William Temple (1881-1944)

Prayers for peace and justice

Almighty God,
from whom all thought of truth and peace proceed:
kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace
and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel for the nations of the earth
that in tranquillity your kingdom may go forward,
till the earth be filled with the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect for the Peace of the World (Common Worship)

O God, by your Son Jesus Christ you have set on earth
  a kingdom of holiness to measure its strength against all others;
make faith to prevail over fear, and righteousness over force,
and truth over the lie, and love and concord over all things;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

War Prayers, 1940

Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for the Third Sunday before Advent (Common Worship)

Eternal God,
in whose perfect realm
no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness,
and no strength known but the strength of love:
so guide and inspire the work of those who seek your kingdom
that all your people may find their security
in that love which casts out fear
and in the fellowship revealed to us
in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Collect for Social Justice and Responsibility (Common Worship)

O God, who wouldest fold both heaven and earth in a single peace:
Let the design of thy great love
lighten upon the waste of our wraths and sorrows;
and give peace to thy Church,
peace among nations,
peace in our dwellings,
and peace in our hearts;
through thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

Eric Milner-White (1884-1963)

For the Armed Forces

Almighty God, stretch forth your mighty arm to strengthen and protect the armed forces: grant that, meeting danger with courage and all occasions with discipline and loyalty, they may truly serve the cause of justice and peace; to the honour of your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the victims of war

God of love, whose compassion never fails;
we bring before you the griefs and perils of peoples and nations;
the necessities of the homeless;
  the helplessness of the aged and weak;
the sighings of prisoners; the pains of the sick and injured;
  the sorrow of the bereaved.
Comfort and relieve them, O merciful Father, according to their needs;
for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

after St Anselm (1033-1109)

For the leaders of the nations

Sovereign Lord of peoples and nations,
we pray for all who are called to leadership among their fellows;
give them vision to see far into the issues of their time,
courage to uphold what they believe to be right
  and integrity in their words and motives;
and may their service to their peoples
  promote the welfare and peace of the whole human race;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Basil Naylor

For friends and loved ones

O God, your fatherly care reaches
  to the uttermost parts of the earth.
Bless those whom we love, who are now separated from us.
Watch over them, and protect them
  in all anxiety, danger and temptation;
and teach us and them to feel and know that you are always near,
and that we are one in you for ever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the dead

Give rest, O Christ, to your servants with the saints:
where sorrow and pain are no more,
neither sighing, but life everlasting.
You only are immortal, the creator and maker of all:
and we are mortal, formed from the dust of the earth,
and unto earth shall we return.
For so you ordained when you created me, saying:
'Dust you are and to dust you shall return.'
All of us go down to the dust,
yet weeping at the grave, we make our song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Give rest, O Christ, to your servants with the saints:
where sorrow and pain are no more,
neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Common Worship: Pastoral Services

For those who mourn

Almighty God,
Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort:
deal graciously, we pray, with those who mourn,
that, casting all their care on you,
they may know the consolation of your love,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Common Worship: Pastoral Services

Further Prayers

Prayers of entrusting and commending

Eternal light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
that with all our heart and mind and soul and strength
we may seek thy face
and be brought by thy infinite mercy to thy holy presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alcuin of York (735-804)

Into thy hands, O Father and Lord,
  we commend our souls and bodies,
our parents and our homes, friends, neighbours and kindred,
our benefactors and brethren departed,
all folk rightly believing
and all who need thy pity and protection.
Light us with thy holy grace
and suffer us never to be separated from thee,
O Lord in Trinity, God everlasting.

St. Edmund of Abingdon (1170-1240)

Prayers of trusting and self-offering

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, his might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, his shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

from St Patrick's Breastplate

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all who love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

From St Patrick's Breastplate

Alone with none but thee, my God
I journey on my way.
What need I fear, when thou art near
O king of night and day?
More safe am I within thy hand
Than if an host didst round me stand.

St Columba (c.521-597)

Well-known prayers

Thanks be to thee, O Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which thou hast won for us,
for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for us.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may I know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly
and follow thee more nearly
day by day.

attributed to St Richard of Chichester (1253)

O Lord our heavenly Father,
almighty and everlasting God,
who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day;
defend us in the same with thy mighty power;
and grant that this day we fall into no sin,
neither run into any kind of danger,
but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance,
to do always that is righteous in thy sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Third Collect at Morning Prayer - The Book of Common Prayer

Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening
  into the house and gate of heaven,
to enter into that gate and dwell in that house,
where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light;
no noise nor silence, but one equal music;
no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession;
no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity;
in the habitations of thy glory and dominion,
world without end.

after John Donne (1571-1631)

Grant, Lord, that we may live in your fear,
die in your favour, rest in your peace,
rise in your power and reign in your glory;
for your own beloved Son's sake,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

William Laud (1573-1645)

Remember, O 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.

The Prayer Book as proposed in 1928

We apologise if any of these prayers infringe any copyright restrictions. Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000) ,The Alternative Service Book 1980, material from which is included here, is/are copyright;
The Archbishops' Council [2000, 1980], see (<http://www.cofe.anglican.org/commonworship)