Commontide

For Guidance

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices; that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path we may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Prayer
Prayers

For a Child, or for a Birthday

Watch over your child N., O Lord, as his days increase; bless him and guide him, and keep him unspotted from the world. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he falls; and in his heart may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

BCP 2019, p. 667

Found in the Prayer Book

This prayer appears in more than one place in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer.

  • Occasional Prayers
  • Thanksgiving Birth Adoption · as “Watch over your child”Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child

Provenance

BCP 1928

Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.

A tender little prayer for a growing child, first printed in the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer under the plain heading "For a Birthday," and carried, with only small wording changes, all the way to today's ACNA prayer book.