A FORM 
 
 OF 
 
 HUMBLE PRAYER 
 
 TO 
 
 ALMIGHTY GOD 
 
 TO BE USED ON 
 
 SUNDAY, THE THIRD of JANUARY, 1913, 
 Being the Day Appointed for Intercession 
 On behalf of the Nation and Empire 
 In this Time of War. 
 
 Issued under the Authority of the Archbishops of 
 Canterbury and York. 
 
 SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. 
 London : Northumberland avenue, w.c. 
 
Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive 
 in 2014 
 
 https://archive.org/details/formofliumbleprayOOcliur 
 
I. 
 
 THE ORDER OF HOLY 
 COMMUNION. 
 
 ^ In tlw Order of Holy Communion these Collects shall he used 
 after the Culled of the Day, with the Epistle and Gospel as 
 followeth : 
 
 OGOD, whose never-failing providence orderoth all 
 things both in heaven and earth : Wo humbly lieseech 
 thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us 
 those things which be profitable for us; through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 LOED of all power and might, who art the author and 
 giver of all good things : Graft in our hearts the love 
 of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with 
 all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same ; 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 The Epistle. Romans viii. 18. 
 
 FOR I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are 
 not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall 
 be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the 
 creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, 
 but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope : 
 because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the 
 bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the 
 children of God. For we know that the whole creation 
 groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And 
 not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits 
 of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, 
 waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 
 For we are saved by hope : but hope that is seen is not hope : 
 for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for 1 But if we 
 hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 
 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities : for we 
 
4 
 
 know not what we should pray for as we ought : but the 
 Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaiungs 
 which cannot be uttered. And ho that seareheth the hearts 
 knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh 
 intercession for the saints accordmg to the will ot ^Tod. 
 And we know that all things work together for good to 
 them that love God. 
 
 The Gospel. St Matthew vii. 7. 
 
 Ask and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; 
 knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one 
 that asketh receiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ; and to 
 him that knoeketh it shall be opened. Or what man is 
 there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a 
 stone ? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent 1. If 
 ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your 
 children, how much more shall your Father which is in 
 heaven give good things to them that ask him 1 Therefore 
 all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, 
 do ye even so to them : for this is the law and the prophets. 
 
 *t\ Before bidding the people to p-ay fm- the whole state of 
 Christ's Church militant here in earth, the Priest shall say : 
 
 Let us pray that Almighty God will grant his continual 
 help and guidance to us and to the peoples who are allied 
 with us in this war. 
 
 Let us pray for all to whom is committed the duty 
 of governmenti that they may act with wisdom and 
 courage. 
 
 Let us pray for the sailors and soldiers of our King and 
 of his Allies. 
 
 Let us pray for the sick and wounded, the anxious and the 
 bereaved, whether our own or of the enemy ; and let us 
 commend to the mercy of God those who fall in the service 
 of their country. 
 
 Let us pray that peace may be restored, and that the 
 issues of the war may be over-ruled for the glory of God 
 and the enlargement of his kingdom. 
 
 L. 
 
5 
 
 H Before the Blessing shall he said these Prayers that follow : 
 
 ALMIGHTY God, who canst bring good out of evil, 
 and makest even the wrath of man to turn to thy praise : 
 We beseech thee so to order and dispose the issue of this 
 war, that we may be brought through strife to a lasting 
 peace ; and that the nations of the world may be united in 
 a firmer fellowship for the promotion of thy glory and the 
 good of all mankind ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Amen. 
 
 REMEMBEE, Lord, what thou hast wrought in us, and 
 not what we deserve ; and, as thou hast called us to 
 thy service, make us worthy of our calling; through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 11. 
 
 AT MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER. 
 
 Special Psalms : 
 
 Morning, 42, 43, 4G. 
 Evening, 23, 25. 
 
 Special Lessons : 
 
 Morning, First Lesson, i. Kings viii. v. 54 to v. 62. 
 Second Lesson, Eevelation xxi. to v. 8. 
 
 Evening, First Lesson, Isaiah xxxv. 
 
