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Prayers to be used in families, or to be said in private.

The Lord’s Prayer.

OurFather, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessings.

The Lord bless us and keep us this day and ever, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and give us peace this day and forevermore. Amen.

The Lord preserve our going out and our coming in this day and evermore. Amen.

The Lord Jesus Christ, according, to his promise, be with us always, even to the end of the world. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen.

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep our minds and hearts through Jesus Christ. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen.

Morning or Evening.

O God who art the Truth, O God who art a Spirit, help us in spirit and in truth to worship thy great name ; not acknowledging thee in one place or at one time only, but in every place and at every time, in all we do and in all we see, in our work and in our rest, in our laughter and in our tears, in loneliness and in fellowship, in the eye of day and in the shadow of night, beneath the open sky as in the house of prayer, in the heart of the little child as in the wisdom of man, in the fulness of health and strength and happiness as in the valley of the shadow of death, through which, O Father Almighty, do thou in thy mercy bear us to never-ending Life and Light and Love. Amen.

O God, who art near us always, we would speak with thee, and thank thee for all the good gifts with which thou hast filled our lives: for blessings all about our path; for love, that makes life beautiful; for all thoughts that uplift and gladden us; for disappointment and failure, which humble us; for pain and distress, which teach us our need: but most of all for our hope in thee, and the fulness of joy which thy presence brings.

Let us never doubt that, having led us thus far, thou wilt lead us to the end, and that thou hast in store for us that perfect gladness of which we see some glimpses here.

We all wish to serve thee: show to each of us how we shall do it best. Look upon all of us who bow before thee this morning; use us as thou wilt, — hands to work for thee, feet to run for thee, lips to speak of thee and sing for thee, thoughts to use for thee, hearts to love as thou lovest.

Let us have no lower aim; let none of us measure ourselves by others, or by any narrow and common standard of good: but let our lives be beautiful on all sides, and full of this desire to be perfect as thou art perfect.

We ask, knowing how poor and weak we are, in thy strength, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, whom to know is to be truly wise, grant unto us that so far as thou mayest be known, we may know thee.

O Father, have mercy upon us, when, knowing what is good, we do it not. In this sore strife of life be near to us. We beseech thee lay thy gentle hand upon us when we suffer the plain way that leads to God to be darkened by vain speculation. Grant that by doing humbly what we do know, it may be a stepping-stone to higher knowledge and better doing.

Grant us a spirit of loving-kindness to all men. Temper our pleasure, that it may bring us wisdom; temper our sadness, that it may bring us peace. Amen.

Grant, Almighty God, that we may this day endeavor to be that which thou wouldst have us to be, and to do that which thou commandest; listening to the voice of thy Spirit within us; not leaveing one fault unrepented of, one spot in our hearts uncleansed, and sparing least of all that sin with which it costeth us most to part; not looking back, but forward; not casting down our eyes to earth, but lifting them up to heaven; not leaning upon mortal man, but upon thee, the Rock of Ages, who standeth fast forever; loving all men, doing good unto all men, loving thee, and never doubting that thou lovest us, and wilt make all things work together for good to those who trust thee, our Lord, our Father, and our God. Amen.

Almighty God, be pleased with thy Spirit so to order our knowledge of thee, that every duty and pleasure of our life, all suffering and sinning, all hope and trembling, may but lead us more and more to a perfect faith and trust in thee; that understanding what we may understand, and doing that which we do know, we may, with a quiet heart, leave the deep things of God unsounded.

Enough for us to see that what is holiest is best, and that the holiest and best that we can see in man is but the light that comes from thee, the perfect source of love and good. Guide us in this our course, and give us an entrance into a still higher, diviner, nobler life. We ask it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, raise us above ourselves and above our needs; bid us worship thee not less than pray to thee. Take away selfishness from our prayers not less than from our hearts and lives.

When we pray to thee for our own good, lead us not to forget the good of others. And when we pray for others, give us grace to resolve, also, to seek their good in all that we do, and to keep ourselves from evil for their sake. Amen.

Evening.

