Approach to God
Lord God, we believe in thee, help thou our unbelief; we love thee, yet not with a perfect heart as we would; we long to serve thee, yet not with our full strength; we trust in thee, yet not with our whole mind. Forgive our past disloyalties; accept our longing to know and serve thee. What is cold do thou kindle, what is lacking do thou make up, and grant us thy blessing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Malcolm Spencer
Opening Prayer
Into thy hands, O God, we commend ourselves this day: let thy presence be with us to its close; enable us to feel that in doing our work we are doing thy will, and that in serving others we are serving thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Uppingham School Prayers
For the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
Veni Creator
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire —
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.
Thy blessed unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
The dullness of our blinded sight,
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of thy grace,
Keep far our foes, give peace at home;
Where thou art guide, no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And thee of both to be but one,
That, through the ages all along,
This may be our endless song:
Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
Teach Us to Pray
Teach us, O God, to pray as our Saviour taught his disciples. As we come into thy presence, give us humble and contrite hearts, conscious of our deep unworthiness, of our unutterable need, and of thy power to help us. Grant us wisdom to watch for thine answers, and the grace to thank thee for every gift thou givest, knowing that, loving us as thy children, thou wilt provide for all our necessities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Spirit of Worship
O Almighty God, from whom every good prayer cometh, and who pourest out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and supplication; Deliver us, when we draw nigh to thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind; that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
William Bright
Daily Prayer
Give us grace, O Eternal Father, that we strive to keep the way of the Cross, and carry in our hearts the image of Jesus crucified. Make us glad to conform ourselves to thy divine will, that, being fashioned after his life-giving death, we may die according to the flesh, and live according to the Spirit of Righteousness, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
Companions of the Holy Cross
For Guidance
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly; Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldst have us to do, that the spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
For the Direction of the Holy Spirit
O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
For the Companionship of Christ
O blessed Christ, who didst draw near to thy disciples as they walked together by the way and were sad, so draw near to us as we journey along our daily way. Open to us the meaning of life, and reveal thyself as our strength and our companion; as thou art our Lord and Saviour evermore. Amen.
For Parents
O Father of mankind, assist all parents with thy heavenly grace that they may be able to fulfill their most sacred duty and stewardship. Teach them both what to give and what to withhold; when to reprove and when to forbear; make them to be gentle, yet firm; considerate and watchful; and deliver them equally from the weakness of indulgence and the excess of severity; and grant that, both by word and example, they may be careful to lead their children in the ways of wisdom and true piety, so that, at the last, they may together be admitted to the unspeakable joys of the true home in heaven, in the company of the blessed Angels and Saints. Amen.
Prayer for a Married Couple
O God, our Heavenly Father, protect and bless us. Deepen and strengthen our love for each other day by day. Grant that by thy mercy, neither of us ever say one unkind word to the other. Forgive and correct our faults, and make us instantly to forgive one another, should one of us unconsciously hurt the other. Make us, and keep us sound and well in body, alert in mind, tender in heart, devout in spirit. O Lord, grant us each to rise to the other’s best. Then we pray thee add to our common life such virtue as only thou canst give, and so, O Father, consecrate our life and our love completely to thy worship and to the service of all about us, especially those whom thou hast appointed us to serve, that we may always stand before thee in happiness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bishop Slattery
For Knowledge of God
O God, our great Companion, lead us ever more deeply into the knowledge of thy life and ours, and make us faithful interpreters of life to our fellows, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
H. S. Nash
For Patient Faith
Grant unto us, Almighty God, that justice which builds on thee, that faith which works with thee, and the patience which abides thy long delays; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Book of Collects
For Knowledge
O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
For Those We Love
Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come; knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Knowledge of God
O God, from whom to turn away is to fall, in whom to abide is to stand fast for ever, teach us how to know thee – and live, where to serve thee – and reign, when to praise thee – and rejoice, and build us to be temples worthy of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Augustine
For the Faithful Service
O Christ, our Master, help us to serve thee so faithfully in these our duties that we may some day hear thee calling us friends. Amen.
