Lyrics
Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve,
And press with vigor on;
A heavenly race demands thy zeal,
And an immortal crown.
A cloud of witnesses around
Hold thee in full survey;
Forget the steps already trod,
And onward urge thy way.
'Tis God's all-animating voice
That calls thee from on high;
'Tis His own hand presents the prize
To thine aspiring eye.
That prize, with peerless glories bright,
Which shall new luster boast,
When victors' wreaths and monarchs' gems
Shall blend in common dust.
Blest Savior, introduced by Thee,
Have I my race begun;
And, crowned with victory, at Thy feet
I'll lay my honors down.
Public domain hymn text (1755). Words by Philip Doddridge.
The Story Behind the Hymn
Philip Doddridge wrote 'Awake, My Soul, Stretch Every Nerve' sometime before his death in 1751, drawing directly on Paul's repeated use of athletic imagery in the New Testament, particularly 1 Corinthians 9's description of runners who 'run in a race' and Hebrews 12's call to 'run with patience the race that is set before us.'
Its opening command, to 'stretch every nerve,' pictures total physical exertion rather than passive endurance, treating spiritual growth as something requiring the same deliberate, effortful straining an actual competitive runner would bring to an actual race.
Doddridge, who ran a dissenting academy training ministers outside the established Church of England, wrote extensively for congregations and students alike, and this hymn's emphasis on active, disciplined striving reflects the broader educational and formational concerns of his own vocation.
The hymn's second verse invokes the 'cloud of witnesses' of Hebrews 12:1, picturing the faithful of earlier generations surrounding the runner and urging the race onward, while cautioning against dwelling on 'the steps already trod' rather than the course still ahead.
Its third verse shifts the source of that effort's motivation, crediting 'God's all-animating voice' as the one who actually calls the runner forward, and God's 'own hand' as the one presenting the prize, framing the runner's strenuous effort as response to a prior divine summons rather than self-generated ambition.
That balance, real human exertion paired with the claim that the entire race is initiated and rewarded by God, reflects standard Reformed theological emphasis on human responsibility operating fully within, rather than against, divine initiative and grace.
The hymn's final two verses complete the picture, first noting that the 'peerless' prize at stake will long outlast the passing 'wreaths' and 'gems' of any earthly victor, before ending on a note of anticipated triumph, imagining the runner arriving at last at Christ's feet to lay down every 'honor' won along the way.
The hymn's vigorous, forward-driving language made it a favorite for opening or closing worship services meant to send a congregation out with renewed energy, its imagery of straining toward a visible prize giving worshippers a vivid, physical picture of sustained spiritual effort.
Doddridge, like many of his hymns, did not see this one published during his own lifetime; it appeared only after his death, compiled and released by his friend Job Orton, alongside many of his other now well-known texts.
