Noonday Prayer is a nice discipline to take up during your lunch hour. It will usually be said as a short private devotion to help you keep your focus on the Lord in the midst of what are often very chaotic and busy lives. However, we have included rubrics for a group setting in the hopes that you might connect with a group who would like to enjoy the Noonday prayer in community.
The pastor or leader will read aloud the opening sentence of Scripture
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Revelation 4:11
All those gathered stand and everyone says the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. AMEN.
The pastor or leader along with all those gathered, remain standing and say or sing
Open our lips, O Lord.
And our mouths shall declare Your praise. (2x)
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us. (2x)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
The Lord’s Name be praised.
All those gathered may be seated, the pastor or leader may sit or stand
The pastor or leader reads aloud the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
The pastor or leader reads aloud the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17); and in response the people ask God’s mercy for their transgressions against the Law, and for grace to keep God’s laws in the future
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God,
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
12 “Honor your father and your mother,
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
13 “You shall not murder.
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
15 “You shall not steal.
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Lord, have mercy on us, and give us grace to help us in our time of need.
17 “You shall not covet…
Lord, have mercy on us, and write these Your laws in our hearts.
The pastor or leader reads Jesus summary of the Law (Matthew 22:37b-40); and in response the people ask God’s mercy for their transgressions against the Law, and for grace to keep God’s laws in the future
37 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Lord, have mercy on us, and write these Your laws in our hearts.
The Nicene Creed is said by all standing
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light of Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, universal, and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN.
The Prayers follow
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. AMEN.
Lord show us Your mercy.
And grant us Your salvation.
Create in us clean hearts, O God.
And renew us by Your Holy Spirit.
The Collect of the day is said
Click here for the Collect of the Day
This General Thanksgiving may be said by all those gathered along with the pastor or leader
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we Your unworthy servants give You humble and hearty thanks for all Your goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all people. We bless You for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for Your boundless love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and the hope of glory. Give us, we pray, such a sense of all Your mercies that with truly thankful hearts we may declare Your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to Your service, by walking before You in holiness and righteousness all our days, and in living by trying to do the next right thing; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, for ever and ever. AMEN.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom is said by all those gathered along with the pastor or leader
Almighty God, You have given us grace in our time of need to bring before You our common requests; and promise that when two or three are gathered together in Your name You will grant their requests; fulfill now, Lord, the desires and petitions of Your servants in ways that are most suitable for them; granting us in this world knowledge of Your truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. AMEN.
The Doxology may be sung by all those gathered along with the pastor or leader
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. AMEN.
The Grace is said by the pastor or leader
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. AMEN. 2 Corinthians 13:14.