Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
refresh#forest pic.twitter.com/2srP8byIWa
— Portmann Carrick (@PortmannCarrick) August 2, 2026
Merciful God, whose servant Joseph of Arimathaea with reverence and godly fear did prepare the body of our Lord and Savior for burial, and did lay it in his own tomb: Grant, we beseech thee, to us thy faithful people grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
🔸 July 31 – Saint Joseph of Arimathea 🔸
— Orthodox Christian (@orthodox_33ad) July 31, 2026
Today, we commemorate Saint Joseph of Arimathea. As recorded in the New Testament, he was a wealthy member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and a secret disciple of Jesus Christ who assumed responsibility for His burial after the Crucifixion.… pic.twitter.com/ZIzJh71xmK
O Lord God, suffer us not to lean to our own wisdom, nor to believe as blind flesh fancieth, nor to seek salvation where superstition dreameth; but let our faith only be grounded on Thy Word, and give us grace truly to believe in Thee, with all our heart to put our trust in Thee, to look for all good things of Thee, to call upon Thy blessed Name in adversity, and with joyful voices and more merry hearts to praise and magnify it in prosperity.
–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)
💚🧡 Welcome August 🧡💚
— Veronica in the Fens 🧚🏼♀️ My Heart in Nature (@VeronicaJoPo) August 1, 2026
I hope this month will bring you kindness, joy and
beautiful memories ☺️
River Great Ouse in Ely. pic.twitter.com/8qr4mmlHZc
O God, by whose grace thy servant Ignatius, enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever.
Today's the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits and author of the Spiritual Exercises. Glass of the 1880s by Nathaniel Westlake in St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. pic.twitter.com/7iYqRlTvhd
— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) July 31, 2026
Almighty Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast taught us to beware of false prophets: Have mercy upon thy Church, we beseech thee, to deliver it from all evil; and give us faithful pastors and teachers who shall truly fulfill thy command and preach nothing contrary to thy Holy Word; that we thy people, being instructed, nurtured and comforted by thy heavenly truth, may bring forth fruit to thy glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
In the Victorian language of flowers, the blue hydrangea was said to symbolise, rather harshly, boastfulness and a cold heart. A favourite in floral arrangements for ballrooms and assembly halls, it became associated with the vain coquette admired only for her appearance. pic.twitter.com/dWPglUvcq6
— VenetiaJane's Garden (@VenetiaJane) July 31, 2026
More than a thousand people queued to join a prayer gathering at a church in East London as temperatures soared above 30 degree Celsius on a Monday evening in early July.
SAINT, the church community which meets at Hackney Church, hosted an evening of sung worship and prayer in collaboration with two other Anglican churches in London, King’s Cross Church (KXC) and IMPRINT Church, the parish church of St Mary Woolnoth, St Edmund the King and St Clement Eastcheap in Bank, City of London.
This was the latest in a series of similar evenings, which the trio of churches gather for six times per year, entitled the Joint Prayer Gathering.
More than a thousand people queued to join a prayer gathering at a church in East London recently.
— The Church of England (@churchofengland) July 30, 2026
The Joint Prayer Gathering is an initiative from a trio of churches, hosting evenings of sung worship and prayer six times a year.
Read more at https://t.co/IBjgTB5mvN.
O Almighty and merciful Lord, who givest unto thy faithful people the Holy Spirit as a sure pledge of thy heavenly kingdom: Grant unto us this same Spirit, that he may bear witness with our spirit that we be thy children and heirs of thy kingdom; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
🌹 Roses 🌹 Roses 🌹 Roses 🌹 pic.twitter.com/fDyWjoZ5ek
— Cloudymamma (@cloudymamma) July 29, 2026
Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that as a tree is known by its fruit, so we may be recognized as thy children by our obedience to thy will. Help us to put away all hypocrisy and self-seeking, that we may truly set forth thy glory and extend thy kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
On top of the world at An Teallach, #Scotland's great wilderness.
