Morning Prayer
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5.48am on Monday 27 October 2025
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Please note: Daily Prayer provided by the official Church of England web site, © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2002-2004.
O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall
proclaim your praise.
The Acclamation of Christ at the Dawning of the Day (page 108) may replace the Preparation as the start of Morning Prayer on any occasion.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
One of these prayers of thanksgiving (page 109),
Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of all,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
You founded the earth in the beginning
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
In the fullness of time you made us in your image,
and in these last days you have spoken to us
in your Son Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
As we rejoice in the gift of your presence among us
let the light of your love always shine in our hearts,
your Spirit ever renew our lives
and your praises ever be on our lips.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
(or)
Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
after Lancelot Andrewes (1626)
or a suitable hymn,
or A Song of God’s Compassion
1The Lord is full of
compassion and mercy, ♦
slow to anger and of great kindness.
2He will not always accuse
us, ♦
neither will he keep his anger for ever.
3He has not dealt with
us according to our sins, ♦
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
4For as the heavens are
high above the earth, ♦
so great is his mercy upon those who fear him.
5As far as the east is
from the west, ♦
so far has he set our sins from us.
6As a father has compassion
on his children, ♦
so is the Lord merciful towards those who fear him.
7For he knows of what
we are made; ♦
he remembers that we are but dust.
8Our days are but as
grass; ♦
we flourish as a flower of the field;
9For as soon as the wind
goes over it, it is gone, ♦
and its place shall know it no more.
10But the merciful goodness
of the Lord is from of old
and endures for ever on those who fear him, ♦
and his righteousness on children’s children;
11On those who keep his
covenant ♦
and remember his commandments to do them.
Psalm 103.8-18
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
This opening prayer may be said
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The appointed psalmody is said.
Refrain: The Lord has made known his salvation.
1 Sing to the Lord a new song, ♦
for he has done marvellous things.
2 His own right hand and his holy arm ♦
have won for him the victory.
3 The Lord has made known his salvation; ♦
his deliverance has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
4 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness
towards the house of Israel, ♦
and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. R
5 Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth; ♦
break into singing and make music.
6 Make music to the Lord with the lyre, ♦
with the lyre and the voice of melody.
7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn ♦
sound praises before the Lord, the King. R
8 Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, ♦
the world and all that dwell upon it.
9 Let the rivers clap their hands ♦
and let the hills ring out together before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
10 In righteousness shall he judge the world ♦
and the peoples with equity.
Refrain: The Lord has made known his salvation.
Lord God, just and true,
you make your salvation known in the sight of the nations;
tune the song of our hearts to the music of creation
as you come among us to judge the earth;
through our Saviour Jesus Christ.
1 The Lord is king: let the peoples tremble; ♦
he is enthroned above the cherubim: let the earth shake.
2 The Lord is great in Zion ♦
and high above all peoples.
3 Let them praise your name, which is great and awesome; ♦
the Lord our God is holy.
4 Mighty king, who loves justice,
you have established equity; ♦
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God; ♦
bow down before his footstool, for he is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests
and Samuel among those who call upon his name, ♦
they called upon the Lord and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; ♦
they kept his testimonies and the law that he gave them.
8 You answered them, O Lord our God; ♦
you were a God who forgave them
and pardoned them for their offences.
9 Exalt the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill, ♦
for the Lord our God is holy.
Lord God, mighty king,
you love justice and establish equity;
may we love justice more than gain
and mercy more than power;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
1 I will sing of faithfulness and justice; ♦
to you, O Lord, will I sing.
2 Let me be wise in the way that is perfect: ♦
when will you come to me?
3 I will walk with purity of heart ♦
within the walls of my house.
4 I will not set before my eyes ♦
a counsel that is evil.
5 I abhor the deeds of unfaithfulness; ♦
they shall not cling to me. R
6 A crooked heart shall depart from me; ♦
I will not know a wicked person.
7 One who slanders a neighbour in secret ♦
I will quickly put to silence.
8 Haughty eyes and an arrogant heart ♦
I will not endure. R
9 My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, ♦
that they may dwell with me.
10 One who walks in the way that is pure ♦
shall be my servant.
11 There shall not dwell in my house ♦
one that practises deceit.
12 One who utters falsehood ♦
shall not continue in my sight. R
13 Morning by morning will I put to silence ♦
all the wicked in the land,
14 To cut off from the city of the Lord ♦
all those who practise evil.