 Second Lesson, St John xii. 23 to v. 33, 
 
III. 
 
 A FORM OF HUMBLE PRAYER 
 TO ALMIGHTY GOD 
 IN THE PRESENT TIME OF WAR. 
 
 TO BE USED AFTER THE IIIIHD COLLECT OF MORNING OR OP 
 EVENING PRAYEII, OR AT S0CU OTHER TIME AS THE MINISTER 
 IN HIS DISCRETION SHALL JUDGE CONVENIENT. 
 
 1 The Minister, standing in the Fulpit, or other convenient 
 place, shall speak to the people in these or other like uwds: 
 
 OUR Saviour Christ, when he was upon earth, by his 
 example and by bis words ever taught men to priiy. 
 Through prayer we find in God our refuge and consolation 
 in times of 'trouble; and by means of prayer we are 
 permitted, and even commanded, to work with him for 
 the fulfilment of his good purpose for mankind. We 
 ought therefore most gladly to welcome the opportunity 
 which is now given us, in this solemn hour of our nation's 
 history, to join together in making supplication and 
 intercession to our Heavenly Father and Almighty King. 
 
 That we may be the better able to do this our duty, let 
 us endeavour to deepen in ourselves those feelings of need 
 and unwoi thiness with which alone we may fitly approach 
 the throne of grace ; and let us carefully consider what 
 those things are for which we may rightly present our 
 petitions. 
 
 [ The conflict in which, by grievous necessity, we are 
 engaged is such as nuist try to the utmost the strength of 
 ourselves and our Allies. And were that strength never 
 so much greater than it is, it would quickly be turned 
 into weakness, if we presumed to imagine that it could of 
 itself avail for our security and protection. ( We have made 
 
7 
 
 great efforts and sacrifices for what our conscience tells us is 
 the cause of right and of freedom ; and^^^with the blessing of 
 God, we are ready to make still more. ^Let us, then, in all 
 sincerity dedicate ourselves anew this day to his service 
 from whom nations derive their commission, and by whom 
 they are endued with power to execute justice and equity. 
 
 Before all else we must remember that those who would 
 receive good at the hands of God must go to him in humility, 
 with a due sense of their many fault.; and continual shortcom- 
 ings in his sight. If we do but examine our hearts and our 
 lives, we shall discover that we have been verily guilty of 
 the same kind of sins which we are most quick to detect, 
 and most stern to denounce in our neighbours. Wo need 
 to repent of our lack of faith, of our selfish indifference to 
 the welfare of others, of our sinful indulgence and love of 
 ease ; even, let us plainly confess it, of arrogance as a people, 
 of confidence in ourselves, of pride of possession. We 
 must freely acknowledge that it is of (iod's unmerited 
 goodness that he has shielded our land from invasion, and 
 granted some measure of success to our arms. 
 
 Coming thus humbly and thankfully to our faithful 
 God and merciful Father, we shall not seek first the things 
 that are for our private advantage, but the things which 
 will be for the advancement of his kingdom. We shall 
 entreat him to grant that out of the confusions and 
 miseries of the war there may arise a clearer perception 
 of the true relation between right and might, and a fuller 
 apprehension of the Gospel of Christ as it bears upon the 
 fellowship of nations. Jf We shall have no desire to see our 
 enemies crushed merely for the sake of their humiliation. 
 We shall wish for them, as for ourselves, that their eyes may 
 be opened to know what is true .; and we shall pray that the 
 day may come, by the mercy of God, when we may learn to 
 understand and respect one another, and may be united as 
 friends to pursue the common goody And above all we 
 shall pray that when the longed-for peace arrives we may 
 be filled with the determination to wipe out the bitter 
 memory of our strifes and contentions by setting our- 
 selves afresh, a.s men of goodwill, to the supreme task of 
 leading the peoples of the world to the true knowledge 
 and obedience of the only Deliverer and'Master of us all. 
 
