Dial-a-Prayer, Chicago circa 1960s, What was he saying?

[needscoffee]

Many, many years ago, way back in the 1960s, Chicago had a Dial-A-Prayer recorded-prayer phone line. I would call it out of curiosity when I was bored, but I was never able to understand the first line. It sounded like "God blesshutiv friend..." To this day, I have no idea what the guy was saying. Does anyone have any idea what was actually being said? Is this a Catholic or Christian prayer phrase?

[samclem]

Many, many years ago, way back in the 1960s, Chicago had a Dial-A-Prayer recorded-prayer phone line. I would call it out of curiosity when I was bored, but I was never able to understand the first line. It sounded like "God blesshutiv friend..." To this day, I have no idea what the guy was saying. Does anyone have any idea what was actually being said? Is this a Catholic or Christian prayer phrase? You may get someone from the period who can remember it. But, the message was changed every day.

[needscoffee]

The message changed every day, but the intro was always, "God bleshutivfriend, ..." then on with the prayer. What is "Godbleshutivfriend"? I'm sure I was mishearing it (i.e., Lucy in disguise with diamonds), but what were those words actually?

[Cheryl44]

Dial a Prayer is still around. http://www.dial-a-prayer.com/

[needscoffee]

I'm thinking that maybe what he was saying might have been, "God bless you dear friend," and I had bad ears or something. So consider this case closed. Thanks!