Refrain: Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Keep us, O Lord,
in purity of heart and faithfulness to your commands,
that your servants may walk before you
in the way that is perfect;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
King Antiochus was going through the upper provinces when he heard that Elymais in Persia was a city famed for its wealth in silver and gold. Its temple was very rich, containing golden shields, breastplates, and weapons left there by Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian king who first reigned over the Greeks. So he came and tried to take the city and plunder it, but he could not because his plan had become known to the citizens and they withstood him in battle. So he fled and in great disappointment left there to return to Babylon.
Then someone came to him in Persia and reported that the armies that had gone into the land of Judah had been routed; that Lysias had gone first with a strong force, but had turned and fled before the Jews; that the Jews had grown strong from the arms, supplies, and abundant spoils that they had taken from the armies they had cut down; that they had torn down the abomination that he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before, and also Beth-zur, his town.
When the king heard this news, he was astounded and badly shaken. He took to his bed and became sick from disappointment, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned. He lay there for many days, because deep disappointment continually gripped him, and he realized that he was dying. So he called all his Friends and said to them, Sleep has departed from my eyes and I am downhearted with worry. I said to myself, To what distress I have come! And into what a great flood I now am plunged! For I was kind and beloved in my power. But now I remember the wrong I did in Jerusalem. I seized all its vessels of silver and gold, and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without good reason. I know that it is because of this that these misfortunes have come upon me; here I am, perishing of bitter disappointment in a strange land.
Then he called for Philip, one of his Friends, and made him ruler over all his kingdom. He gave him the crown and his robe and the signet, so that he might guide his son Antiochus and bring him up to be king. Thus King Antiochus died there in the one hundred and forty-ninth year. When Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus the kings son to reign. Lysias had brought him up from boyhood; he named him Eupator.
A Song of Deliverance, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 40 (page 591), may be said
Refrain:
AllAll the earth, shout and
sing for joy,
for great in your midst is the Holy One. Alleluia.
1‘Behold, God is my salvation;
♦
I will trust and will not be afraid;
2‘For the Lord
God is my strength and my song, ♦
and has become my salvation.’
3With joy you will draw
water ♦
from the wells of salvation.
4On that day you will
say, ♦
‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name;
5‘Make known his deeds
among the nations, ♦
proclaim that his name is exalted.
6‘Sing God’s praises,
who has triumphed gloriously; ♦
let this be known in all the world.
7‘Shout and sing for
joy, you that dwell in Zion, ♦
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.‘
Isaiah 12.2-6
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
AllAll the earth, shout and
sing for joy,
for great in your midst is the Holy One. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Jesus answered, You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand. Peter said to him, You will never wash my feet. Jesus answered, Unless I wash you, you have no share with me. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head! Jesus said to him, One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you. For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, Not all of you are clean.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.
AllTrust in the Lord with
all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.
In all your ways acknowledge him
and he will make straight your paths.
AllTrust in the Lord with
all your heart.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
AllTrust in the Lord with
all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.
from Proverbs 3
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)
is normally said,
or the Te Deum Laudamus (A Song
of the Church) (page 636) may be said
Refrain:
AllYou have set us free to
worship you without fear,
holy and righteous in your sight.
1Blessed be the Lord
the God of Israel, ♦
who has come to his people and set them free.
2He has raised up for
us a mighty Saviour, ♦
born of the house of his servant David.
3Through his holy prophets
God promised of old ♦
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
4To show mercy to our
ancestors, ♦
and to remember his holy covenant.
5This was the oath God
swore to our father Abraham: ♦
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
6Free to worship him
without fear, ♦
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
7And you, child, shall
be called the prophet of the Most High, ♦
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
8To give his people knowledge
of salvation ♦
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
9In the tender compassion
of our God ♦
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
10To shine on those who
dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, ♦
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1.68-79
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Refrain:
AllYou have set us free to
worship you without fear,
holy and righteous in your sight.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for the day and its tasks
¶ for the world and its needs
¶ for the Church and her life
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 362–363
¶ The media and the arts
¶ Farming and fishing
¶ Commerce and industry
¶ Those whose work is unfulfilling, stressful
or fraught with danger
¶ All who are unemployed
One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
AllOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
(or)
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
AllOur Father, 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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
AllAmen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
©
The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005
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