Be Thou My Vision

My prayer today:  Be thou my vision!

Oh God, may my eyes be forever stayed upon You.

 

This is what's on my heart & resounding in my spirit this morning.

The lyrics to this wonderful old Irish text date back to the 6th century.

 

My favorite translation is from 1905.

I love the richness & honesty of the prayer.

I connect to its straightforwardness & purity.

How marvelous it is that I can approach my heavenly Father this way ...

with my petitions, my heart cries, my tears.

 

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Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart

None other is aught but the King of the seven heavens.

Be thou my meditation by day and night.

May it be thou that I behold even in my sleep.

Be thou my speech, be thou my understanding.

Be thou with me, be I with thee

Be thou my father, be I thy son.

Mayst thou be mine, may I be thine.

Be thou my battle-shield, be thou my sword.

Be thou my dignity, be thou my delight.

Be thou my shelter, be thou my stronghold.

Mayst thou raise me up to the company of the angels.

Be thou every good to my body and soul.

Be thou my kingdom in heaven and on earth.

Be thou solely chief love of my heart.

Let there be none other, O high King of Heaven.

Till I am able to pass into thy hands,

My treasure, my beloved through the greatness of thy love

Be thou alone my noble and wondrous estate.

I seek not men nor lifeless wealth.

Be thou the constant guardian of every possession and every life.

For our corrupt desires are dead at the mere sight of thee.

Thy love in my soul and in my heart --

Grant this to me, O King of the seven heavens.

O King of the seven heavens grant me this --

Thy love to be in my heart and in my soul.

With the King of all, with him after victory won by piety,

May I be in the kingdom of heaven O brightness of the son.

Beloved Father, hear, hear my lamentations.

Timely is the cry of woe of this miserable wretch.

O heart of my heart, whatever befall me,

O ruler of all, be thou my vision.

 

 

While there are many beautiful version of this song, 

I particularly like this one sung by Alison Krauss.

 

 May your day be blessed as you ponder on the greatness of our God.