Morning Prayer from the Prayer Book of Thomas Becon

Thomas Becon (sometimes spelt Beccon or Bekon)

I found online (at this link) a copy of the Prayer Book of Thomas Becon (sometimes spelt Beccon or, as on the board in our church Bekon). He was Rector of St Stephen Walbrook twice. A Protestant reformer and a married priest, he was ejected from the church when Mary I came to the throne. He was sent to the Tower of London as a seditious preacher. He briefly returned to Walbrook as Rector after Elizabeth I came to the throne. There is an interesting article about his life and legacy here. Becon was known particularly for his writings in which he called on Christians to avoid partitioning their lives into 'sacred' and 'secular' and to pursue godliness in the rhythms of their daily lives. Some of the prayers in his prayerbook are now very dated - such as the prayers for handmaids and servants. But many of them are timeless. I used some for our service of Morning Prayer today:

We pray for the day ahead, for peace and racial harmony throughout the world, for all those suffering sickness and ill health, using words from the Prayer Book of Thomas Becon, who was rector of this parish in the 1540’s: 

For the Morning

I render unto thee, O heavenly Father, most hearty thanks, by thy dear Son Jesus Christ, that this night past thou hast vouchedsafe of thy fatherly goodness to preserve me from all evil, and to give my body rest and sleep: I now most entirely beseech thee that, as thou hast raised up this my body from sleep, so likewise thou wilt deliver my mind from the sleep of sin, and from the darkness of this world; that I, walking in the light of thy blessed word, may only do that is pleasing in thy sight, profitable to my neighbour and healthful to my soul. Amen

For Charity

Thy cognizance and badge, whereby thy disciples are known, O Lord and Saviour Jesu Christ, is charity or love, which cometh out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. I pray thee, therefore, give me this christian love and perfect charity, that I may love thee my Lord God with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strengths, doing always of very love that only which is pleasant in thy sight; again, that I may love my neighbour and christian brother as myself, wishing as well to him as to myself, and ready at all times to do for him whatsoever lieth in my power; that, when we all shall stand before thy dreadful judging-place, I, being known by thy badge, may be numbered among thy disciples, and so through thy mercy receive the reward of eternal glory. Amen.

For the Health of the Body (Abridged)

O most loving Lord, forasmuch as it is thy good pleasure that my body and soul shall still remain here together as yet in this vale of misery, I beseech thee to preserve my soul from all vice, and my body from all sickness, that I, enjoying through thy benefit the health both of body and soul, may be the more able to serve thee and my neighbour in such works as are acceptable in thy sight. Amen.

In a moment of silence we bring before God in prayer the names of those on our hearts, our neighbours, our family and friends, especially those who are sick.

Finally in this season of Pentecost, we pray for the gift of the spirit that we might lead our lives in a manner pleasing to God.

For a Life Agreeable to Our Knowledge

As I have prayed unto thee, O heavenly Father, to be taught the true understanding of thy blessed word by thy holy Spirit, so I most entirely beseech thee to give me grace to lead a life agreeable to my knowledge. Suffer me not to be of the number of them, which profess that they know God with their mouth, but deny him with their deeds. Let me not be like unto that son which said unto his father that he would labour in his vineyard, and yet laboured nothing at all, but went abroad loitering idly. Make me rather like unto that good and fruitful land, which yielded again her seed with great increase, that men, seeing my good works, may glorify thee my heavenly Father. Amen.