Spirituality: Daily Prayer

Wednesday 23 September 2026

Morning Prayer

Adamnan of Iona, Abbot, 704
Season of Creation / Creation Week 3

O Lord, open our lips:
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
Amen.

Psalmody

Antiphon:
O God, you created the heavens and spread out the earth
You gave breath to all people and spirit to everything that lives.
Isaiah 42.5


Opening

Glory 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.

or

Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.

Amen.

or a suitable Hymn

(Or from Psalm 24.1-4)

1. The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
2. for God has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.


3. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in God’s holy place?
4. Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not
swear deceitfully.

Glory 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.

or

Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.

Amen.

or a suitable hymn


Psalm 63

1. O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; *
my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a
barren and dry land where there is no water.
2. Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, *
that I might behold your power and your glory.
3. For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *
my lips shall give you praise.
4. So will I bless you as long as I live *
and lift up my hands in your name.
5. My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness, *
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
6. when I remember you upon my bed, *
and meditate on you in the night watches.
7. For you have been my helper, *
and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
8. My soul clings to you; *
your mighty hand holds me fast.
9. May those who seek my life to destroy it *
go down into the depths of the earth;
10. let them fall upon the edge of the sword, *
and let them be food for jackals.
11. But the king will rejoice in God; all those who swear by God will be glad, *
for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be
stopped.

Glory 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.

or

Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.

Amen.


Psalm 64

1. Hear my voice, O God, when I complain; *
protect my life from fear of the enemy.
2. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, *
from the mob of evildoers.
3. They sharpen their tongue like a sword, *
and aim their bitter words like arrows,
4. so that they may shoot down the blameless from ambush; *
they shoot without warning and are not afraid.
5. They hold fast to their evil course; *
they plan how they may hide their snares.
6. They say, “Who will see us? Who will find out our
crimes? *
We have thought out a perfect plot.”
7. The human mind and heart are a mystery; *
but you, O God, will loose an arrow at them, and
suddenly they will be wounded.
8. You will make them trip over their tongues, *
and all who see them will shake their heads.
9. Everyone will stand in awe and declare your deeds, O God; *
they will recognize your works.
10. The righteous will rejoice in you, O Lord, in whom they put their trust*
and all who are true of heart will glory.


Conclusion

Isaiah 24.4-7

4. The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and
withers; the heavens languish together with the earth.
5. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
6. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants
suffer for their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled, and few people are left.
7. The wine dries up, the vine languishes, all the merry-
hearted sigh.

Glory 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.

or

Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.

Amen.

Antiphon: O God, you created the heavens and spread out the earth. You gave breath to all people and spirit to everything which lives.

Reading(s)

Esther 6.1-14

That night the king could not sleep, and he gave orders to bring the book of records, the annals, and they were read to the king. It was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had conspired to assassinate King Ahasuerus. Then the king said, ‘What honour or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?’ The king’s servants who attended him said, ‘Nothing has been done for him.’ The king said, ‘Who is in the court?’ Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. So the king’s servants told him, ‘Haman is there, standing in the court.’ The king said, ‘Let him come in.’ So Haman came in, and the king said to him, ‘What shall be done for the man whom the king wishes to honour?’ Haman said to himself, ‘Whom would the king wish to honour more than me?’ So Haman said to the king, ‘For the man whom the king wishes to honour, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and a horse that the king has ridden, with a royal crown on its head. Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials; let him robe the man whom the king wishes to honour, and let him conduct the man on horseback through the open square of the city, proclaiming before him: “Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honour.”’ Then the king said to Haman, ‘Quickly, take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to the Jew Mordecai who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.’ So Haman took the robes and the horse and robed Mordecai and led him riding through the open square of the city, proclaiming, ‘Thus shall it be done for the man whom the king wishes to honour.’

Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, ‘If Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail against him, but will surely fall before him.’

While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the banquet that Esther had prepared.


Acts 19.1-10

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— altogether there were about twelve of them.

He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.


Silence


Response (Proverbs 3.19-20)

By your wisdom, O Lord, you founded the earth and established the heavens;
By your wisdom, O Lord, you founded the earth and established the heavens;
By you knowledge the deeps broke open.
You founded the earth and established the heavens;
Glory to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit.
By your wisdom, O Lord, you founded the earth and established the heavens.

Song of Zechariah

Song of Zechariah Antiphon: Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; * then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

1 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,* for he has come to his people and set them free.
2 He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,* born of the house of his servant David.
3 Through his holy prophets he promised of old* that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all that hate us.
4 He promised to show mercy to our forebears,* and to remember his holy covenant.
5 This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:* to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
6 free to worship him without fear,* holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
7 You my child shall be called the prophet of the Most High,* for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
8 to give his people knowledge of salvation* by the forgiveness of all their sins.
9 In the tender compassion of our God* the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
10 to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,* and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory 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.

or

Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.

Amen.

(may be said by all)

Song of Zechariah Antiphon: Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; * then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Prayers

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.

Amen


Collect of the Day

O God,
in whose wisdom all things have been established in order:
enlighten the people you have saved,
that they may consider
the greater wonder of your new creation,
brought forth in the fullness of time,
through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen


God most holy, we give you thanks for bringing us out of the shadow of night into the light of morning; and we ask you for the joy of spending this day in your service, so that when evening comes, we may once more give you thanks, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Amen

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The Lord bless us and preserve us from all evil;
and bring us to life eternal.
Amen.

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