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Japanese The Collect for Purity is a short prayer that can open a church service. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer sets it at the start of Holy Communion, and the 1906 Presbyterian Book of Common Worship uses it as an invocation to open morning worship. A leader can read it alone, or the whole congregation can say it together.
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer (1928), Holy Communion, The Collect, p. 67
In the 1928 Prayer Book the priest may say the Lord’s Prayer first and this collect straight after it. With fewer than fifty words, the collect takes well under a minute to read aloud.
Short opening prayers for Sunday worship
These prayers are written for a leader to read at the lectern, and each one is under 80 words.
For an ordinary Sunday morning
Lord God, we have come in from a week of work, worry and ordinary things, and we are here because you called us. Quiet our minds. Open our ears to your Word and our mouths to your praise. Let everything said and sung this morning be true, and let it honor Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Asking the Holy Spirit to lead the service
Holy Spirit, without you this is only a meeting. Come and do what we cannot do ourselves: make the Scriptures plain, turn our singing into praise and our requests into real prayer. Where any heart here is cold or tired this morning, warm it. Amen.
A thanksgiving to open worship
Father, thank you for this day and for bringing us here. Thank you for the people sitting beside us, for the food we ate this morning and the breath we sing with. Every good thing we have came from you. Receive our thanks and our worship, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A welcome for visitors and newcomers
Lord Jesus, some of us have sat in this room for years, and some are here for the first time. Make each one welcome in your house. You said, “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Let no one leave today without hearing that promise. Amen.
For unity in the congregation
Lord Jesus, you prayed for your followers “that they all may be one” (John 17:21). We come in this morning with our differences: young and old, new and long-standing, some who agree about everything and some who do not. Where we have hurt one another, make us willing to forgive. Let our worship rise to you as one voice. Amen.
For a humble and attentive heart
Father, we are easily distracted. Our phones are in our pockets and our minds are already on the week ahead. Before we sing or pray, humble us. Your word says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). Give us that grace, and keep our attention on you for this hour. Amen.
Traditional opening prayers
The Anglican, Presbyterian, Catholic and Orthodox prayer books all print set prayers for the start of worship. We quote older editions that are now in the public domain, and give the book and page under each prayer.
For the spirit of prayer
This prayer asks that we may worship God “in spirit and in truth,” the words Jesus spoke in John 4:23–24. The 1906 Presbyterian book prints a close variant of it among its invocations.
O Almighty God, who pourest out on all who desire it, the spirit of grace and of supplication; Deliver us, when we draw nigh to thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with stedfast thoughts and kindled affections, we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer (1928), Family Prayer, “For the Spirit of Prayer,” p. 594
A Presbyterian invocation
This invocation asks God to keep his promise in Exodus 20:24: “in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.”
O God, who hast promised that in all places where Thou dost record Thy Name, Thou wilt meet with Thy servants to bless them; Fulfil now Thy promise, and make us joyful in Thy house of prayer; that our worship, being offered in the Name of Thy Son and by the guidance of Thy Spirit, may be acceptable unto Thee, and profitable unto ourselves; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Worship (Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.), 1906, Morning Service, The Invocation, p. 3
Come, Holy Ghost
Catholics say this prayer to the Holy Spirit with a verse and response and then a short collect. The 1888 Manual of Prayers, prepared at the order of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, prints it first among its prayers before Mass. It can open a parish meeting or a class just as well.
Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.Let us pray. O God, who by the light of Thy Holy Spirit didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity (1888), Prayers before Mass, pp. 89–90
O heavenly King
This Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit comes near the start of the Hours and of the priest’s preparation for the Divine Liturgy in Isabel Hapgood’s English Service Book of 1906.
O heavenly King, the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art in all places and fillest all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come, and take up thine abode in us, and cleanse us from every stain; and save our souls, O Good One.
Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic (Greco-Russian) Church, tr. Isabel Florence Hapgood (1906), The Divine Liturgy, p. 67
Calls to worship from Scripture
A call to worship is a verse of Scripture read aloud before the opening prayer. Psalm 100 is short enough to read whole.
