1 Our Lord and God, O bless this day,
And hear us, we implore Thee;
None of our dear ones turn away
Who now are here before Thee.
We come before Thy face
And pray: Let Thy rich grace
Descend from heaven above
In all Thy mighty love
And keep us by Thy Spirit!

2 O bless Thy Word to all the young,
Let each, Thy truth possessing,
Bear witness true with heart and tongue,
Their faith and ours confessing;
From mother's arms Thy grace
With love did them embrace;
Baptized into Thy name,
As Thine Thou didst them claim,
O Lord, as Thine now own them!

3 When they their vows today renew,
Accept them with Thy favor;
And when they speak the great "I do,"
May they forget it never!
But they are weak and frail,
When Satan's hosts assail;
O arm them with Thy might,
And grant that in the fight
They unto death be faithful.

4 And when they leave their childhood home,
And Satan would undo them,
May their baptismal grace become
A shield and buckler to them!
Blest he who then can say,
God's cov'nant stands for aye.
He ne'er shall be undone
Who trusts in God alone--
God is his mighty Father!