Evening Prayer
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.
One of the most beloved prayers in the Anglican tradition, the General Thanksgiving was added to the Prayer Book in 1662 – most likely composed by Bishop Edward Reynolds of Norwich, a Puritan who accepted a bishopric at the Restoration, drawing on the Westminster Assembly's worship guide and echoing a private prayer of Queen Elizabeth I. For more than three and a half centuries it has closed Morning and Evening Prayer, gathering the whole breadth of Christian gratitude into a single movement: from creation and preservation, through the gift of redemption, to the vow of a life lived in praise.