Here is a little book of prayers to keep close: gentle, hopeful words from the Psalms, the saints, and the Church’s daily life. Pray one slowly, or let a single line stay with you all day.
From the Psalms
The Psalms were the prayer book of Jesus himself. These verses are full of trust, peace, and joy.
The Lord is my shepherd
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
Psalm 23:1-3
Be still
Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10
This is the day
This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
The earth is full
O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy creatures.
Psalm 104:24
I lift up my eyes
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
Taste and see
O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8
Satisfy us in the morning
Satisfy us in the morning with thy steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Psalm 90:14
In peace I will lie down
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for thou alone, O LORD, makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8
Prayers of the saints
Make me an instrument of your peace
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Known as the Peace Prayer of St. Francis (first published in 1912)
A prayer of St. Benedict
Gracious and holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate on you, and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Traditionally attributed to St. Benedict
Christ be with me
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise.
From St. Patrick’s Breastplate
Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing; God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.
St. Teresa of Ávila
All shall be well
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
St. Julian of Norwich
Praised be my Lord
Praised be You, my Lord, for Brother Sun, who brings the day; for Sister Moon and the stars; for Brother Wind and Sister Water; and for Mother Earth, who feeds us with fruit, flowers, and herbs.
Adapted from St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures
Come, Holy Spirit
From the East
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life: come and abide in us, cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.
From the West
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Prayers for every day
Grace before meals
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Grace after meals
We give thee thanks, Almighty God, for all thy benefits, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
To your guardian angel
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
The Trisagion
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
An ancient hymn of the Eastern Church
Carry one line
Choose one prayer from this page and copy a single line onto a small card. Tuck it in your pocket, by the kitchen sink, or in your garden gloves. Each time you see it, pray it slowly once.
Keep going
Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version (RSV).
