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← Holy Living and Holy Dying/Book 1 · The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living
Chapter 13HolyLiving.1.13

The first Prayers in the morning, as soon as we are dressed.

Morning Adoration and Praise

The chapter begins with the Lord's Prayer followed by acts of adoration and praise directed toward the Holy Trinity.

Humbly and reverently compose yourself—with your heart lifted to God, your head bowed, and kneeling meekly—and say the Lord's Prayer. After that, use the following collects, or as many of them as you choose.✦ I. An act of adoration, the song the angels sing in heaven. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.✦1 xi.✦ 17. Heaven and earth, angels and people, the air and the sea, give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever.2 Rev.✦ v. 10, 13. All the blessed spirits and souls of the righteous cast their crowns before the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. Rev.✦ 4.✦ 10. You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they exist and were created.✦ Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of the saints.✦ Rev.✦ 15.✦ 3.✦ Your wisdom is infinite, your mercies are glorious, and I am not worthy, O Lord, to appear in your presence, before whom the angels hide their faces.✦ O holy and eternal Jesus, Lamb of God, who was slain from the beginning of the world: you have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every nation, and you have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign with you forever.✦✦3 Blessing, honor, glory, and power be to him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever.✦ Amen.

Thanksgiving for Divine Mercy

A morning act of thanksgiving, drawing upon the Psalms to acknowledge God's protection and faithfulness.

II. An act of thanksgiving: David’s morning song. Sing praises to the Lord, you who are his saints, and give him thanks as you remember his holiness.✦ For his wrath lasts only a blink of an eye, and in his favor is life; sorrow may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.✦4 Lord, you have kept me safe through this night from the violence of the spirits of darkness, from every grievous mishap and evil accident, from the wrath I have deserved every day; you have brought my soul out of hell; you have kept my life from those who go down into the pit; you have shown me marvelous great kindness, and have blessed me forever: the greatness of your glory reaches to the heavens, and your truth to the clouds.✦✦5 Therefore, every good person will sing your praise without ceasing. O my God, I will give you thanks forever.✦ Hallelujah!

Oblation and Repentance

A formal offering of the self to God, followed by a sincere confession of sin and plea for mercy.

III. An act of oblation, or presenting ourselves to God for the day. Most holy and eternal God, Lord and sovereign of all creatures, I humbly present to your Divine Majesty myself, my soul and body, my thoughts and my words, my actions and intentions, my passions and my sufferings, to be ordered by you for your glory; to be blessed by your providence; to be guided by your counsel; to be sanctified by your Spirit; and afterward that my body and soul may be received into glory: for nothing can perish that is under your care; and the enemy of souls cannot devour what is your portion, nor take it out of your hands.✦✦ This day, O Lord, and all the days of my life, I dedicate to your honor, the actions of my calling to the service of grace, and the devotion of all my days to be united to the merits and intercession of my holy Savior Jesus, that in him and for him I may be pardoned and accepted.67 Amen. IV. An Act of Repentance or Contrition. As for me, I'm not worthy to be called your servant, and even less worthy to be your son; I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of people—a lover of worldly things and a despiser of the things of God; proud and envious, lustful and intemperate, greedy for sin, and impatient of correction; eager to seem holy, but careless about actually being so; carried away by self-interest; fooled by presumption and false principles; disturbed by anger, with a peevish and unmortified spirit, and disordered by a whole body of sin and death.89 Lord, pardon all my sins for my sweetest Savior’s sake; you who died for me, holy Jesus, save me and deliver me. Don't hold my sins in reserve to be punished in the day of wrath and eternal vengeance; instead, wash away my sins, blot them out of your remembrance, and purify my soul with the waters of repentance and the blood of the cross—so that, for what is past, your wrath may not break out against me, and, for the time to come, I may never provoke you to anger or to jealousy.10 O just and dear God, be merciful and gracious to your servant.11 Amen.

Petitions for Daily Life

A prayer for guidance, protection, and grace in the specific duties and trials of the coming day.

V. The Prayer or Petition. Bless me, gracious God, in my calling, for whatever purposes you choose for me or set me to. Relieve me in all my sadness; make my bed in my sickness; give me patience in my sorrows, confidence in you, and grace to call on you in every temptation. Be my guide in all my actions and my protector in every danger. Give me a healthy body and a clear understanding, a spirit sanctified and just, charitable and humble, devout and contented. Don't let my life be miserable and wretched, my name stained with sin and shame, or my condition raised to a tempting and dangerous prosperity. Instead, let my condition be blessed and my way of life useful to my neighbors and pleasing to you, so that when my body lies down in its bed of darkness, my soul may pass into the regions of light and live with you forever, through Jesus Christ.1213 Amen.