8 
 
 ( To these great petitions for the future we shall add our 
 requests for the supply of our immediate necessities : for the 
 decisive and speedy victory of our cause ; and, to that end, 
 for guidance and 'a right judgment to be given to our 
 King, and to all in authority U7ider him,/ We shall pray 
 for our sailors and soldiers" that they may be examples 
 of manly courage and mercifulness ; for those who have 
 been called to minister to the sick and the wounded, that 
 they may be helped and protected; for the many who 
 mourn and are desolate, that they may find comfort ancl 
 relief. Further, wc shall pray for those who at home and 
 throughout the Empire ai-e now preparing for service in the 
 field ; and for ourselves that we may cheerfully take our full 
 share of the burdens that are to be borne. And in these 
 our prayers we shall remember also those who are allied 
 with us, and ask that the like blessings may be granted to 
 them. 
 
 Finally, we shall not fail to give thanks for those who 
 have laid down their lives on our behalf ; believing, as we do, 
 that there has already been vouchsafed to them the knowledge 
 that their sufterings will not be in vain : and we shall pray 
 that we with them may have our portion in the inheritance 
 of the life hereafter, through the mighty power of him, the 
 great Captain of our salvation, who will yet manifestly go 
 forth to war against all the evil that remains to be destroyed, 
 to the end that he may deliver up the kingdom to his 
 Father and ours, that God may be all in all. To which 
 blessed consummation of victory may he speedily bring us. 
 Amen. 
 
 ^ Then ifhnll the, people kmcl, and the Minister shall say : 
 
 Let us prepare ourselves to draw near to God in humble 
 prayer. 
 
 Our help is in the name of the Lord : 
 UHw h/ith made heaven and earth. 
 thou that hearest prayer ; 
 Unto thee sliall all flesh come. 
 Our misdeeds prevail against us : 
 be tliou inerciful unto ottr sins. 
 
 {A period of silence.) 
 
9 
 
 Let us pray. 
 
 OLORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear ns ; and 
 grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty 
 desire to pray, may by thy mighty aid be defended and 
 comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 Let us humbly offer our supplication to Almighty God. 
 
 God, the Father of heaven : 
 Have merri/ upon ?(.«. 
 
 O God the Son, Redeemer of the world : 
 
 Have mercy vpon !(.s-. 
 
 O God the Holy Ghost : 
 
 Have mercy upon us. 
 
 holy, blessed and glorious Trinity : 
 
 Have mercy upon lis. 
 
 Remember not. Lord, our offences, nor the offences of 
 our forefathers ; neither take thou vengeance of our sins ; 
 spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast 
 redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry 
 with us for ever : 
 
 Spare us, good Lord. 
 
 i. 
 
 For deliverance from sin. 
 
 (Response : Good Lord, delirer 
 
 From all those sins whereby as a nation we have 
 grieved thee ; 
 
 From pride, boasting, and self-sufliciency ; 
 
 From covetousness, worldliness, and indifference to the 
 needs of others ; 
 
 From drunkenness, impurity, and all manner of self- 
 indulgence ; 
 
 From trusting in our own strength and forgetting 
 thee ; 
 
 From all thoughts and acts which hinder thy gracious 
 purposes for mankind ; 
 
 Turn us, God our Saviour ; 
 And let thine anger cease from. us. 
 O Lord, arise, help us ; 
 And deliver us for thy Name's sake. 
 
10 
 
 ii. 
 
 For pardon and spiritual renewal. 
 
 (Response : JFe beseech thee, good Lord.) 
 
 We thy humble servants make our humble petition 
 before thee ; and that it may please thee 
 
 To pardon whatever in us has helped to cause the 
 present war ; 
 
 To forgive us our sins, shortcomings, and blindness of 
 heart ; 
 
 To pardon our want of faith in thee ; 
 To pardon our want of love to thee ; 
 To pardon our want of love one to another in thy holy 
 Church ; 
 
 To pardon our want of charity towards all men ; 
 To give us true repentance and amendment of life 
 through the grace of thy Holy Spirit ; 
 
 Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us. 
 
 So7(, of God, we beseech thee to hear us. 
 
 O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world: 
 
 JIare mercy upon m. 
 
 Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world : 
 Grant us thy peace. 
 
 m. 
 
 For our King and Country, and for our Allies. 
 
 (Response ; Hear ire beseech thee.) 
 That it may please thee 
 
 Favourably to behold our King and his Ministers of 
 State, and to guide and protect them : 
 
 To give wisdom and strength to all who are in authority ; 
 
 To bestow upon our people a spirit of self-control, and 
 of sure confidence in thee ; 
 
 To inspire the men of oiu' nation to ofier themselves 
 willingly at the call of duty ; 
 
 To inspire those who remain at home with a like spirit 
 of sacrifice ; 
 
 To grant to all our Allies the blessings that we ask 
 for ourselves ; 
 
11 
 
 The King shall rejoice in thy strength, Lord : 
 
 Erceeding glad !<hall he he. of thy salvation. 
 Shew thy marvellous loving-liindness ; 
 Thou that art the Saviour of them lohich put their trust in 
 thee. 
 
 iv. 
 
 For our Navy and Army, and those of our Allies. 
 
 (Response : Hear us, toe beseech thee.) 
 That it may please thee 
 
 To sustain and strengthen those who bear command by 
 land or by sea, continuing to them thy gifts of wisdom 
 and energy ; 
 
 To guard and preserve the men of all ranks, upholding 
 their courage and endurance ; 
 
 To inspire them all with faith and hope, reverence and 
 a high sense of honour, with tenacity in reverses and 
 mercifulness in the hour of success ; 
 
 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear 
 him : 
 
 And vpon them that put their trust in his merci/. 
 Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord ; 
 Fm- he is our help awl our shiekl. 
 
 -7. 
 
 For all sufferers through the war. 
 
 (Eesponse : Hear us, we beseech thee.) 
 That it may please thee 
 
 To look in mercy upon the wounded, the sick, and the 
 dying ; and to bless the efforts of all who minister to them ; 
 
 To give faith and courage to those who are in anxiety 
 and suspense ; ' 
 
 To comfort and help the mourners, and all who are 
 desolate and distressed ; 
 
 To grant to all prisoners of war a spirit of patient 
 endurance under the burden of restraint and weariness ; 
 
12 
 
 Himself took our infirmities ; 
 
 Aiul hare our sicknesses. 
 
 Mine angel is with you : 
 
 And I myself, cariwj for your souls. 
 
 vi. 
 
 For those who fight against us. 
 
 (Response : Hear iis, we beseech thee) 
 
 That it may please thee . 
 
 To forgive our enemies, and to help us to forgive them ; 
 
 To remove their misunderstanding, and to allay their 
 
 bitterness ; , . • i • i „ 
 
 To give them repentance for their misdoings, and a 
 
 readiness to make amends ; , a- • 
 
 To shew thy pity upon those of them who sutler— in 
 battle, or through bereavement, poverty, or other miseries 
 of war ; 
 
 To reward with thy mercy such of them as shew mercy 
 to their enemies ; 
 
 Bo not overcome of evil : 
 
 Bat overcome evil with (jood. 
 
 When a man's ways please the Lord : 
 
 Ee makelh even his enemies to he at peace with him. 
 
 vii. 
 
 For the speedy triumph of our cause. 
 
 (Response : Hear us, God of righteousness.) 
 
 That it may please thee 
 ^ To judge between us and our enemies, and in thy 
 mercy to grant victory to our arms ; 
 
 To preserve our land from bloodshed, and to remove 
 the horrors of war from other lands ; 
 
 To give to us and to the whole world a speedy, 
 righteous, and abiding peace ; 
 
 To bring forth out of this conflict a true brotherhood 
 ~^ of men, and a lasting fellowship of the nations ; 
 
13 
 
 Hear the right, Lord, consider our complaint : 
 And hearken unto our prayer, tluit goclh not out of feigned 
 lips. 
 
 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness : 
 
 His countenance will behold the thing that is just. 
 
 viii. 
 
 Thanksgiving for mercies already received. 
 
 (Response : JFe thank thee, God.) 
 