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Psalm 100:1–5
O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. … O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Psalm 95:1–2, 6–7
When time is short, one of these shorter verses will do:
- “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
- “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1)
- “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:3)
- “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” (Habakkuk 2:20)
Opening sentences for the church year
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer begins Morning Prayer with one or more sentences of Scripture, and it gives some for each season of the church year. Here are its sentences for six of the seasons:
| Season | Sentence | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Advent | Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. | Isaiah 40:3 |
| Christmas | 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. | Luke 2:10–11 |
| Lent | 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 2:13 |
| Easter | He is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. | Mark 16:6; Luke 24:34 |
| Pentecost (Whitsunday) | 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 1:8 |
| Trinity Sunday | Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. | Revelation 4:8 |
Opening prayers for special services
A Communion Sunday
Lord Jesus, today we come to your table. Your apostle Paul wrote, “as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Search our hearts before we receive, forgive the sins we confess, and make us one body as we share one bread. Amen.
A baptism
Some churches baptize infants, and others baptize only those old enough to profess faith. This prayer suits either. Put the person’s name where [name] appears.
Father, today we will baptize [name] in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, as Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19). Be with [name] and with all of us as we keep that command. Help this church keep its promise to teach, pray for and care for [him or her] for years to come. Amen.
After a hard week in the church
Name what has happened where the brackets are: a death, an illness, a quarrel, or news that has shaken the town.
Lord, we come in heavy this morning. [Name the loss or the trouble.] We have no answers to bring you. We come because you are “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Meet us here, comfort those who grieve, and give us patience with one another. Amen.
Prayer before the sermon
Psalm 19:14 is among the sentences that open Morning Prayer in the 1928 Prayer Book, and it is short enough for a preacher to say before beginning: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
A leader can also pray for the pastor and the listeners together:
Lord, speak through the one who preaches today. Keep the preacher faithful to your Word and free from the fear of people. Give us who listen hearing ears and willing hearts, so that we go out and do what we have heard. Amen.
Before the service begins and in small groups
With the greeters, musicians and helpers
Lord, the doors open in a few minutes. Bless the greeters, the musicians, the people at the sound desk, the teachers with the children and everyone who serves today. Keep us from hurry and irritation. Let us notice the person who comes in alone, and let all our work point to you. Amen.
For a small group or cell meeting
This prayer can open a home group, a cell meeting or a Bible study.
Lord Jesus, you promised that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). We are gathered in your name. Be among us as we read, talk and pray, and help us speak honestly and listen well. Amen.
How do you lead an opening prayer?
In the 1906 Presbyterian morning service the minister reads a sentence of Scripture, says “Let us pray,” and leads the invocation while the people bow. The 1928 Prayer Book also opens Morning Prayer with sentences of Scripture. On some days it lets the minister pass straight to prayer, with the greeting “The Lord be with you,” the answer “And with thy spirit,” and then “Let us pray.” Our own opening can be as plain as theirs: a greeting, a verse, “Let us pray,” the prayer and the people’s Amen.
It helps to pause before the prayer. Catholics do so at Mass, where everyone keeps a brief silence after the invitation to pray, and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal gives the reason: “so that they may become aware of being in God’s presence and may call to mind their intentions” (paragraph 54).
If you are writing a prayer for the day, the Collect for Purity makes a good pattern. It names God (“Almighty God”), says something true about him (“unto whom all hearts are open”), makes one request (“Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts”), gives the reason (“that we may perfectly love thee”), and ends through Christ. The invocations in the 1906 Presbyterian book run from about 55 to 85 words.
What is the opening prayer called?
The 1906 Presbyterian Book of Common Worship calls it the invocation, and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer calls a short set prayer of this kind a collect. At a Catholic Mass the opening prayer is the Collect, and the priest says it. The General Instruction says it is usually addressed to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, and that the people make it their own by answering Amen. Orthodox services begin with set prayers such as “O heavenly King.” A prayer written by the leader fits a Protestant service, or a meeting, class or small group in any church.
Prayer for God’s Presence
When we gather for worship, we come looking for God himself among us. This prayer asks the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and minds and make us ready for fellowship and praise.
