To Do Your Will

This hymn is about faithfulness, and doing God's will throughout life.

The first two stanzas were written in the late 1960s by American Roman Catholic at-the-time Jesuit seminarian, Joseph Kramer. 

Author(s) of the other verses are unknown:  Possibly they may include the Bill Geiger, Greg Cristoffel, Eduardo Stein and Stephen Yarovsky SJ (ref), who were included in the dedication line on an arrangement of the song was released by Roc O'Connor in 2020.  There are also several verses which have been used in UK based hymn-books, which are not included in the O'Connor / OCP publication.  If you have any information about the author of these, please leave a message in the comments box near the bottom of the page.

During the time when the author was unknown, some sources suggested that it was based on a Scottish ballad, or on Psalm 40.

With meter 88.88, tunes that the text has been set to include:

• O WALY WALY - often known as "The Water is Wide", which is a traditional English / Scottish / Irish tune, depending on who you ask:  The original verses were written by Kramer for this tune, which has been used for other hymns including Lord Make me an Instrument of Peace.
• ETERNAL FATHER composed in 2015 for the text by Filipino Roman Catholic priest, Fr Roel Lungay.

Downloads

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Lead sheet (melody + guitar chords)

Guitar chords

PowerPoint slides

Sheet music from OCP

Examples

Lead singer, guitar and band backing

Tenor trio, professional recording

Singer with gentle Celtic band - professional recording

Singer with contemporary-style backing - adapted tune

Small choir with guitar - adapted tune

Lyrics

Original verses

To do your will, is my desire,
To live in you, Lord is my life.
To spread your love, through all the earth,
To find in you, the joy of life.

All of my days, I sing your praise,
Through all my nights, you are my life.
You will shine forth, through all my years,
And joyously will bring me home.

Other verses from UK-based publications:

I search this world so restlessly,
Seeking a home from hate and strife.
I found in you, the strength to see,
The meaning of this troubled life.

And so my God, I give to you,
These raining words these restless rhymes,
And take my life as a tribute to,
Your endless love for humankind.

Other verses from USA publication

You know my ways, the paths I stayed,
Which I believed were hid from sight.
Yet your light singed on my wayward path;
You drew me back from pain and strife.

You know me well, my wandering ways
Because you walked with me all my days.
I once was blind 'til I saw your Light!
Your healing grace showed me your face.

So now my mouth declares your praise;
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound".
When I was lost, love did abound,
You fashioned eyes to see your Grace.

I offer now, my life to you
To build with me what you would do.
Replace my yoke with the one you bear,
Remove the fear with courage Lord.

All of my days, I sing your praise.
Through every night, you Christ are my Light.
You will shine forth, 'til the end of days
And joyfully will bring me home.

Into your hands I give my all;
My life and will, my hope and dreams.
One thing I ask, this alone I seek;
To dwell in you, for all my days.

ABC Notation

X:1
T:To Do Your Will
C:Verses 1 and 2, Joseph Kramer.  Others - unknown

O:Scotland
Z:Transcribed by http://www.GodSongs.net
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Gmaj
D G A |"G" (B4B) "C"A G E|"G"(D4 D) D GF |
w:1~~~To do your will_ is my de-sire._ To live in
w:2~~~All of my days_ I sing your praise,_ through all my
w:3~~~I search this world_ so rest-less-ly,_ seek-ing a
w:4~~~And so my God_ I give to you,_ these rain-ing
|"Em"(G4 G) "Am"A B (c/2B/2)| "D" (A4 A) A "D7" B c |
w:1~~~you_ Lord is my_ life._ To spread Your
w:2~~~nights_ you are my_ life._ You will shine
w:3~~~home_ from hate and_ strife_ I found in
w:4~~~words_ these rest-less_ rhymes_ And take my
"Bm" (d4 d) "Am" (c/2B/2) AG | "Bm" (B4 B) A "C" G E |
w:1~~~love_ thro-ugh all the earth_ To find in
w:2~~~forth,_ thro-ugh all my years,_ And joy-ous-
w:3~~~you,_ the_ strength to see, _The mean-ing
w:4~~~life_ as a tri-bute to, _ Your end-less
"G" (D4 D) D "D7" E G y | y"G"(G4 G) ||
w:1~~~you,_ the joy of life._
w:2~~~ly_ will bring me home._
w:3~~~of_ this trou-bled life._
w:4~~~love_ for hu-man-kind._

See more ...

• Hymns from Ireland
• Hymns about faithfulness to God's will

KEEP IN CASE ORIGINAL IS REMOVED, BUT DO NOT DISPLAY To do your will, is my desire,
To live in you, Lord is my life.
To spread your love, through all the earth,
To find in you, the joy of life.

You know my ways, the paths I stayed,
Which I believed were hid from sight.
Yet your light singed on my wayward path;
You drew me back from pain and strife.

You know me well, my wandering ways
Because you walked with me all my days.
I once was blind 'til I saw yoour Light!
Your healing grace showed me your face.

So now my mouth declares your praise;
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound".
When I was lost, love did abound,
You fashioned eyes to see your Grace.

I offer now, my life to you
To build with me what you would do.
Replace my yoke with the one you bear,
Remove the fear with courage Lord.

All of my days, I sing your praise.
Through every night, you Christ are my Light.
You will shine forth, 'til the end of days
And joyfully will bring me home.

Into your hands I give my all;
My life and will, my hope and dreams.
One thing I ask, this alone I seek;
To dwell in you, for all my days.