Scripture Verse

I will help you speak and teach you what to say. Exodus 4:12

Introduction

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Robert A. Schumann (1810–1856)

Words: Fran­ces R. Ha­ver­gal, 1872. She wrote this hymn at Win­ter­dyne, Red Hill, Bewd­ley, Wor­ces­ter­shire, for the use of lay help­ers in the church.

Music: Can­on­bury, adapt­ed from Nacht­stück, Op­us 23, No. 4, by Ro­bert A. Schu­mann, 1839 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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Frances R. Havergal (1836–1879)

Lyrics

Lord, speak to me that I may speak
In liv­ing ech­oes of Thy tone;
As Thou has sought, so let me seek
Thine err­ing child­ren lost and lone.

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wan­der­ing and the wa­ver­ing feet;
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hun­ger­ing ones with man­na sweet.

O strength­en me, that while I stand
Firm on the rock, and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a lov­ing hand
To wrest­lers with the trou­bled sea.

O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The pre­cious things Thou dost im­part;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hid­den depths of ma­ny a heart.

O give Thine own sweet rest to me,
That I may speak with sooth­ing pow­er
A word in sea­son, as from Thee,
To wea­ry ones in need­ful hour.

O fill me with Thy full­ness, Lord,
Until my ve­ry heart ov­er­flow
In kind­ling thought and glow­ing word,
Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.

O use me, Lord, use ev­en me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where,
Until Thy bless­èd face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glo­ry share.