H. S. Nash
For Trust
Lord, increase our faith, that feeling towards thee as children, we may trust where we cannot see, and hope where all seems doubtful, ever looking unto thee as our Father that ordereth all things well, and patiently doing the work thou hast given us to do; according to the word of thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
George Dawson
For the Love of God
O God, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man’s understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
For the Love of God
O Lord, thou Lover of Souls, open my eyes to see thy love for me. Grant that I may face all difficult and lonely places in my life, strong in the knowledge of that love. May the divine fire of thy understanding, inspiring, unweariable love enkindle my heart till every detail of my daily life shall be so warmed and gladdened thereby, that it may become the work of my life to obey thee, and the joy of my soul to please thee; through Christ our Saviour. Amen.
L. H. M. Soulsby
For Love
O Lord, our Heavenly Father, who hast revealed to us the height of love; Strengthen, we beseech thee the bonds of affection which unite us to our kindred, our friends, and our fellow men; free us from suspicion and self-seeking, make clearer our insight to discern their need, quicken our sympathy, enlarge our charity, and so purify our relations to each other that the coming of thy kingdom, whose law is love, may be hastened upon earth. Amen.
For the Love of God
O God, the God of all goodness and all grace, who art worthy of a greater love than we can either give or understand; Fill our hearts, we beseech thee, with such love towards thee that nothing may seem too hard for us to do or to suffer in obedience to thy will; and grant that thus loving thee, we may become daily more like unto thee, and finally obtain the crown of life which thou hast promised to those who love thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Book of Offices and Prayers
For the Love of God
Enwrap us in thy love, O God, that we may love others with the love wherewith thou lovest us; keep our hearts and minds surely set on thee, that thou mayest use us not according to our notions, but according to our capacities, in the accomplishment of the design of thy love, to do the good works that thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for the City of God
For Husband and Wife
O Heavenly Father, who hast given us thy servants to one another, and who hast blessed the holy estate of matrimony; Help us to remember that love is of God, and that only in nearness to thee can we keep the love thou hast given us. Make our union pure in thought and deed, giving us with dear and close companionship unselfish care for each other’s welfare. Grant us perfect mutual trust and truth, fearlessness in upholding thy standard before the world, justice toward all with whom we deal. Help us to build up a holy and happy home life, and of thy mercy bless us with children and endue us with grace to rear and train them in thy holy favor, and so holding all thy gifts in trust for thy blessed service may we meet joy and sorrow with a changeless faith in thy goodness and with ever-increasing love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For a Sense of God’s Presence
O Lord God and Father, thou knowest how blind we are to thy presence, how dead to thy purpose and deaf to thy call; grant us to feel thy guiding hand through all the scattered details of our daily life, in all the tumult to hear thy still small voice, and in all dimness of our spirits to have a sense of thine everlasting arms upbearing us, so that, being willing to spend and be spent in thy service, we may accomplish all that thou wouldest, and at the last find fulfillment in the perfect freedom of thy sole sovereignty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for Students
For Parents
O God, our Heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report; following the example of their Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For a Sense of God’s Presence
Almighty God, who fillest all things with thy presence; We meekly beseech thee, of thy great love, to keep us near unto thee this day; grant that in all our ways and doings we may remember that thou seest us, and may always have grace to know and perceive what things thou wouldst have us to do, and strength to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ancient Collect
For the Presence of God
O Lord God, in whom we live, and move and have our being; Open our eyes that we may behold thy fatherly presence ever about us. Draw our hearts to thee with the power of thy love. Teach us to be anxious for nothing, and when we have done what thou hast given us to do, help us, O God our Saviour, to leave the issue to thy wisdom. Take from us all doubt and mistrust. Lift our thoughts up to thee, and make us to know that all things are possible to us through thy Son our Redeemer. Amen.
