The chorale, "Ich ruf zu dir," is one of the more poignant Lutheran chorales. The text of the chorale makes an appeal to Jesus Christ to aid the struggling Christian while in trials. The first verse reads as follows, "I call to thee Lord Jesus Christ, I ask thee to hear my complaint; Lend me mercy during this struggle, help me not to give up. Lord would you grant me the righteous faith, so that I can live for you, and be useful to my neighbor, and so that I can live according to your word." Buxtehude's setting of the chorale is atypical and fairly interesting. The first two phrases of the chorale are set in a two-voice setting with the chorale melody played without any embellishment much like a bicinium by Scheidemann or Jacob Praetorius. Also he asks for voice not carrying the melody to be played on the ruckpositive, the organ division that typically carries the chorale melody in Buxtehude chorale preludes. The third and fourth phrases of the chorale are in four-voice texture, Buxtehude places the voice carrying the chorale melody on the ruckpositive and ornaments the chorale melody much like he does in his typical chorale preludes.

The fifth phrase of the chorale appears in three-voice texture and the chorale tune is only vaguely present. The sixth phrase appears without pedals on the main division of the organ (not on the ruckpositive) with the melody unornamented in the soprano. The seventh and eight phrases appear in four-voice texture again with an embellished chorale melody in the soprano on the ruckpositive. For the eighth phrase Buxtehude places the tenor on the ruckpositive and the soprano and alto on the main organ division, but the chorale melody is in the bass. Then he repeats the eighth and final phrase of the chorale with the melody played with embellishments in the soprano on the ruckpositive followed by an 11-measure coda.

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