O God, Thou faithful God,
Thou Fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing;
A pure and healthy fram
O give me, and within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unhurt by sin.

And grant me, Lord, to do,
With ready heart and willing,
Whate'er Thou shalt command,
My calling here fulfilling,
And do it when I ought,
With all my strength, and bless
The work I thus have wrought,
For Thou must give success.

And let me promise nought
But I can keep it truly,
Abstain from idle words,
And guard my lips still duly;
And grant, when in my place
I must and ought to speak,
My words due power and grace,
Nor let me wound the weak.

If dangers gather round,
Still keep me calm and fearless;
Help me to bear the cross
When life is dark and cheerless;
To overcome my foe
With words and actions kind;
When counsel I would know,
Good counsel let me find.

And let me be with all
In peace and friendship living,
As far as Christians may.
And if Thou aught art giving
Of wealth and honours fair,
Oh this refuse me not,
That nought be mingled there
Of goods unjustly got.

And if a longer life
Be here on earth decreed me,
And Thou through many a strife
To age at last wilt lead me,
Thy patience in me shed,
Avert all sin and shame,
And crown my hoary head
With pure untarnish'd fame.

Let nothing that may chance,
Me from my Saviour sever;
And dying with Him, take
My soul to Thee for ever;
And let my body have
A little apace to sleep
Beside my fathers' grave,
And friends that o'er it weep.

And when the Day is come,
And all the dead are waking,
Oh reach me down Thy hand,
Thyself my slumbers breaking;
Then let me hear Thy voices
And change this earthly frame,
And bid me aye rejoice
With those who love Thy name.

The Chorale Book for England, 1863

Scripture References:
st. 3 = Ps. 141:3, Isa. 50:4

During the difficulties of the Thirty Years' War in the late 1620s, Johann Heermann (PHH 386) wrote the original German text (O Gott, du frommer Gott") in his Silesian home of Koben. Entitled "A Daily Prayer," the text was published in Heermann's Devoti Musica Cordis (1630). Nineteenth-century German hymnologist A. F. W. Fischer has said of this text, "It is one of the poet's most widely used and signally blessed hymns and has been not unjustly called his 'master song.' If it is somewhat 'home baked,' yet it is excellent, nourishing bread. It gives training in practical Christianity … in godly living."

Catherine Winkworth (PHH 194) translated the text into English and published it in her Lyra Germanica (second series, 1858). Our version includes the original stanzas 1-4. The text is a prayer for a Christlike mind (st. 1), obedience to our Lord's commands (st. 2), proper speech (st. 3), and a life of patience and peace (st. 4).

Liturgical Use:
As a hymn of petition for Christian virtues either after the sermon or as part of a cycle of sung and spoken prayers; profession of faith; ordination/commissioning services.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook