O God of Every Nation is a prayer that appears as Hymn #289 in the book we use at my church.

The author, William Watkins Reid (1923-2007), served in World War II as a medic and concluded his time in uniform as a prisoner of war. He won a hymn contest with the text in 1958.

O God of every nation, of every race and land,
redeem the whole creation with your almighty hand.
Where hate and fear divide us and bitter threats are hurled,
in love and mercy guide us and heal our strife-torn world.

From search for wealth and power and scorn of truth and right,
from trust in bombs that shower destruction through the night,
from pride of race and station and blindness to your way,
deliver every nation, eternal God, we pray.

Lord, strengthen those who labor that all may find release
from fear of rattling saber, from dread of war’s increase;
when hope and courage falter, your still small voice be heard;
with faith that none can alter, your servants under-gird.

Keep bright in us the vision of days when war shall cease,
when hatred and division give way to love and peace,
till dawns the morning glorious when truth and justice reign
and Christ shall rule victorious o’er all the world’s domain.

I may have heard this hymn in church a hundred times over the years because I was born in 1957, but today it became my prayer. I need to pray it every day for a while. Will you join me?

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