Away from me, depressing thoughts of failure, of lack of fruit,
That weaken busy hands at work and rot the living root.
Be done with heavy suffering in the mind to weigh me down,
Temptations that obscure the Way and steal the golden crown.
So walk and talk with me, O Lord, to you I turn in need,
Your Holy Spirit strengthen me, as on the Word I feed.
Make faith like iron, unbending, prayers for courage and hottest hope,
To keep me from that first bad thought, where goes the slippery slope.