Bishop Westcott
For Self-Dedication
Into thy hands, O Lord, we commit ourselves this day. Give to each one of us a watchful, a humble, and a diligent spirit, that we may seek in all things to know thy will, and when we know it may perform it perfectly and gladly, to the honor and glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Sense of God’s Nearness
Deepen and quicken in us, O God, the sense of thy presence. Make us to know and feel that thou art more ready to teach than we to learn. Grant us dignity in our own eyes, by taking us into thy service. Humble us by laying bare before our eyes our littleness and our sin, and then exalt us by revealing thyself to us as our Counsellor, our Father and our Friend; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
H. S. Nash
For Grace to Follow
O Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
For Confident Hope
Eternal and unchangeable God, in whom alone we find rest for our weariness and comfort for our sorrow, and from whom alone cometh all true joy; keep our hearts, we beseech thee, ever fixed on thee through life and death, waiting patiently for that glorious day when we shall rejoice in the fullness of thy love for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Realization of the Power of God
O Lord, thou Lover of Souls, forgive us for so often looking on the limitations of our lives instead of realizing their limitless power in thy power; and forgive us all for our incomprehensible slowness in making use of that power, which thou hast revealed to us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
L. H. M. Soulsby
For Nearness to God
O Heavenly Father, we have loved thee, but not enough; we have sought thee, but not diligently; we have seen but not perceived; we have heard but not understood; we have hoped for things heavenly, but clung to things of earth, and our hearts have been far from thee, the Holy One; but now, O Lord, draw us near to thee, that the time to come be not as the past, but that finding, perceiving, understanding and loving thee above all things, we may have rest and joy in thy service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“Simple Prayers”
For the Grace of Cheerfulness
Grant unto us, O God, the grace of cheerfulness. Help us to face life with a smile, a hopeful word, and an undaunted heart. Make us radiant with thy Presence, and use us to cheer the way and brighten the lives of others; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for Schools and Colleges
For Devotion to the Service of Christ
O Merciful Jesus, vouchsafe evermore to dwell in the hearts of us thy servants; strengthen us with thy might; make us perfect in thy ways; guide us into thy truth; and unite us to thyself and to thy whole Church by thy holy mysteries; that we may conquer every adverse power, and may be wholly devoted to thy service and conformed to thy will; to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
For Vision, Faith and Work
Give us, O God, the vision which can see thy love in the world in spite of human failure. Give us the faith to trust thy goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness. Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts. And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
G. F. Weld
For the Vision of His Beauty
Bless us, O God, we pray thee, with the vision of thy being and beauty; that in the light of it we may learn to think thine own thoughts after thee, and in the strength of it may do our work without haste and without rest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
H. S. Nash (Adapted)
For Knowledge
O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
For Strength
O God our Father, grant unto us according to the riches of thy glory, to be strengthened with might by thy Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of thy glorious purpose, and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Amen.
Adapted from St. Paul
For Faith
O Heavenly Father, who understandest all thy children; Bestow upon us, we beseech thee, thy gift of faith, that we may bring our perplexities to the light of thy wisdom, and receive the blessed encouragement of thy sympathy, and a clearer knowledge of thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
J. W. Suter, Jr.
For Faithfulness and Perseverance
Almighty God, the Guide and Strength of the faithful; Give us a deeper sense of thy besetting Presence. When life is difficult, when our fellow-workers fail us, when the cause we care for does not seem to prosper, when we stumble on account of our own weakness, give us courage not to despair. Meditating on thy patient will and love, may we win the spirit that brings good out of evil, victory out of defeat; through Jesus our Saviour. Amen.
