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My Only Plea at New Year’s

Pilot Me

As we come to the end of one year and the dawning of the next, I often find myself pondering the year that was and the year that will be. I often find myself thanking the Lord for all his mercies and pleading them for another year. To that end, I have often appreciated this poem that I found in an anthology. It is attributed to a Walter Kuhn, though I don’t have any further information about the poet. His poem is a prayer in which he simply asks God to guide and bless him in the year ahead. Perhaps you’d like to make his prayer your prayer.

Just one thing, O Master, I ask today,
Now that the old year has passed away
And a promising new year, through grace of Thine,
With all the dreams of youth is mine—
Just one thing I ask as I onward go,
That I’ll walk with Thee—not too fast, nor slow;
Just one thing I ask and nothing more,
Not to linger behind, nor run before.
O Master! This is my only plea—
Take hold of my life and pilot me.


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