Morning Prayer — from All Saints’ Day until — the day before the First Sunday of Advent — Friday, 13 November 2026 — Charles Simeon, Priest, Evangelical Divine, 1836 [Lesser Festival]

Preparation

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

Your faithful servants bless you. They make known the glory of your kingdom. Alleluia.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God, ruler and judge of all, to you be praise and glory for ever. In the darkness of this age that is passing away may the light of your presence which the saints enjoy surround our steps as we journey on. May we reflect your glory this day and so be made ready to see your face in the heavenly city where night shall be no more. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever.

a suitable hymn, or A Song of Trust in God

1 As the deer longs for the water brooks, ♦ so longs my soul for you, O God.

2 My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God; ♦ when shall I come before the presence of God?

3 My tears have been my bread day and night, ♦ while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’

4 Now when I think on these things, I pour out my soul: ♦ how I went with the multitude and led the procession to the house of God,

5 With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, ♦ among those who kept holy day.

6 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, ♦ and why are you so disquieted within me?

7 O put your trust in God; ♦ for I will yet give him thanks, who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 42.1-7

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.

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. Amen.

The Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 28

The Lord is my strength and my shield.

1 To you I call, O Lord my rock; be not deaf to my cry, ♦ lest, if you do not hear me, I become like those who go down to the Pit.

2 Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, ♦ when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.

3 Do not snatch me away with the wicked, with the evildoers, ♦ who speak peaceably with their neighbours, while malice is in their hearts.

4 Repay them according to their deeds ♦ and according to the wickedness of their devices.

5 Reward them according to the work of their hands ♦ and pay them their just deserts.

6 They take no heed of the Lord’s doings, nor of the works of his hands; ♦ therefore shall he break them down and not build them up.

7 Blessed be the Lord, ♦ for he has heard the voice of my prayer.

8 The Lord is my strength and my shield; ♦ my heart has trusted in him and I am helped;

9 Therefore my heart dances for joy ♦ and in my song will I praise him.

10 The Lord is the strength of his people, ♦ a safe refuge for his anointed.

11 Save your people and bless your inheritance; ♦ shepherd them and carry them for ever.

The Lord is my strength and my shield.

Hear us, Shepherd of your people, forgive us our sins and, in a world of pretences, make us true in heart and mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 32

Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord.

1 Happy the one whose transgression is forgiven, ♦ and whose sin is covered.

2 Happy the one to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, ♦ and in whose spirit there is no guile.

3 For I held my tongue; ♦ my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long.

4 Your hand was heavy upon me day and night; ♦ my moisture was dried up like the drought in summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you ♦ and my iniquity I did not hide.

6 I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ ♦ and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

7 Therefore let all the faithful make their prayers to you in time of trouble; ♦ in the great water flood, it shall not reach them.

8 You are a place for me to hide in; you preserve me from trouble; ♦ you surround me with songs of deliverance.

9 ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; ♦ I will guide you with my eye.

10 ‘Be not like horse and mule which have no understanding; ♦ whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you.’

11 Great tribulations remain for the wicked, ♦ but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.

12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; ♦ shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord.

Give us honest hearts, O God, and send your kindly Spirit to help us confess our sins and bring us the peace of your forgiveness; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Each psalm or group of psalms may end with

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.

If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.

Daniel 7.1-14

In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being; and a human mind was given to it. Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks in its mouth among its teeth and was told, ‘Arise, devour many bodies!’ After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, when another horn appeared, a little one coming up among them; to make room for it, three of the earlier horns were plucked up by the roots. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly. As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousand served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgement, and the books were opened. I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

Canticle

A Song of the New Creation, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 28 (page 579), number 46 (page 598) or number 47 (page 599), may be said

I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Alleluia.

1 ‘I am the Lord, your Holy One, ♦ the Creator of Israel, your King.’

2 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, ♦ a path in the mighty waters,

3 ‘Remember not the former things, ♦ nor consider the things of old.

4 ‘Behold, I am doing a new thing; ♦ now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

5 ‘I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, ♦ to give drink to my chosen people,

6 ‘The people whom I formed for myself, ♦ that they might declare my praise.’

Isaiah 43.15, 16, 18, 19, 20c, 21

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.

I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Revelation 9.1-12

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit; he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given authority like the authority of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to damage the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

In appearance the locusts were like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; they had scales like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails like scorpions, with stings, and in their tails is their power to harm people for five months. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

The first woe has passed. There are still two woes to come.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord, my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness. The heavens bear witness to your wonders; I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. The assembly of your saints proclaims your truth; my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord, my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.

from Psalm 89

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said, or the Te Deum Laudamus (A Song of the Church) (page 636) may be said

I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Alleluia.

1 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, ♦ who 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 God promised of old ♦ to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all that hate us,

4 To show mercy to our ancestors, ♦ and to remember his holy covenant.

5 This was the oath God 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 And you, 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.

Luke 1.68-79

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.

I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Alleluia.

Prayers

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 364–365

The saints on earth, that they may live as citizens of heaven All people, that they may hear and believe the word of God All who fear the winter months All sovereigns and political leaders, that they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ All who grieve or wait with the dying

A form of prayer found on page 384 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

Eternal God, who raised up Charles Simeon to preach the good news of Jesus Christ and inspire your people in service and mission: grant that we with all your Church may worship the Saviour, turn in sorrow from our sins and walk in the way of holiness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer is said

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

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. 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)

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

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

The Conclusion

May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven, bring us to reign with him in glory. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia. Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

© The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005 Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from Church House Publishing.

The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Implemented by Simon Kershaw at Crucix. Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002–2021.