— The Scottish Banner (@Scottish_Banner) July 29, 2026
📷Mark Sutherland#Munro #ScottishBanner #ScotlandIsCalling pic.twitter.com/ISJlWGH4ph
Almighty God, beautiful in majesty and majestic in holiness, who dost teach us in Holy Scripture to sing thy praises and who gavest thy musicians Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel and Henry Purcell grace to show forth thy glory in their music: Be with all those who write or make music for thy people, that we on earth may glimpse thy beauty and know the inexhaustible riches of thy new creation in Jesus Christ our Savior; who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
28 July 1750. Johann Sebastian Bach died (aged 64). He’s one of the greatest classical composers of all time. His best known works include the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations. pic.twitter.com/ofd5MF7IXb
— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) July 28, 2026
O God, who hast given us not the spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption into thy family: Grant us the witness of thy Spirit within our hearts, testifying that we are thy children; and give us that fellowship with the sufferings of Christ which shall end in our being glorified with him; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tuesday greetings – if you weren’t here early this morning, unlike the couple pictured, you missed experiencing this sunrise here at Avoca NSW, Central Coast, Australia 🇦🇺
— Anthony Sider (@BudgetDude) July 28, 2026
(📸M.Hruby) pic.twitter.com/u9f346s17D
O Lord our God, we thank thee for instilling in the heart of thy servant William Reed Huntington a fervent love for thy Church and its mission in the world; and we pray that, with unflagging faith in thy promises, we may make known to all peoples thy blessed gift of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
The Episcopal Church also today commemorates William Reed Huntington, Priest, 1909
— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) July 27, 2024
Image: Icon by Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG, via https://t.co/1pTNE0szHz pic.twitter.com/sWcGpkmxnI
Almighty Lord and everlasting God,
we beseech you to direct, sanctify and govern
both our hearts and bodies
in the ways of your laws
and the works of your commandments;
that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever,
we may be preserved in body and soul;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Beautiful view in Tobermory, Scotland 🏴 pic.twitter.com/3pB2iZeVC9
— Ferhat Göçemen (@FGocemen31851) July 27, 2026
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Binnendrijvende wolkjes. Fijne zondag😀 #zonsondergang #reflectie pic.twitter.com/xTygzQbuuS
— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) July 26, 2026
O gracious God, we remember before thee this day thy servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that thou wilt pour out upon the leaders of thy Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among thy people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Today's the feast of St James, Apostle. One of the most easily identifiable of saints in medieval church art, commonly depicted with a scallop shell, pilgrim staff, purse and hat as here on the 16th Century screen at Worstead, Norfolk. 1/3
— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) July 25, 2026
Worstead: https://t.co/Ckoc8sRcOj pic.twitter.com/qrQGswirhi
Thou Who sendest forth the light, createst the I morning, makest the sun to rise on the good and on the evil: enlighten the blindness of our minds with the knowledge of the truth: lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us: that in Thy light we may see light, and, at the last, in the light of grace the light of glory.
–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)
The air is full of the scent of Lavender. Think i will spend the night here 😅 pic.twitter.com/p8HM0sTT8c
— Glenn Hutton (@GlennHutton6) July 25, 2026
Holy Father, who hast nourished and strengthened thy Church by the writings of thy servant Thomas a Kempis: Grant that we may learn from him to know what we ought to know, to love what we ought to love, to praise what highly pleaseth thee, and always to seek to know and follow thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Thomas von Kempen
— Lucas Benedikt (@LucasBenedikt) July 25, 2025
Prior in St. Agnetenberg, Priester
* Ende 1379 bis Mitte 1380 in Kempen am Niederrhein in Nordrhein-Westfalen
† 1. Mai oder 25. Juli 1471 in St. Agnetenberg bei Zwolle in den Niederlanden – https://t.co/84miqGYxnT pic.twitter.com/d55DDp1GCX
O God, the strength of those who walk with thee, without whom nothing is safe, nothing is tranquil; Confirm in us the knowledge of thy presence, that, thou being our companion in the way, we may so deal with our anxieties that at length our hearts may find their rest in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)
Sunrise over Armadale Bay, Isle of Skye #Scotland @BBCHighlands @StormHour @ThePhotoHour @VisitScotland pic.twitter.com/NkI4QK4zhM
— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) July 24, 2026
Holy and Mighty One, whose beloved Son Jesus Christ blessed the pure in heart: We offer thanks for the life and teachings of John Cassian that draw us to a discipline of holy living for the sake of thy reign. Call us to turn the gaze of the eyes of our soul always toward thee, that we may abide in thy love, shown to us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit is one God, living and true, to the ages of ages. Amen.