Intercessions for the World

A comprehensive set of intercessory prayers for the Church, the sovereign, the clergy, family, friends, and the afflicted.

VI. An act of intercession, or prayer for others, to be added to this or any other office as our devotion or duty, or their needs, may lead us. O God of infinite mercy, who have compassion on everyone and relieve the needs of all who call to you for help: hear the prayers of your servant, who is unworthy to ask anything for himself, yet, out of humility and duty, is bound to pray for others.✦✦ For the Church. Let your mercy descend upon the whole Church; preserve her in truth and peace, in unity and safety, through every storm and against all temptations and enemies, so that by offering to your glory the unceasing sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving, she may advance the honor of her Lord, be filled with his Spirit, and share in his glory. Amen. For the King. In mercy, remember the king; preserve him in health and honor; his crown in wealth and dignity; his kingdoms in peace and plenty; the churches under his protection in piety and knowledge, and a strict and holy religion; keep him always in your fear and favor, and crown him with glory and immortality.✦ Amen. For the clergy. Remember those who minister in holy things; clothe them with righteousness, and let them sing with joy.✦✦ Amen. For a husband or wife. Bless your servant (my wife, or husband) with health of body and of spirit. May your blessing rest upon them night and day; support them in every need, strengthen them in every temptation, comfort them in all their sorrows, and let them be your servant through every change. Make us both dwell with you forever in your favor, in the light of your face, and in your glory. Amen. For our children. Bless my children with healthy bodies, with sound understanding, with the graces and gifts of your Spirit, with gentle dispositions and holy habits; and sanctify them completely in body, soul, and spirit, and keep them blameless until the coming of the Lord Jesus.✦ Amen. For friends and benefactors. Lord, please remember my friends, everyone who has prayed for me, and everyone who has treated me with kindness. (Name here those you especially want to recommend.) Do good to them, and return all their kindness double into their own bosom, rewarding them with blessings, sanctifying them with your graces, and bringing them to glory.✦14 For our family. May all my family and relatives, my neighbors and acquaintances (mention here any other relations you wish) receive the benefit of my prayers, the blessings of God, the comforts and supports of your providence, and the sanctification of your Spirit. For everyone who is in misery. Relieve and comfort all who are persecuted and afflicted; speak peace to troubled consciences; strengthen the weak; confirm the strong; instruct the ignorant; deliver the oppressed from the one who plunders them; relieve the needy who have no helper; and bring us all, by the waters of comfort and in the ways of righteousness, to the kingdom of rest and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read the original Latin

Humbly and reverently compose yourself, with heart lift up to God, and your head bowed, and meekly kneeling upon your knees, say the Lord’s Prayer: after which use the following collects, or as many of them as you shall choose.

I. An Act of Adoration, being the song that the angels sing in heaven.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come:Rev. xi. 17. heaven and earth, angels and men, the air and the sea, give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever. Rev. v. 10, 13. All the blessed spirits and souls of the righteous cast their crowns before the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever.

Rev. iv. 10. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created. Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Rev. xv. 3.

Thy wisdom is infinite, thy mercies are glorious and I am not worthy, O Lord, to appear in thy presence, before whom the angels hide their faces. O holy and eternal Jesus, Lamb of God, who wert slain from the beginning of the world, thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign with thee for ever. Blessing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.

II. An Act of Thanksgiving, being the song of David, for the morning.

Sing praises unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks to him for a remembrance of his holiness. For his wrath endureth but the twinkling of an eye, and in his pleasure is life: heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Thou, Lord, hast preserved me this night from the violence of the spirits of darkness, from all sad casualties and evil accidents, from the wrath which I have every day deserved; thou hast brought my soul out of hell; thou hast kept my life from them that go down into the pit; thou hast showed me marvelous great kindness, and hast blessed me for ever: the greatness of thy glory reacheth unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing. O my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. Hallelujah!

III. An Act of Oblation, or presenting ourselves to God for the day.

Most holy and eternal God, lord and sovereign of all the creatures, I humbly present to thy Divine Majesty myself, my soul and body, my thoughts and my words, my actions and intentions, my passions and my sufferings, to be disposed by thee to thy glory; to be blessed by thy providence; to be guided by thy counsel; to be sanctified by thy Spirit; and afterwards that my body and soul may be received into glory: for nothing can perish which is under thy custody; and the enemy of souls cannot devour what is thy portion, nor take it out of thy hands. This day, O Lord, and all the days of my life, I dedicate to thy honour, and the actions of my calling to the uses of grace, and the religion of all my days to be united to the merits and intercession of my holy Saviour Jesus, that in him and for him I may be pardoned and accepted. Amen.

