Classic Rock | A Beggar’s Prayer (Mindy’s Song)

A BEGGAR’S PRAYER (Mindy’s Song) Classic Rock Arrangement I wrote “A Beggar’s Prayer” on November 15, 2008, after receiving the news that my cousin, Malinda “Mindy” Bastian Wadley, had passed away from cancer at the age of 55. Mindy was one of my older cousins, and from the time I was young she had always been someone special to me. She was born in Spokane, Washington, grew up in Colville, and later lived and worked in Seattle before eventually making her home in Portland, Oregon. Some of my fondest memories of Mindy are from when I was younger and she was living in Seattle. I remember spending time with her and going to the zoo with her. They were simple experiences, but they stayed with me. When I received the news of her death, it caused me to reflect on life, faith, and what ultimately matters. A melody began coming into my mind that day. I am not a pianist or a trained composer. I played the trumpet, so I took out my trumpet and began playing the melody I was hearing. I then put words to it and wrote out the melody line. I sent what I had written to a friend, who helped me add chords and accompaniment, and eventually I created sheet music for the hymn. The song stayed with me over the years and was occasionally performed at my church. My friend Kay Hancock, an exceptional organist, would sometimes play it as prelude or postlude music. When my church later announced plans for a new hymnbook, Kay encouraged me to submit “A Beggar’s Prayer.” I considered it, but I never did. All these years later, I’m finally sharing it here on YouTube. Along the way, it has also become an interesting musical experiment. I’ve been exploring how the same lyrics and composition sound in very different musical styles. Each version has its own character, but what has surprised me is how naturally the melody and message seem to find a place in such a wide variety of genres. ABOUT THIS ARRANGEMENT This is the Classic Rock arrangement of “A Beggar’s Prayer.” The original hymn arrangement reflects how I intended the song to sound when I wrote it. This version presents the same lyrics and composition in a classic rock style inspired by the guitar-driven sound of the 1970s and early 1980s. With expressive electric guitars, driving bass, powerful live drums, and a strong, soulful lead vocal, the arrangement brings the energy and emotional intensity of classic rock to a song that began as a quiet prayer. The contrast between the music’s powerful rock sound and the song’s reflective lyrics is part of what makes this arrangement interesting to me. The soaring refrains give the message of hope in Jesus Christ a different kind of expression while preserving the original themes of faith, compassion, and service to others. ABOUT THE SONG “A Beggar’s Prayer” was born from the sadness I felt when Mindy died, but I don’t really think of it as a song about death. It is a prayer about trying to find our way through life, needing God near us, wondering whether He hears us, and placing our hope in Jesus Christ. It is also about recognizing that if we ask God to hear us when we are in need, we should be willing to hear someone else when they are in need. And when our own lives are over, perhaps one of the things we can hope to say is: “That I helped another’s need, As He heard this beggar’s plea.” That thought became the heart of the song and the reason for its title. A Beggar’s Prayer (Mindy’s Song) Original Song by Neil Dial © Music and lyrics originally written November 15, 2008. This arrangement and recording were created with my stylistic input and the assistance of AI. #ABeggarsPrayer #JesusChrist #ChristianMusic #ClassicRock #MindysSong