"The devil’s greatest weapon is to make us believe that our sins are too great for God’s mercy, but no sin is greater than His love."
— TheOrthodoxWay (@_theorthodoxway) August 2, 2025
— St. John Cassian pic.twitter.com/TtwJVWlfHV
Generous God,
you give us gifts and make them grow:
though our faith is small as mustard seed,
through your Spirit make it grow to your glory
and the flourishing of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen (edited slightly; KSH).
Every morning, I experience the beautiful sunrise on Little Bay Islands. Every morning, I stop reaching toward the life behind me or the life still to come. I stand where I am … and this place and my life becomes enough. pic.twitter.com/idvnskjb6B
— Mike Parsons (@mikep_lbi) July 23, 2026
Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by thy grace we may be healed of all our infirmities and know thee in the power of his endless life; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever.
Today's the feast of St Mary Magdalene. Three scenes from her story in glass at Little Horkesley, Essex by Hugh Powell, 1963: she weeps as Christ is taken down from the cross, she meets the Risen Christ in the garden, and she tells the disciples that she has seen him. pic.twitter.com/0yS8XovHL8
— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) July 22, 2026
In the midst of Nazi-occupied Paris, an independent-minded Russian Orthodox nun lamented that Christians were not equipped to meet the challenges of the moment. “I look everywhere and nowhere do I find anything that would point to the possibility of a breakthrough from material life to eternity,” wrote Maria Skobtsova in an essay titled “Insight in Wartime.” She did not see around her any forms of Christian life that had the “right voice, the right pathos, the kind of wings” to stand against the terrors of the era.
Skobtsova herself was perhaps the exception. Born in 1891 under the czar, she had by the 1940s been a Bolshevik, a poet, and a refugee. She was almost killed by both White and Red armies during the Russian Revolution of 1917. She fled Russia after briefly serving as the deputy mayor of Anapa, a city near the Black Sea. In exile she returned to the Orthodox faith, and in 1932 she became a nun.
She refused, however, to take up residence in a convent or traditional religious community. Issuing a thoroughgoing critique of monasticism, she insisted that she would seek instead “to share the life of paupers and tramps.”
Today in the Orthodox Church we celebrate perhaps my favorite saint of the last hundred years, Mother Maria Skobtsova (St Mary of Paris). In earlier life she was a radical intellectual and poet, and even served as deputy mayor after the Russian Revolution. Changing political… pic.twitter.com/nhzqWd6z1n
— Jeremiah (@OnAncientPaths) July 20, 2026
O Lord God, in whom we live and move and have our being, open our eyes that we may behold thy Fatherly presence ever about us. Teach us to be anxious for nothing, and when we have done what thou hast given us to do, help us, O God our Saviour, to leave the issue to thy wisdom, knowing that all things are possible to us through thy Son our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)
Almighty God, who in thy Son Jesus Christ hast called us in from the bondage of sin to be servants of righteousness: Give us grace to yield our lives wholly to thine obedience; that, being made free from sin, we may have our fruit unto holiness, and hereafter may be made partakers of the life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Eternal God, we offer thanks for the witness of Bartolomé de las Casas, whose deep love for thy people caused him to refuse absolution to those who would not free their Indian slaves. Help us, inspired by his example, to work and pray for the freeing of all enslaved people of our world, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
#TalDíaComoHoy de 1566 falleció Bartolomé de las Casas, religioso dominico español. Hoy destacamos esta biografía, disponible en #Simurg, para saber más sobre su vida y su obra, ‘ Oeuvres de Don Barthélemi de las Casas, évéque de Chiapa…’
— Red de Bibliotecas y Archivos del CSIC (@bibliotecasCSIC) July 17, 2023
▶️https://t.co/pILcTitFPb pic.twitter.com/oExXQ5tO9m
O Holy Creator Spirit, on this day come down once more into our souls in Thine own thrilling fire of life and light and heat, kindling our senses with thy light, our hearts with thy love; wash away, stains, bedew our dryness, heal our wounds, bend our stubbornness, guide our wandering, that, thou being the Inmate of our hearts, the Instructor of our reason, the Strength of our will, we may see by Thy light Whom as yet we see not, and know Him Who passes knowledge, and through God may love God, now as way-farers, and, in the day of perfected Redemption, in the beatific vision of our God, to whom, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honor, power, might, majesty, thanksgiving, and praise, forever and ever. Amen.