For a Blessing on Our Friendships
O Eternal God, who watchest over us all; Grant that the friendships formed between us here may neither through sin be broken, nor hereafter through worldly cares be forgotten; but that, bound together across the world by the unseen chain of thy love, we may be drawn nearer to thee and nearer to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
P. B. Clayton
For the Renewal of Our Strength
O God, the Sovereign Good of the soul, who requirest the hearts of all thy children; Deliver us from all sloth in thy work, all coldness in thy cause; and grant us, by looking unto thee to rekindle our love, and by waiting upon thee to renew our strength, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
William Bright
For Strength in Trial
Thou hast promised, O Lord, a crown of life to him who overcometh. Give us hearts to welcome thy severer blessings and in them find the clasp of thy strong hand. In darkness as well as in light thou hast hidden treasures for our spirits. Grant that we may find them, through thy love and our confidence in thee, our Saviour. Amen.
For God’s Help
Grant us, O Lord, in all our duties thy help, in all our perplexities thy counsel, in all our dangers thy protection, and in all our sorrows thy peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
A Book of Collects
For Power to Do God’s Will
Thou hast showed us, O God, what is good: enable us, we beseech thee, to perform what thou dost require, even to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thee our God; through Christ our Saviour. Amen.
For Strength of Purpose
Lord of the world,
We pray thee master these our weak and vacillating wills,
With thine almighty, clear-discerning will.
We would have working through our ineffectiveness thy quiet strength,
Through our blind folly thy clear-eyed discernment,
Through our changing impulses thy one direct and steady determination,
Through our indecision thine unswerving judgment.
Transform us therefore by thine own presence within us,
That so, being mastered and possessed by thee,
We may find freedom in service,
Entire liberty of our wills in entire subjection to thy will;
through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayers for an Indian College
For the Will of Christ
O God, our great Companion, give to us or take from us whatever else it please thee to give or take away, but give to us now and forever a will like thine own that wearies not and wastes not; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
H. S. Nash
For the Peace of God
O God, who art Love; Grant to thy children to bear one another’s burdens in perfect good will, that thy peace which passeth understanding may keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
Book of Hours
For God’s Continuous Support
Lord, support us all the day long of this troublous life, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening come, and this busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done; and then, in thy mercy, grant to us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thank thee for all which thou hast given and for all which thou hast forgiven; for thy hidden blessings and for those which in our negligence we have passed over: for every gift of nature or of grace: for our power of loving: for all which thou hast yet in store for us: for everything, whether joy or sorrow, whereby thou art drawing us to thyself through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
J. W. Suter
Thanksgiving for the Commonplace
O God, accept our thankfulness for the countless little commonplace blessings and safeguards that surround us, so familiar that we ignore them; so unfailing that we have come to consider them as our right; so abundant, that our complainings are shamed into silence. Help us to remember that “what we have had might have made glorious saints of those who have less.” We ask it in the name of him who is our greatest blessing and safeguard, thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Coming of the Kingdom
O Lord, to whom we pray that thy kingdom shall come, and who hast taught us to pray for its coming; make us ever ready to bless thee for the signs of the dawn, and to work for the perfect day when thy will shall be done on earth, as it is in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Westminster Prayers
A Thanksgiving
We yield thee hearty thanks, O Lord our God, for thy great goodness to us. Mercifully assist us in every duty, and vouchsafe to be our Companion every day, that we may love thy presence and walk in it vigilantly, and, being delivered from all errors and adversities, may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Praise for Mercies
We praise thee, O God, for thine unceasing mercies, that, notwithstanding our sins and unworthiness thou continuest to us all the means of grace. Forgive our negligence and wandering thoughts, even in time of prayer. Give us grace that we may become more worthy of thy love; remember, O Lord, what thou hast wrought in us and not what we deserve, and as thou hast called us to thy service, make us worthy of our calling; through Christ Jesus. Amen.
Ancient Cento
General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
For Confidence in God
Almighty God, who art the only Source of health and healing, the Spirit of calm and the central Peace of the universe; Grant to us, thy children, such a consciousness of thy indwelling presence as may give us utter confidence in thee. In all pain and weariness and anxiety may we throw ourselves upon thy besetting care, that knowing ourselves fenced about by thy loving omnipotence, we may permit thee to give us health and strength and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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