 With these our prayers let us ofl'er to Almighty God 
 our humble thanks for his mercies which we have already 
 received. 
 
 For the blessings of a long time of peace ; 
 
 For the laying aside of controversies at home, and for s/ 
 the unity of the Nation and Empire ; 
 
 For the loyal and loving response of our fellow-subjects 
 beyond the seas ; 
 
 For the full harmony between our Allies and oiu'selves, 
 and for the success which has already been granted to our 
 common efforts ; 
 
 For the devotion of those who have laid down their 
 lives for their country ; 
 
 For the revelation in danger, in suffering, and in death, 
 of the power of the Cross and the benefits of the Lord's 
 Passion ; 
 
 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy : 
 Long-siifj'cring, and of great goodness. 
 He hath not dealt with us after our sins ; 
 Norr rewarded us according to our wickednesses. 
 
 Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy 
 Ghost : 
 
 As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be ; world 
 wiilwut end. Amen. 
 
 {A period of silence.) 
 Let us pray. 
 
u 
 
 Lord, have mercy upon us. 
 Christ, have, mem/ upon us. 
 Lord, have mercy upon us. 
 
 
 
 UR Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy 
 - Name, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, m 
 earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, 
 •uid foraive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that 
 trespass against us ; and lead us not into temptation, but 
 deliver u.s from evil. Amen. 
 
 A LMIGHTY God, the fountain of all wisdom, who 
 A liiiowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignor- 
 ance in asking ; We beseech thee to have compassion upon 
 our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthi- 
 ness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, 
 vouchsafe to give us, for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. Jmen. 
 
 li Here may he added, at the diseretim of the Minister, me 
 or mare of the special prayers already issued by authority. And 
 tlien shall he said : 
 
 OW unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly 
 * . above all that we ask or think, according to the power 
 that worketh in us ; unto him be glory in the Church 
 and in Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without 
 end. Amen. 
 
15 
 
 IV. 
 
 In parishes where it is desired to make special inter- 
 cessions on the days of the week which follow the appointed 
 Sunday, the Form preceding may serve again : and use 
 may be made of the Forms already authorized and issued. 
 For the commemoration of those who have fallen in the 
 War such Form shall be used as is sanctioned by the 
 Bishop of the Diocese. 
 
 The following Table may be found convenient for the 
 assignment of particular subjects to the several days : 
 
 Monday. The King. The Government. The Leaders 
 of our Forces. The Allied Nations, with their 
 Rulers and Commanders. 
 
 Tuesday. Our Forces, and those of our Allies ; at sea, 
 on land, in the air. That they may be granted 
 protection in danger ; and victory in battle. 
 
 Wednesday. The wounded, the sick, the dying. All 
 who minister to them. The mourners, and all 
 who suffer distress through the War. 
 
 Thursday. The Nation ; the Empire ; the Church. 
 That there may be a nobler civilisation based upon 
 a deeper knowledge and a bolder acceptance of 
 the Gospel message. 
 
 Friday. That we may put away the unchristian feel- 
 ings of hatred and retaliation : and may learn to 
 pray for our enemies. That lioth they and we 
 may receive forgiveness of all our sins, and may 
 be guided into the way of Peace. 
 
 Saturday. Those who have fallen in the War ; 
 whom we commend to the mercy of God ; 
 thanking him for their devotion even unto death. 
 
FORM OF PRAYER FOR JANUARY 3, 1915. 
 
 Price 2/6 per 100 net. 
 
 Specimen Copy, Id, post free. 
 
 Postage on 25 copies 3rf. ; RO, id. ; 100, 5a!. ; 150, ; 200, Id. 
 
 Copies of tills Form of Praver may also lie olitained in a larger size 
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 I'OSTEHS printed in red and Mack, 20 in. by 15 in., announcing the 
 Service, are piililisheil liy S.P.C.K. at \d. each, net. 
 
 NOTE. 
 
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 sepaiafely at the prices inarlsed, or liound together, price 2d. (panel) and 
 •Jd. (cloth), net :— K • f \v V I 
 
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 Prayers for Family Worship. 1/- per 100 net. 
 
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