1. Rise, my soul, to watch and pray,
   From thy sleep awaken;
   Be not by the evil day
   Unawares o’ertaken.
   For the Foe,
   Well we know,
   Oft his harvest reapeth
   While the Christian sleepeth.

2. But first rouse thee and awake
   From secure indiff’rence;
   Else will follow in its wake
   Woe without deliv’rance.
   O beware!
   Soul, take care!
   Death in sins might find thee
   Ere thou look behind thee.

3. Wake and watch, or else thy night
   Christ can ne’er enlighten;
   Far off still will seem the light
   That thy path should brighten;
   God demands
   Eyes and hands
   Open for the offers
   He so richly proffers.

4. Watch against the devil’s snares
   Lest asleep he find thee;
   For indeed no pains he spares
   To deceive and blind thee.
   Satan’s prey
   Oft are they
   Who secure are sleeping
   And no watch are keeping.

5. Watch! Let not the wicked world
   With its pow’r defeat thee.
   Watch lest with her pomp unfurled
   She betray and cheat thee.
   Watch and see
   Lest there be
   Faithless friends to charm thee,
   Who but seek to harm thee.

6. Watch against thyself, my soul,
   Lest with grace thou trifle;
   Let not self thy thoughts control
   Nor God’s mercy stifle.
   Pride and sin
   Lurk within
   All thy hopes to scatter;
   Heed not when they flatter.

7. But while watching, also pray
   To the Lord unceasing.
   He will free thee, be thy Stay,
   Strength and faith increasing.
   O Lord, bless
   In distress
   And let nothing swerve me
   From the will to serve thee.

8. Yea, He bids us pray indeed,
   Promising to hear us,
   E’er to be our Help in need,
   Ever to be near us.
   Ere we plead
   Will He heed,
   Strengthen, keep, defend us,
   And deliv’rance send us.

9. Courage, then, for all things must
   Work for good and bless us,
   If we but in prayerful trust
   To His Son address us;
   For He will
   Richly fill
   And He Spirit send us,
   Who to Him commend us.

10. Therefore let us watch and pray,
    Knowing He will hear us
    As we see from day to day
    Dangers ever near us,
    And the end
    Doth impend—
    Our redemption neareth
    When the Lord appeareth.

Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit
Johann B. Freystein, 1697
Tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Source: Sts. 1, 4–7, 10, The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, No. 446
Sts. 2–3, 8–9, Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, No. 381, alt.