CHRISTIAN LIFE >> MEDITATION AND PRAYER
SDAH 482
Father, lead me day by day,
Ever in Thine own sweet way;
Teach me to be pure and true;
Show me what I ought to do.
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For Worship Leaders
Make each hymn more meaningful with these helpful tools: Short, ready-to-use hymn introductions for church bulletins, multiple ways to introduce a hymn based on your worship theme and in-depth history and insights to enrich your song service.
Hymn Spotlight: Father, Lead Me Day by Day
Written in 1876 by John Page Hopps as “A Child’s Prayer for Guidance,” this hymn expresses a simple yet profound longing for God’s daily direction. Hopps, a London-born minister who served both Baptist and Unitarian congregations, included it in his Hymns, Chants and Anthems (1877). The text’s childlike trust is matched by the tune POSEN, composed by George Christoph Strattner, a 17th-century German choirmaster. First appearing in Neander’s Bundes-Lieder (1691), POSEN’s gentle, flowing lines reflect the prayer’s spirit—inviting believers of all ages to walk closely with the Father, one day at a time.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
These words were written in 1876 by John Page Hopps under the title “A Child’s Prayer for Guidance.”
Hopps was born in London on November 6, 1834, and educated at the Baptist College in Leicester. He ministered there in 1856 in Leicestershire, and then in Birmingham. Joining the Unitarians in 1860, he ministered to Unitarian congregations in Sheffield, in Greater Manchester, and in Glasgow until 1876, when he moved to Leicester. He published many books and pamphlets, sermons, and lectures and was quite a controversalist, founding and editing from 1863 a monthly entitled The Truthseeker. He compiled several hymnbooks; this particular hymn was published in his Hymns, Chants and Anthems, 1877. He died at Shepperton, Middlesex, on April 6, 1911.
POSEN was composed by George Christoph Strattner (1650-1704), choirmaster in Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany, and appeared in Neander’s Bundes-Lieder (Collection of Songs), 1691.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Father, lead me day by day,
Ever in Thine own sweet way;
Teach me to be pure and true;
Show me what I ought to do.
2
When in danger, make me brave;
Make me know that Thou canst save;
Keep me safe by Thy dear side;
Let me in Thy love abide.
3
When tempted to do wrong,
Make me steadfast, wise, and strong;
And when all alone I stand,
Shield me with Thy mighty hand.
4
May I do the good I know,
Be Thy loving child below,
Then at last go home to Thee,
Evermore Thy child to be.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Ps 25:5 (b) John 15:10 (c) Ps 89:13
Author
John P. Hopps (1834-1912)
Year Published
1876
Hymn Tune
POSEN
Metrical Number
7.7.7.7.
Composer
George C. Strattner (1650-1704)
Year Composed
1691
