Albert F. Bayly (PHH 293) wrote this text in February 1966 and published it in his Again I Say Rejoice (1967). The Psalter Hymnal includes his original stanzas 1-3 and 5.
The text is a prayer hymn by and for parents for divine blessing on the raising of children and youth. As we sing stanza 1, we recognize God's gift of life in the act of procreation and his image in the life of each child. In stanzas 2 and 3 we pray that parents will be faithful in their covenant obligations in raising children to be whole¬some persons, whose bodies and souls are nourished by biblical wisdom. Stanza 4 concludes this prayer with a petition for the consecrating work of the Holy Spirit in the dealings of all parents with their children.
Liturgical Use:
Infant baptism; family life services (note that the emphasis is on parents).
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988