Heavenly Father, we come before You with open hearts and minds. Fill this place with Your holy presence. Let Your Spirit move among us, touching each person here.
Lord, open our ears to hear Your voice. Open our eyes to see Your glory. Open our hands to receive Your blessings and to serve others in Your name.
Unite us as one body in Christ, bound together by Your love. May our worship today bring You honor and glory.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
We can carry thanksgiving through the whole service, as Psalm 100:4 tells us: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
Prayer for Guidance and Wisdom
Life is full of confusion and uncertainty, and we often need God to guide us. This prayer asks for his wisdom in the hard things we face, so that our decisions honor him.
Lord God, our source of wisdom and truth, we come to You seeking direction. In a world that often leads us astray, we need Your guiding light.
Grant us discernment to recognize Your voice amidst the noise of life. Give us courage to follow Your path, even when it’s difficult.
Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, the spirit of wisdom and understanding. Help us to apply Your Word to our daily lives, making choices that please You.
May our thoughts and actions reflect Your will, not our own selfish desires.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
In every part of our lives we can look to God for wisdom, as Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Prayer for Unity in the Church
A church cannot thrive without unity. Whatever our differences, we ask God in this prayer to bring us together in love and purpose.
Father God, we come before You as Your children, diverse yet united in Christ. We pray for the unity of Your church, both here and around the world.
Break down the walls that divide us. Heal the rifts caused by misunderstanding and pride. Help us to see each other through Your eyes of love and grace.
Bind us together with cords of compassion and understanding. May our unity be a powerful witness to the world of Your love and reconciliation.
Let our differences enrich rather than divide us, as we work together for Your kingdom.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Unity takes work in a church family, and Ephesians 4:3 urges us to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Prayer for Spiritual Growth
Every believer goes on growing for a lifetime. Here we ask God to deepen our faith and make us more like Christ.
Loving Father, we come to You with a hunger for spiritual growth. We long to know You more deeply and to reflect Your character more clearly.
Plant Your Word deep in our hearts. May it take root and bear fruit in our lives. Help us to grow in faith, hope, and love.
Transform us by the renewing of our minds. Prune away anything in us that doesn’t honor You. Cultivate the fruits of Your Spirit in our lives.
Give us a passion for prayer and a thirst for Your presence. May we grow more like Jesus each day.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
We grow day by day, as 2 Peter 3:18 asks us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Prayer for God’s Protection
We ask God here to protect our church family and our community, because the world holds dangers we can see and dangers we cannot.
Almighty God, our refuge and strength, we come seeking Your protection. Shield us from harm and guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Surround us with Your mighty angels. Be our fortress against the attacks of the enemy. Protect us from evil influences and temptations.
Guard our families, our church, and our community. Keep us safe in Your loving embrace. Help us to trust in Your unfailing care.
May we find peace in knowing that You are always with us, watching over us day and night.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God’s protection never lapses, and Psalm 91:1-2 gives us the words to trust it: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”
Prayer for Healing and Restoration
Many in our congregation may be struggling in body, heart or spirit. We pray for everyone who is suffering, and ask God to heal and restore them.
Compassionate Healer, we bring before You those who are hurting in body, mind, or spirit. We ask for Your healing touch and restoring power.
For those battling illness, we pray for Your healing balm. For those struggling with emotional pain, we ask for Your comfort and peace.
Restore broken relationships. Mend wounded hearts. Renew weary spirits. May Your healing power flow through our church family.
Help us to be instruments of Your healing love to those around us. Give us compassionate hearts and helping hands.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
We pray with faith and hope in God’s power to heal: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
Prayer for Community Outreach
We are called to be salt and light in our own communities. This prayer asks God to help us share his love with the people around us.
Lord Jesus, You commanded us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. We pray for Your guidance and empowerment in our community outreach.
Open our eyes to see the needs around us. Give us compassionate hearts to respond with Your love. Help us to be Your hands and feet in our community.
Bless our outreach efforts. May they bear fruit for Your kingdom. Use us to bring hope, healing, and salvation to those who don’t know You.
