The Order for Daily Morning Prayer Opening Rite

The Order for

Daily Morning Prayer

¶ The Minister shall begin the Morning Prayer by reading one or more of the following Sentences of Scripture.

¶ On any day, save a Day of Fasting or Abstinence, or on any day when the Litany or Holy Communion is immediately to follow, the Minister may, at his discretion, pass at once from the Sentences to the Lord's Prayer, first pronouncing, The Lord be with you. Answer. And with thy spirit. Minister. Let us pray.

¶ And Note, that when the Confession and Absolution are omitted, the Minister may, after the Sentences, pass to the Versicles, O Lord open thou our lips, etc., in which case the Lord's Prayer shall be said with the other prayers, immediately after The Lord be with you, etc., and before the Versicles and Responses which follow, or, in the Litany, as there appointed.

The Opening Sentences

THE LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Hab. ii. 20.
I was glad when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the LORD. Psalm cxxii. 1.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm xix. 14.
O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me, and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling. Psalm xliii. 3.
Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah lvii. 15.
The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. St. John iv. 23.
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Phil. i. 2.
Repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. St. Matt. iii. 2.
Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah xl. 3.
Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. St. Luke ii. 10, 11.
From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure offering: for my Name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. Mal. i. 11.
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem. Isaiah lii. 1.
Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel ii. 13.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm li. 17.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. St. Luke xv. 18, 19.
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me. Lam. i. 12.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Eph. i. 7.
He is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. St. Mark xvi. 6; St. Luke xxiv. 34.
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm cxviii. 24.
Seeing that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. iv. 14, 16.
Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts i. 8.
Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Gal. iv. 6.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Rev. iv. 8.

Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Prov. iii. 9, 10.
The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by under-standing hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. Prov. iii. 19, 20.

¶ Then the Minister shall say,

DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture move us, in sundry places, to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought, at all times, humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying—

¶ Or he shall say,

LET us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.

A General Confession.

¶ To be said by the whole Congregation. after the Minister, all kneeling.

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

The Declaration of Absolution, or Remission of Sins.

¶ To be made by the Priest alone, standing; the People still kneeling.

¶ But NOTE, That the Priest, at his discretion, may use, instead of what follows, the Absolution from the Order for the Holy Communion.

ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, hath given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins. He pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Then the Minister shall kneel, and say the Lord’s Prayer; the People still kneeling, and repeating it with him, both here, and wheresoever else it is used in Divine Service.

OUR 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, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.