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SDA Hymnal 488

At First I Prayed for Light

1At first I prayed for light:
Could I but see the way,
How gladly, swiftly would I walk
To everlasting day!

2And next I prayed for strength:
That I might tread the road
With firm, unfaltering feet, and win
The heaven's serene abode.

3And then I asked for faith:
Could I but trust my God,
I'd live infolded in His peace,
Though foes were all abroad.

4But now I pray for love:
Deep love to God and man;
A living love that will not fail,
However dark His plan.

5And light and strength and faith
Are opening everywhere!
God waited patiently until
I prayed the larger prayer.

Tune: WOOLWICH

The verse

Meter: 6.6.8.6
Foot: iambic (da-DUM) · 68% of beats fit
Rhyme: ABCB

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

At first I prayed for light:˘/˘/˘/6A

Could I but see the way,˘˘˘/˘/6B

How gladly, swiftly would I walk//˘/˘˘˘/8C

To everlasting day!˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 2

And next I prayed for strength:˘/˘/˘/6A

That I might tread the road˘˘˘/˘/6B

With firm, unfaltering feet, and win˘/????/˘/9C

The heaven's serene abode.˘/˘˘/˘/7B

Verse 3

And then I asked for faith:˘/˘/˘/6A

Could I but trust my God,˘˘˘/˘/6B

I'd live infolded in His peace,//???˘˘/8C

Though foes were all abroad.//˘/˘/6D

Verse 4

But now I pray for love:˘/˘/˘/6A

Deep love to God and man;//˘/˘/6B

A living love that will not fail,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8C

However dark His plan.//˘/˘/6B

Verse 5

And light and strength and faith˘/˘/˘/6A

Are opening everywhere!˘/˘˘/˘/7B

God waited patiently until//˘/˘˘˘/8C

I prayed the larger prayer.˘/˘/˘/6B

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.