—Give us Grace: An Anthology of Anglican Prayers, ed. Christopher L. Webber (Harrisburg: Morehouse, 2004), p. 254 (edited ever so slightly-KSH)
Summertime on the North Yorkshire Moors ❤️🇬🇧❤️ pic.twitter.com/a3Mxo4DC6i
— Pictures from the United Kingdom (@PicturesfromUK) July 18, 2026
Ms [Lyndall] Bywater encourages clergy to engage regularly in different types of prayer rather than “making prayer in our own image”, she says.
“Church leaders will also often have people coming to them who are struggling with prayer, and it is important to be able to help them understand how their personality interfaces with their spirituality.
“Are they essentially cataphatic: preferring knowledge and understanding? Or are they apophatic: preferring mystery and deep questioning? Do they love the task of prayer most, or the relationship of prayer? Where and how have they previously connected with God in helpful ways?
“If leaders can ask these questions and understand how to help people based on the answers, then many more people would develop a deep love for prayer.”
MOST people feel guilty about prayer, believing that they are bad at it, Ms Bywater says. Part of that comes from a “work hard, be passionate” personality, and part from comparing themselves with others, she says.
While recognising that prayer is a discipline and involves choices about making space in our lives to pray, Ms Bywater says: “What prayer is — the conversation with God — I refuse to believe it’s possible to be bad at that.
"One difficulty that faces ordinands as they leave the formation of their training institutions, is teaching prayer to an unchurched generation." Loved this piece. https://t.co/RfaRNaP3gB
— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) July 17, 2026
O Lord, who in a time of turmoil and confusion didst raise up thy servant William White, and didst endow him with wisdom, patience, and a reconciling temper, that he might lead thy Church into ways of stability and peace: Hear our prayer, we beseech thee, and give us wise and faithful leaders, that through their ministry thy people may be blessed and thy will be done; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Today the Episcopal Church commemorates William White, Bishop, 1836
— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) July 17, 2024
Philadelphia-born and 1st Bishop of Philadelphia (consecrated at Lambeth Palace in 1787), White was a key architect of the Episcopal Church and its system of government, serving as its 1st & 4th Presiding Bishop pic.twitter.com/knxMwQrBx8
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)
It’s a warm sunrise this morning and another beautiful glow across the land. #Shropshire pic.twitter.com/OzAk3hGc0S
— Steven Keating (@Aneedtopaint) July 17, 2026
Almighty God, by whose grace your servant Saint Bonaventure was raised up to be a bright light for right doctrine and true holiness, give us by your Spirit, like him, a passion for the truth and a deep desire for learning and wisdom whose end may be our flourishing and wholeness, thorugh Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, ever one God. Amen (moved from Tuesday).
Today, July 15, marks the feast day of St. Bonaventure, who is called “The Seraphic Doctor” of the Church. St. Bonaventure is known for his leadership of the Franciscans and his great intellectual contributions to theology and philosophy.
— EWTN News (@EWTNews) July 15, 2026
Sources recount that in his youth, St.… pic.twitter.com/4oJy7JSIvV