People Persuaded by Louvin Brother’s “Almost Persuaded”

Almost Persuaded.

The phrase alone caught my eye.
My assumption was proven right after playing the tune. If I do not sound like speaking in riddles to you, then you may have the same guess as I do about the song’s content. Listen to it to confirm.

“Almost Persuaded” by The Louvin Brothers

THE INSPIRATION

I assume most of us are familiar with that account in the Bible when Paul was brought before King Agrippa. Though a prisoner, Paul made it his lifetime commitment to do evangelism wherever and whoever he faces. He counted it a privilege to be always summoned in the royal court and speaking in his defense was the least of his concerns. He saw that his imprisonment was necessary so he could freely express his faith before Roman officials and rulers. That included King Agrippa who was moved by what he heard and remarked how he was almost persuaded to be a Christian.

THE SONGWRITER

Philip Paul Bliss (1836-18760) was present when he heard Reverend Brundage sermon regarding the aforementioned. That gave him the idea to compose a song around the phrase, “almost persuaded.” Immediately, the hymn was published in 1871 in The Charm: A Collection of Sunday School Music.

IMPACT

Often used in revivals in closing to sermons and as a song of a plea for people to respond.

In 1874, about fifteen thousand who attended during the time of Moody were said to be helped by the song in making a decision of surrender.

Another instance was during the evangelistic work in western Pennsylvania of another clergy by the name of Rev. A. J. Furman. The town’s school principal and many others were not able to resist the persuasive appeal in of the hymn’s wordings.

Sadly, not everybody was persuaded.  A certain young man heard the song and a similar message delivered by Rev. Young. Like King Agrippa, he could not make up his mind. It was only after he was severely injured that he realized he should have yielded earlier. With his last breaths, he begged the clergyman to persuade his wife and family members to become Christians.