Scripture Verse

The hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. Isaiah 14:26

Introduction

Words: Will­iam A. Dun­ker­ley, 1914. Some hym­nals give the au­thor as John Ox­en­ham, Dun­ker­ley’s pseu­do­nym.

Music: Lest We For­get George F. Blan­chard, 1898 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Blan­chard (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
William A. Dunkerley
1852–1941
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

Lord God of hosts, whose migh­ty hand
Dominion holds on sea and land,
In peace and war Thy will we see
Shaping the larg­er li­ber­ty;
Nations may rise and na­tions fall,
Thy change­less pur­pose rules them all.

When death flies swift on wave or field,
Be Thou a sure de­fense and shield;
Console and suc­cor those who fall,
And help and heart­en each and all.
O hear a peo­ple’s pray­ers for those
Who fear­less face their coun­try’s foes.

For those who weak and brok­en lie
In wea­ri­ness and agony—
Great Heal­er, to their beds of pain
Come, touch and make them whole again.
O hear a peo­ple’s pray­ers, and bless
Thy ser­vants in their hour of stress!

For those to whom the call shall come,
We pray Thy ten­der wel­come home:
The toil, the bit­ter­ness, all past,
We trust them to Thy love at last.
O hear a peo­ple’s pray­ers for all
Who, nob­ly striv­ing, nob­ly fall!

For those who min­is­ter and heal,
And spend them­selves, their skill, their zeal,
Renew their hearts with Christ­like faith,
And guard them from dis­ease and death;
And in Thine own good time, Lord, send
Thy peace on earth till time shall end.