This blog contains Christian prayer services marking the passage of time in the course of your day: Morning and Evening Prayer according to the use of The Episcopal Church in the United States, along with Midday and Latenight Prayer from both the U.S. and New Zealand.
We welcome people from all denominations (or none) from all over the world.
This blog is timed for the Western Hemisphere. Our other blog, Daily Office Asia-Pacific, is timed for Asia and the East. See it here.
Whatever time you’re on, the right service is available.
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Thank you for coming. God loves it when you pray—not because God needs to hear how great s/he is, but because praying opens the human soul to more loving relationships.
Josh Thomas
Lay Vicar
The Daily Office 
Josh, Just a note to say how the office is blessing my life and those that I have shared it with. I have started to use the prayers from the office in meetings or gatherings and have been encouraged by the reception of these into our baptist live. Bless you for your faithfulness to provide this resource at our fingertips!
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Letha, I wish my mentor Howard Galley could see this message (maybe he can in heaven). He was the General Editor of this prayer book back in the ’70s. It was a major change from the previous one, but he knew that the prayers and services would enrich the lives of millions in all kinds of places, from all different traditions. That’s exactly how it’s worked out.
I post the prayers because he and other mentors taught me how; it’s my way of fulfilling the Great Commission. Yes, I’m catholic, but I’m also evangelical; that’s how Episcopalians are.
Stay in touch.
Josh
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I just wanted to add how much I am blessed by this site. I have been reading it now for a few weeks and it has really drawn be close to the Lord. I feel compelled to share a simple but powerful thing that just happened. It was getting late and I hadn’t read the evening or late night prayer. I was feeling tired and was just going to go into bed and not read and pray tonight. A friend of mine sent me a text mssg with a scripture that the Lord had put on his heart in his personal prayer tonite. It was in reference to a conversation we had had earlier today. He does not know anything about the Daily Office or this site. He just sent me a reference to Psalm 103:15-18. I looked it up and read it. Its hard to explain, but I immediately felt compelled to read the Evening Prayer, with a strong feeling that that Psalm would be there and that I would be sharing it back with my friend. Imagine how awesome it was to scroll down and see Psalm 103 as the very first reading of the night. Praise God. He is truly at work within and among us all. Thanks for your work on this site. God Bless. Patrick.
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Patrick,
What a happy coincidence – or more.
Ps. 103:15-18
Our days are like the grass; *
we flourish like a flower of the field;
When the wind goes over it, it is gone, *
and its place shall know it no more.
But the merciful goodness of the LORD endures for ever on those who fear him, *
and his righteousness on children’s children;
On those who keep his covenant *
and remember his commandments and do them.
josh
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Thank you for posting the prayers here… I particularly like being able to use the New Zealand prayerbook some of the time for midday and compline, as the language is so beautiful!
What wonderful work you do here–and I loved your explanation about the relevance of set prayers. When the prayers of our hearts are groans that are beyond words, it helps to pray words that are familiar and comforting.
Like many, the winter lack of light triggers depression for me. The discipline of the daily office was a way for me to hang on to hope. Bless you.
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Sue,
My spiritual director is like that about sunshine; my issue is cold temperatures. Fortunately winter’s almost over, Easter’s coming soon and we all get to feel better!
The dailyness of the Office is a constant source of refreshment if we let it be. I’m enjoying the daily collects for Lent; this is the first year we’ve offered them. It’s meant more typing but they’re good prayers.
josh
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Dear Josh,
Would you consider adding the preamble to confession, confession, and the absolution for lay readers to Morning and Evening Prayer?
The peace of the LORD be with you.
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Steven,
I love your request. But the preamble is a bit problematical, with its appeal to “let us kneel in silence.” People aren’t going to do that in front of their computers, Kindles and iPhones.
It is a beautiful piece of writing, however, full of faith and truth, so we will reproduce it right now.
“Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly father, to set forth his praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him, let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.
CONFESSION OF SIN
“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
“Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.”
Let me remind all visitors that in the season after Pentecost we make this confession every Friday, both morning and evening. In Advent we confess every Wednesday and Friday. During Christmas and Epiphany we abandon confession entirely; the same with Easter season, when confession is forbidden. During Lent we confess our sins every day but Sunday.
It’s my belief that this is a good scheme to guide our souls to God.
We are sinners; there’s no evading that fact. But we’re also loved and forgiven, and people today don’t need to get hammered over the head about our sinfulness when it’s all over the TV.
As your Vicar I commend the practice of private confession with a priest; it does a body good. Do not feel ashamed; just bring your sins to God so s/he can love you through them. Every priest is put on earth to hear your laments and pronounce your forgiveness; that’s half of why they exist, so avail yourself of the grace God offers you.
We are a people of blessing.
Josh Thomas
Founder of This Site
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Thank you
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Would you please add my dear friend, Ann Brewster, to the prayer list? She is doing chemotherapy, and I – and her community of so many family and friends here in Sewanee and beyond – are praying for her to be free from all the pain she has…and to be free from cancer.
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