1  Christ is the Alpha of our prayers;

       We know not how to pray

    Save as His Spirit in our hearts

       Shall teach us what to say.

 2  Christ is the Omega of our prayer,

       The Father's great Amen

    That rounds our halting periods

       To sense beyond our ken.

 3  But in the little space between

       He lets us make the links,

    And with our slow and stammering speech

       Interpret what He thinks.

 4  O First and Last, take Thou the prayers

       Of every trusting soul,

    And weld them to Thine own desire

       To make a perfect whole.

 5  Thou great Beginning of that Word

       We cannot speak or spell,

    Of the short syllable we lisp

       Be Thou the End as well!