Give us boldness to share our faith and wisdom to do so with grace and love.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Jesus tells us what our light is for in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Prayer for God’s Provision
Many in our congregation may be short of money or of the things they need. We ask God to provide for them, and we remember how faithful he has been.
Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, we come to You acknowledging our dependence on Your provision. You know our needs before we even ask.
We pray for those struggling financially. Provide for their daily bread and open doors of opportunity. Help us to trust in Your abundant care.
Teach us to be good stewards of all You’ve given us. Help us to be generous, knowing that all we have comes from You.
May we find contentment in You, whether in plenty or in want. Thank You for Your faithful provision.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
We can trust him to provide: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Prayer for Forgiveness and Reconciliation
In this prayer we ask to receive God’s forgiveness and to pass it on to others, because forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel.
Merciful Father, we come before You acknowledging our need for forgiveness. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed.
Wash us clean with the precious blood of Jesus. Renew a right spirit within us. Help us to turn away from sin and walk in Your ways.
Give us the grace to forgive those who have hurt us. Heal broken relationships and restore unity where there has been division.
May Your forgiveness flow through us to others, as we extend the same grace we have received.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The forgiveness we have received is the pattern for the forgiveness we give: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
Prayer for God’s Will to be Done
Every believer needs to seek God’s will. This prayer asks for clear sight to see his plan, and the courage to follow it.
Sovereign Lord, Your ways are higher than our ways, and Your thoughts than our thoughts. We seek Your will for our lives and our church.
Open our hearts to hear Your voice clearly. Give us wisdom to discern Your leading. Grant us courage to follow where You guide, even when the path seems difficult.
Align our desires with Yours. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done in our lives, just as it is in heaven.
Help us to trust in Your perfect plan, even when we don’t understand it fully.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Romans 12:2 tells us how we come to know that will: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Prayer for Spiritual Warfare
We who believe are in a spiritual battle. In this prayer we ask God for strength, and for protection against everything that opposes us.
Mighty God, our Commander-in-Chief, we come before You acknowledging the spiritual battle we face daily. We put on the full armor of God.
Strengthen us with Your mighty power. Help us to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy. Shield us with Your truth and righteousness.
Give us discernment to recognize spiritual attacks. Empower us to resist temptation and overcome evil with good.
May we be victorious through the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Ephesians 6:10-11 tells us how to stand: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Prayer for Revival and Renewal
When our churches and communities need waking up, as they often do, we can ask God to pour out his Spirit afresh to revive and renew us.
Holy Spirit, we hunger for Your presence and power. We pray for a mighty revival in our church, our community, and our nation.
Awaken our hearts to a deeper love for You. Renew our passion for Your Word and for prayer. Ignite in us a burning desire to see the lost come to know You.
Pour out Your Spirit upon us. May Your power be evident in transformed lives and miraculous works.
Let revival begin in our own hearts and spread like wildfire through our community.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God has told us where revival begins: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Leading worship this Sunday? Print a free bulletin insert with a call to worship, an opening prayer and a blessing for the coming Sunday.
Your turn to pray
Asked to pray out loud? Choose the occasion and how much time you have, then read one of these three.
Prefer to use your own words? Lesson 1 of Praying Out Loud shows how, free.
O Almighty God, who pourest out on all who desire it, the spirit of grace and of supplication; Deliver us, when we draw nigh to thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with stedfast thoughts and kindled affections, we may worship thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From this article
O God, who hast promised that in all places where Thou dost record Thy Name, Thou wilt meet with Thy servants to bless them; Fulfil now Thy promise, and make us joyful in Thy house of prayer; that our worship, being offered in the Name of Thy Son and by the guidance of Thy Spirit, may be acceptable unto Thee, and profitable unto ourselves; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From this article
Lord God, we have come in from a week of work, worry and ordinary things, and we are here because you called us. Quiet our minds. Open our ears to your Word and our mouths to your praise. Let everything said and sung this morning be true, and let it honor Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
From this article
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Prefer to use your own words? Lesson 1 of Praying Out Loud shows how, free.
Keep this for next time. Your turn to pray has a page of its own, with our prayers for each occasion.
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