IV. An Act of Repentance or Contrition.

For as for me, I am not worthy to be called thy servant, much less am I worthy to be thy son; for I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of men; a lover of the things of the world, and a despiser of the things of God; proud and envious, lustful and intemperate, greedy of sin, and impatient of reproof; desirous to seem holy, and negligent of being so; transported with interest; fooled with presumption and false principles; disturbed with anger, with a peevish and unmortified spirit, and disordered by a whole body of sin and death. Lord, pardon all my sins for my sweetest Saviour’s sake; thou, who didst die for me, holy Jesus, save me and deliver me; reserve not my sins to be punished in the day of wrath and eternal vengeance; but wash away my sins, and blot them out of thy remembrance, and purify my soul with the waters of repentance and the blood of the cross; that, for what is past, thy wrath may not come out against me; and, for the time to come, I may never provoke thee to anger or to jealousy. O just and dear God, be pitiful and gracious to thy servant. Amen.

V. The Prayer or Petition.

Bless me, gracious God, in my calling to such purposes as thou shalt choose for me, or employ me in: relieve me in all my sadnesses; make my bed in my sickness; give me patience in my sorrows, confidence in thee, and grace to call upon thee in all temptations. O be thou my guide in all my actions; my protector in all dangers; give me a healthful body, and a clear understanding; a sanctified and just, a charitable and humble, a religious and a contented spirit; let not my life be miserable and wretched; nor my name stained with sin and shame; nor my condition lifted up to a tempting and dangerous fortune: but let my condition be blessed, my conversation useful to my neighbours, and pleasing to thee; that when my body shall lie down in its bed of darkness, my soul may pass into the regions of light, and live with thee for ever, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

VI. An Act of Intercession or Prayer for others, to be added to this or any other office, as our devotion or duty, or their needs, shall determine us.

O God of infinite mercy, who hast compassion on all men, and relievest the necessities of all that call to thee for help, hear the prayers of thy servant, who is unworthy to ask any petition for himself, yet, in humility and duty, is bound to pray for others.

For the Church.

O let thy mercy descend upon the whole church; preserve her in truth and peace, in unity and safety, in all storms, and against all temptations and enemies; that she, offering to thy glory the never-ceasing sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving, may advance the honour of her Lord, and be filled with his Spirit, and partake of his glory. Amen.

For the King.

In mercy, remember the king; preserve his person in health and honour; his crown in wealth and dignity; his kingdoms in peace and plenty; the churches under his protection in piety and knowledge, and a strict and holy religion; keep him perpetually in thy fear and favour, and crown him with glory and immortality. Amen.

For the Clergy.

Remember them that minister about holy things; let them be clothed with righteousness, and sing with joyfulness. Amen.

For Wife or Husband.

Bless thy servant (my wife, or husband) with health of body and of spirit. O let the hand of thy blessing be upon his/her head night and day, and support him/her in all necessities, strengthen him/her in all temptations, comfort him/her in all his/her sorrows, and let him/her be thy servant in all changes; and make us both to dwell with thee for ever in thy favour, in the light of thy countenance, and in thy glory. Amen.

For our Children.

Bless my children with healthful bodies, with good understandings, with the graces and gifts of thy Spirit, with sweet dispositions and holy habits; and sanctify them throughout in their bodies, and souls, and spirits, and keep them unblamable to the coming of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

For Friends and Benefactors.

Be pleased, O Lord, to remember my friends, all that have prayed for me, and all that have done me good. (Here name such whom you would especially recommend.) Do thou good to them, and return all their kindness double into their own bosom, rewarding them with blessings, and sanctifying them with thy graces, and bringing them to glory.

For our Family.

Let all my family and kindred, my neighbours and acquaintance (here name what other relations you please) receive the benefit of my prayers, and the blessings of God, the comforts and supports of thy providence, and the sanctification of thy Spirit.

For all in Misery.

