Morning.
Earnest, regular prayer If you are unaccustomed to keeping the Daily Offices, here are some patterns of prayer that you can use during Lent. It is a desirable thing that you learn to take on Morning and Evening Prayer as a regular discipline, but, these patterns and prayers are a good place to start and, for the really busy person, they form a sufficient pattern of prayer for the day.
Do not allow yourself to be rushed. Get out of bed early enough that you can say your prayers with attention and clarity. Kneel down, and try to put away for the moment all other thoughts, and to feel that you are in God’s presence.
Lord, have mercy upon me.
Christ, have mercy upon me.
Lord, have mercy upon me.
Our Father, &c.
The Collect or Collects for the week (or for the day, if it be a holy day or feast day).
Praised be the Lord daily;
Even the God who helpeth us, and poureth His benefits upon us.
I laid me down and slept, and rose up again:
For the Lord sustained me.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
As it was in the beginning, &c.
Lord, hear my prayer,
And let my cry come unto Thee.
ALMIGHTY GOD, our Heavenly Father, who hath graciously preserved me during the past night, have mercy, upon me, I pray Thee, and vouchsafe to cleanse me from all stain of sin in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour; keep me, I beseech Thee, from all harm and evil during this day, and grant that through the grace of Thy Holy Spirit I may truly love, and serve, and warship, Thee, O God, to the glory of Thy Name, both this and all the days of my life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYERS.
O LORD JESUS CHRIST, Son of the living God, and Saviour of the world, who west made man, and nailed to the bitter Cross to save us from sin and to redeem us from death; help me, I humbly beseech Thee, O My Lord and Saviour, to resist all temptations, and to overcome all my faults, to be watchful over myself, and to follow Thee in the blessed steps of Thy most holy life, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, One God, world without end. Amen.
Read over, quietly and thoughtfully, the reading for the day in the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer; and when you rise and go to your occupation, remember that the love of God should be in all things our motive, and that the fear of God is always a great protection against temptation.
Midday.
If your occupations afford you the opportunity, try to secure a few moments for a short prayer at midday. Thus:
O Saviour of the world, who by Thy cross and precious blood hath redeemed us; save me, and help me, I humbly beseech Thee, O Lord.
Our Father, &c.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and. the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Evening.
Kneel down, clear you mind and try to forget everything else, and say: O God, Thou searcher of our hearts, I am in Thy presence, have mercy upon me and help me truly to examine myself, I beseech Thee.
- Did I get up in proper time this morning, and did I say my prayers reverently and carefully?
- Have I done all things to-day faithfully and well that I might please God, and glorify His name?
- Have I today done, or said, or thought anything I am ashamed of; anything that I know and feel must offend God, and. grieve His Holy Spirit? (Don’t hurry over this question, but think well before you answer it)
- Have I today done any wrong to any one, or led any one to do wrong?
- Have I any reason to think that I am growing better, and living more and more according to God’s Will.
Then confess to God the sins and faults which your self-examination may have brought to light, and pray for forgiveness. You may use some such form as this:
O GOD, the FATHER, the Son, and the HOLY GHOST, I am sorry that I have sinned against Thee, and I confess unto Thee my faults; I confess that I have sinned, that I have . . . O Heavenly Father, I beseech Thee to pardon me for His sake who bore our sins in His own body on the cross, and now ever liveth to make intercession for us: make me, I pray Thee, more sorry. for my faults, and help me by Thy Holy Spirit to over. come them all, through the Same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(If your examination and confession are made in a merely formal way without any earnest feeling, it may do you no good, and you will not receive pardon from God.)
OUT FATHER, &C.
Unto Thee, O LORD, will I pay my vows;
Unto Thee do I give thanks.
I will lay me down in peace and take my rest;
For it is Thou, Lord, only that makest me dwell in
safety.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
As it was in the beginning, &c.
Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto Thee.
ALMIGHTY God, our Heavenly Father, who halt given us the day for work and the night for rest, I humbly beseech Thee to take me under Thy gracious care during this night, and to grant that as Thy holy angels always do Thee service in heaven, so by Thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ADDITIONAL PRAYERS
O GOD, with whom the darkness is as clear as the light, and who art about our path and about our bed, keep me, I beseech Thee, that in nothing I may offend Thee; and grant that at morning light I may rise refreshed and glad to enjoy Thy mercies, and by Thy grace to do Thee service, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O GOD, whom I desire to love and obey, grant, I beseech Thee, that, abiding by faith in Thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, I may be evermore guided, strengthened, and sanctified by Thy Holy Spirit, that so I may in all things do Thy will, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I thank Thee, O God, for the blessings of the day past, and of this life in general ; and for my creation, redemption, and regeneration, for Thy grace, and for my faith in Thee, I desire most humbly to thank Thee, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, beseeching Thee graciously to hear my prayers, and to grant me Thy peace and Thy blessing, both this night and for evermore. Amen.
You may add prayers for other blessings in your own words. The following are suggested as blessings which you will always do well to pray for, although of course you need not pray for them all at any one time.
- That you may have grace to purify yourself in thought, word, and deed, even as the Lord Jesus Christ is pure; and that you may grow more and more like unto Him in all things.
- That you may be sanctified in body, soul, and spirit, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.
- That God will teach you to pray, and also to do His will.
- That He will help you to worship Him in spirit and in truth, and to obey His commandments.
- That He will help you, fighting manfully under Christ’s banner, to conqueryour besetting sin, and to cast it from you.
- That He will give you grace to watch and pray, and to resist all the temptations by which you may be assailed.
- That you may increase in every Christian grace, and persevere in every good word and work.
- That you may be able to live peaceably with all, and that you may have grace always to do to all as you would have them do to you.
- That you may do all your work honestly, diligently, and faithfully.
- That you may have strength and energy to do all things thoroughly and well.
- That you may be prospered in all things according to God’s will.
- That you may always set before you your duty, and be enabled always to do that which is right.
- That you may be blessed with health and strength, with vigour and activity.
- That God will pour upon your father and mother His grace and heavenly benediction.
- That He will keep your brothers and sisters from all harm and evil, and guide and prosper them in all things.
- That to all your relations and friends He will grant His mercy, and His grace according to the need of each of them.
- That you and your daily companions may live in brotherly love, helping one another in all good things.
- That God will guide and strengthen your Bishop and Clergy, and prosper their work according to His will.
- That He will comfort and succour the sick, the sorrowful, and all who are in need, or danger.
- That He will strengthen and encourage the fainthearted, the desponding, and all who are sorely tempted.
- That He will awaken the sinful and the careless, and lead them to repentance.
- That the heathen may everywhere be gathered into the fold of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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