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“Lord For the Years”?

Lord, for the years Your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:
Lord for the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:
Lord of the word, receive Your people’s praise.

Lord, for our land in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care:
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, for our world where men disown and doubt You,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without You:
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord for ourselves; in living power remake us-
self on the cross, and Christ upon the throne,
past put behind us, for the future take us:
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

~ lyrics by Timothy Dudley-Smith

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“Soldiers of Christ, Arise”?

Soldiers of Christ, arise,
and put your armor on,
strong in the strength which God supplies
thro’ His eternal Son.

Strong in the Lord of hosts,
and in His mighty pow’r,
who in the strength of Jesus trusts
is more than conqueror.

Stand then in His great might,
with all His strength endued;
but take, to arm you for the fight,
the panoply of God.

Leave no unguarded place,
no weakness of the soul;
take ev’ry virtue, ev’ry grace,
and fortify the whole.

To keep your armor bright,
attend with constant care;
still walking in your Captain’s sight,
and watching unto prayer.

From strength to strength go on;
wrestle and fight and pray;
tread all the pow’rs of darkness down,
and win the well-fought day.

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~ lyrics by Charles Wesley

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“Great God of Nation, Now to Thee?“?

Great God of nations, now to Thee
Our hymn of gratitude we raise;
With humble heart and bending knee
We offer Thee our song of praise.

Thy Name we bless, Almighty God,
For all the kindness Thou hast shown
To this fair land the pilgrims trod,
This land we fondly call our own.

Here freedom spreads her banner wide
And casts her soft and hallowed ray;
Here Thou our fathers’ steps didst guide
In safety through their dangerous way.

We praise Thee that the Gospel’s light
Through all our land its radiance sheds,
Dispels the shades of error’s night,
And heavenly blessings round us spreads.

Great God, preserve us in Thy fear;
In danger still our Guardian be;
O spread Thy truth’s bright precepts here;
Let all the people worship Thee.

~ lyrics by Alfred A. Woodhull
~ painting by G. Harvey