Relieve and comfort all the persecuted and afflicted; speak peace to troubled consciences; strengthen the weak; confirm the strong; instruct the ignorant; deliver the oppressed from him that spoileth him; and relieve the needy that hath no helper; and bring us all, by the waters of comfort, and in the ways of righteousness, to the kingdom of rest and glory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Matt.6.9-Matt.6.13;Luke.11.2-Luke.11.4 — Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Matt.6.10 — Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matt.6.11 — Give us today our daily bread. Matt.6.12 — And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matt.6.13 — And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Luke.11.2 — He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come." Luke.11.3 — Give us each day our daily bread. Luke.11.4 — and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not bring us into temptation.
  2. ↩Rev.4.8;Rev.11.17 — And the four living creatures, each having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. And they have no rest day and night, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.' Rev.11.17 — We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
  3. ↩Rev.11.17 — We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
  4. ↩Rev.5.10 — and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth
  5. ↩Rev.4.10-Rev.4.11 — the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne and worship the One who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Rev.4.11 — You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
  6. ↩Rev.4.10-Rev.4.11 — the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne and worship the One who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Rev.4.11 — You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
  7. ↩Rev.4.11 — You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, because you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
  8. ↩Rev.15.3 — And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages — of the nations."
  9. ↩Rev.15.3 — And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages — of the nations."
  10. ↩Rev.15.3 — And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages — of the nations."
  11. ↩Rev.15.3 — And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages — of the nations."
  12. ↩Isa.6.2 — Seraphim were standing above him; each one had six wings: with two each covered his face, with two each covered his feet, and with two each would fly.
  13. ↩John.1.29;Rev.13.8 — The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him and says, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Rev.13.8 — And all who dwell on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.
  14. ↩Rev.5.9-Rev.5.10 — And they sing a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed for God people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.' Rev.5.10 — and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth
  15. ↩Rev.5.13 — And every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them — I heard them saying, 'To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.'
  16. ↩Ps.30.4 — Sing to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
  17. ↩Ps.30.5 — Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
  18. ↩Ps.30.3 — O LORD my God, I cried to you, and you healed me.
  19. ↩Ps.57.10 — I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O Lord; I will sing praise to you among the nations.
  20. ↩Ps.30.12 — You turned my wailing into dancing for me; you tore off my sackcloth and wrapped me in joy.
  21. ↩1Pet.5.8 — Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
  22. ↩John.10.28-John.10.29 — I give them eternal life, and they will never perish — not forever — and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John.10.29 — My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
  23. ↩Ps.145.9;Joel.2.13 — The LORD is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Joel.2.13 — Tear open your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and he relents from sending disaster.
  24. ↩Ps.18.6;Ps.50.15;Ps.145.18 — The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. Ps.50.15 — Call on me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor me. Ps.145.18 — The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
  25. ↩Ps.8.5;Heb.2.7 — What is man that you remember him, and the son of Adam that you visit him? Heb.2.7 — You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor.
  26. ↩1Cor.9.13 — Do you not know that those who perform the sacred rites eat from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?
  27. ↩Ps.132.9 — Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your faithful ones sing for joy.
  28. ↩1Thess.5.23 — Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  29. ↩Ps.79.12;Isa.65.6-Isa.65.7;Luke.6.38 — And repay our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom for the reproach with which they have reproached you, O Lord. Isa.65.6 — See, it is written before me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay—yes, I will repay into their lap. Isa.65.7 — Both your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, says the LORD, who burned incense on the mountains and on the hills blasphemed me; and I will measure their former work into their bosom. Luke.6.38 — Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, overflowing, they will put into your lap. For with the measure you measure, it will be measured back to you.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Source ends with a glued citation fragment (:Rev.); the book label continues in s2–s3 as Rev. xi. 17.
  2. 2 ↩Source 'men' rendered as 'people' for inclusive contemporary address without changing the cosmic-creation sense; 'honour' Americanized to 'honor'.
  3. 3 ↩Source 'who wert slain from the beginning of the world' follows the Revelation tradition of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; modernized to 'who was slain' for natural English while keeping the same sense.
  4. 4 ↩Source 'pleasure' is older English for divine favor/good pleasure (BCP Ps. 30); rendered 'favor' for contemporary clarity while keeping the life-giving sense.
  5. 5 ↩'Sad casualties' in 17th-century usage means unfortunate chance mishaps, not wartime deaths; rendered 'grievous mishap' to keep that sense.
  6. 6 ↩Source 'religion of all my days' rendered as 'devotion of all my days' for the ordered religious practice of each day, not abstract 'religion' as a system.
  7. 7 ↩Source 'uses of grace' rendered as 'service of grace' (actions of vocation put to grace's purpose), not generic usefulness.
  8. 8 ↩Source “interest” here means private advantage/self-interest, not curiosity or financial yield; rendered “self-interest.”
  9. 9 ↩“Unmortified” is kept as the ascetical term for a spirit not yet subdued by mortification, rather than flattened to mere “irritable” or “undisciplined.”
  10. 10 ↩Source “reserve not my sins” means do not keep them stored up for later judgment; rendered “Do not hold my sins in reserve.”
  11. 11 ↩Early Modern “pitiful” means full of pity/merciful, not “pathetic”; rendered “merciful.”
  12. 12 ↩Early modern 'conversation' means manner of life or conduct, not speech; rendered as 'way of life'.
  13. 13 ↩Here 'religious' means devout and ordered toward God, not merely institutional affiliation; rendered as 'devout'.
  14. 14 ↩Kept the biblical idiom 'into their own bosom' (return of kindness/blessing) rather than flattening to 'heart' or 'lap,' so the scriptural echo stays audible.

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