For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

 For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

 For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise. 

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise. 

For thy church, that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise. 

For thyself, best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of thine,
peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

By Folliott S. Pierpoint

• When was the last time you spoke a whole sentence in prayer that was nothing but praise? This hymn is exclusively a prayer of praise. Count all the things the hymnwriter found praiseworthy.
• What do the four living creatures do beside the throne of God? Revelation 4:6b-8
• What do the twenty-four elders do when the living creatures praise God? Revelation 4:11 Notice the similarity of thought in the song of the elders and the hymn for today.
• What do the living creatures and the elders do when the Lamb takes the scroll from God? Revelation 5:9-10 What has the Lamb done that is praiseworthy?
• Many frightful scenes are described in Revelation 6-14. For what do the victorious ones praise God in Revelation 15? Revelation 15:3-4
• When the battles are over and victory has been declared, the elders and the creatures sing again. What do they say? Revelation 19:4-8
• Pray at least five sentences in a row without asking God for anything. Try praying that prayer several times through the day. What impact does it have on your day?