Showers of Mercy in: "There Shall be Showers of Blessing"

In times of doubt, fear and other negative feelings, an excellent remedy for the faith and the soul is "There Shall be Showers of Blessing."

Daniel Webster Whittle (1840-1901) penned this uplifting hymn in 1883. Meanwhile, James McGranahan (1840-1907) composed the lively tune. The meter is 8.7.8.7.5.7.8.7. The hymn comprised of five stanzas, with basis on the Scripture verses of Ezekiel 34:26; Psalm 115:12 and Genesis 32:26. The title of the hymn is derived from "showers of blessing" referred to in Ezekiel 34:26–27.

Every line in the hymn, except for the chorus, starts with "There shall be showers of blessing." It is constant throughout the hymn. The first stanza speaks of the promise of love and seasons from Jesus Christ the Savior. The chorus tells the need for the "showers of blessing," and the third line associates it with mercy. The second stanza hinges on the chorus and speaks of rain that revives the "hills and the valleys." Meanwhile, the third stanza calls upon the Lord to send the showers as a token of His promise while the fourth stanza calls on Christ to send the showers as believers confess their sins. The final stanza tells believers to "trust and obey" God to send the showers.

Daniel Webster Whittle (also known as D. W. Whittle) was born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts on November 22, 1840. His name was derived from a statesman named Daniel Webster by his father. Like many young men in his hometown, he left New England for Western states. He settled in Chicago and worked as a cashier for Wells Frago Bank. He expressed interest in his local Tabernacle Sunday school and later became its superintendent. He also met his wife, the former Miss Abbie Hanson, in Sunday school. Then, he had a daughter named Mary (1870) who later married William R. Moody. William R. Moody is the son of D. L. Moody, a 19th-century evangelist. Moody made an impact on Whittle's life by giving him courage and friendship after being wounded in the war.

Mr. James McGranahan set the music for Major Whittle's earlier hymns. These pieces include "The Crowning Day," "Showers of Blessing," and "I Know Whom I Have Believed" and other works. Whittle penned most of his works under the pseudonym "El Nathan." In times, he signed works under his original name, his daughter Mary Whittle Moody served as the composer.