Abide with us, O Lord, this night, that the brightness of thy love may be around us, and that the darkness may not be dark. Abide with us, O Lord, this night, for in loneliness we are not alone if thou be nigh. Abide with the sick, the sorrowful, the forsaken, and the weary, O Lord, to strengthen, to comfort, to cheer, and to give rest. Shield us all from that darkness of the soul which seeth thee not, that loneliness of the heart which heareth not thy voice.

Abide with us through life, and in the valley of the shadow of death forsake us not, but bid us be of good courage, for thou art with us still.

Blessing and glory and thanksgiving be unto thee, O God, forever. Amen.

O Thou whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light, who seest us weary and heavy-laden with sorrow and with sin, who countest all our tears of penitence and remorse; Draw nigh unto us in mercy, that at thy feet we may cast down our earthly burdens and take upon us thy gentle yoke, to rise up strong in thy strength, comforted in thy forgiveness, and joyful in thy everlasting love. Amen.

Almighty God, whose light is of eternity and knoweth no setting, shine forth and be our safeguard through the night; and though the earth be wrapped in darkness and the heavens be veiled from our sight, let thy brightness be about our beds and thy peace within our souls, and thy fatherly blessing upon our sleep this night. Amen.

O Most loving Father, who willest us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of thee, and to cast all our care on thee who carest for us; Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that Love which is immortal, and which thou hast manifested unto us in thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Jesus, our Master, do thou meet us while we walk in the way and long to reach thy country, so that, following thy light we may keep the way of righteousness, and never wander away into the darkness of this world’s night while thou, who art the Way, the Truth, and the Life, art shining within us. Amen.

For Special Use.

In Times of Sorrow.

Almighty God, who in the time of our shadow and darkness canst be our only true and lasting light, look upon us thy sad children with thy constant mercy, and give
unto us the spirit of understanding promised by thy dear Son.

When our eyes no longer behold what we have loved, and when we listen for the footsteps of those who have gone out of our sight, and hear them not, what can we do but turn to thee?

And when our hearts fail us, and we sigh for that which cannot be, and no traveller comes back from that far country, and there are none to comfort us. make us to trust in thee. Then comfort our souls with the words of thy Son, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also.”

Give us this comfort of Christ, through the spirit of truth, in which grant us all to abide forevermore through Jesus our Lord. Amen.

For the Children.

O Jesus Christ, the Lord of children, be near to all children’s hearts to-day.

In their pleasant play make them to remember thy holy childhood, and put away all self-loving thoughts and ways, all untruthfulness and disobedience, all angry words and deeds.

Comfort them in all their troubles, which are known to thee, and lead them on through pure and faithful lives to thyself, thy children’s home. Amen.

For Those we Love.

O Thou who hast ordered this wondrous world, who knowest all things in earth and heaven: So fill our hearts with trust in thee, that by night and by day, at all times and in all seasons, we may without fear commit those who are dear to us to thy neverfailing love for this life and the life to come. Amen.

For Sleep.

O Thou from whose fatherly hand sleep falleth nightly on the eyelids of man, whereby his body forgetteth its toil and his soul its sorrow; Teach us ever to receive it with grateful hearts, and grant that lying down this night with our souls at peace, and fearing no harm which man can do unto us, we may sleep secure in the guardianship of thy love. Amen.

For Good Friday.

O Christ, at the foot of thy cross, we thank thee for the lesson thou hast taught us, that only through death can we enter into life; that only in losing our life can we truly find it, that except the grain of our earthly nature fall into the ground and die, it can bear no fruit unto life eternal.

We pray thee, by all thy love and by all thy pain, by the hour of thine agony, the forsaking of thine own, the scorn of thine enemies, the cry of thy last breath, we entreat thee, O Lord, by all these things, that thou wilt not leave us here alone, alive to self and sin, but lift us up, draw us unto thee, so that, nailed to thy cross, buried in thy grave, we may await in perfect peace the will of our Father. Amen.

For Easter Day.

O Lord Jesus, whom the grave could not hold, grant us grace this day to be one with thee, that having died to sin we may. rise with thee and dwell with thee in heavenly places; that earthly care and sin and sorrow may be to us as things we have left behind, shadows of the tomb; and the only realities for us thy presence and thy love.

Give us such joy in thee that the song of our souls, the assurance of our hearts, may be, “Christ is indeed arisen.” Amen.