14-16 · Hebrews 6:19-20
Churches that sing it
Real churches in our map with this in their worship playlist — 15 you can watch on YouTube.
Where in the world
If your church sings this, they also sing
Frequently asked
Who wrote “Before the Throne of God Above”?
Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vikki Cook. It was first released in 2014 on The Worship Initiative, Vol. 3.
What is “Before the Throne of God Above” about?
Irish hymn writer Charitie Lees Smith, later Bancroft, published this text on Christ's ongoing intercession in 1863. In 1997 Vikki Cook of Sovereign Grace Music heard the words at her church and wrote the melody now sung everywhere, recalling, "I had to find a way to sing these words to God, even if it was only for myself," and that the tune came in about an hour. Shane & Shane recorded this version in 2014 for The Worship Initiative, their platform for training worship leaders and teams.
How many churches sing “Before the Throne of God Above”?
38 churches in the playlist.church map have it in their worship playlists, most often for Adoration, Grace, Redemption — one of the most-adopted worship songs today.
What Bible verses inspired “Before the Throne of God Above”?
It draws on Hebrews 4:14-16 and Hebrews 6:19-20.