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Prayers

Prayer beads help to bring a person into contemplative or meditative prayer. Touching each successive bead keeps one's mind from wandering, and the rhythm of the prayers leads more readily into stillness.


Guidelines for Using Prayer Beads
Plan and practice. Become familiar with each bead in the circle. Decide which thoughts or prayers to assign to the cross and to each bead. Try to memorize these words and thoughts. Since the beads are an aid for meditation or contemplation, you will want to be able to work through the beads intuitively, focusing on your state of mind.

Find the right time and place. Allow enough time to work through the beads in an unhurried pace. Find a place that is quiet, where you can be undisturbed.

Start and end with a moment of silence. Get centered. Leave worldly concerns behind, so to speak. Prepare to focus on your meditation. Then start with the thoughts or prayers you have assigned to the cross. End with silence to allow time for reflection.

Steps For Using Prayer Beads
Step 1. Hold the Cross and say the prayer you have assigned to it.

Step 2. Move to the Invitatory bead and say the prayer you have assigned to it.

Step 3. Enter the circle of the prayer with the first Cruciform Bead. Moving to the right, go through the first seven beads to the next Cruciform bead, continuing around the circle, saying the prayers for each bead. Many sources suggest you pray around the circle of the beads three times to signify the Holy Trinity. Add the cross at the beginning or end.

Closing Your Prayers
After three circuits around the prayer beads, you may finish as follows:

Invitatory Bead - The Lord’s Prayer

The Cross - I bless the Lord.


“PDFView and Download Prayers PDF


Prayer Index

A. Bless the Lord
B. Trisagian and Jesus Prayer
C. Come Lord Jesus Prayer
D. Agnus Dei Prayer
E. Julian of Norwich Prayer
F. A Celtic Prayer
G. An Evening Prayer
H. Saint Patrick's Breastplate


A. Bless the Lord

The Cross
Blessed be the one, holy, and living God.
Glory to God for ever and ever. Amen.

The Invitatory
O God make speed to save me (us),
O Lord make haste to help me (us),
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen.

The Cruciforms
Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord.
You that stand in the house of the Lord, lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord.

The Weeks
I lift up my eyes to the hills;
From where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord,
The maker of heaven and earth.

Reprinted from www.kingofpeace.org External Link with permission of the Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor, King of Peace Episcopal Church, Kingsland, Georgia.

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B. Trisagian and Jesus Prayer (Trisagian means “thrice holy")

The Cross
In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Invitatory
O God make speed to save me (us),
O Lord make haste to help me (us),
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen.

The Cruciforms
Holy God, Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon me (us).

The Weeks
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Have mercy on me, a sinner.

Reprinted from www.kingofpeace.org External Link with permission of the Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor, King of Peace Episcopal Church, Kingsland, Georgia.

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C. Come Lord Jesus Prayer

The Cross
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and
power and might be to our God forever and ever!
Amen. —Rev 7:12

The invitatory
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.—Psalm 46:1

The Cruciforms
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s Holy Name.—Psalm 103:1

The Weeks
Come Lord Jesus, draw us to yourself.—John 12:32

Reprinted from www.kingofpeace.org External Link with permission of the Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor, King of Peace Episcopal Church, Kingsland, Georgia.

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D. Agnus Dei Prayer

The Cross
The Lord’s Prayer

The Invitatory
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."—Psalm 19:14

The Cruciforms
Oh, Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world
have mercy upon us,
Oh, Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world
have mercy upon us,
Oh, Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world
give us Thy Peace.

The Weeks
Almighty and merciful Lord,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us.
Amen.

Reprinted from www.kingofpeace.org External Link with permission of the Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor, King of Peace Episcopal Church, Kingsland, Georgia.

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E. Julian of Norwich Prayer

The Cross
In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Invitatory
O God make speed to save me (us),
O Lord make haste to help me (us),
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen.

The Cruciforms
God of your goodness, give me yourself,
For you are enough to me.
And I can ask for nothing less that is to your glory.
And if I ask for anything less, I shall still be in want, for only in you have I all.

The Weeks
All shall be well, and all shall be well,
And all manner of things shall be well.
OR
In His love He has done His works, and in His love He has made all things beneficial to us.

Written by Sister Brigit-Carol, S.D., Solitaries of DeKoven (Vigeat Radix Hermitage, 1101 CR 204, Santa Ana, TX 76878). Reprinted with permission.

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F. A Celtic Prayer

The Cross
In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Invitatory
O God make speed to save me (us),
O Lord make haste to help me (us),
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen.

The Cruciforms
Be the eye of God dwelling with me,
The foot of Christ in guidance with me,
The shower of the Spirit pouring on me,
Richly and generously.

The Weeks
Pray each phrase on a separate bead.
I bow before the Father who made me,
I bow before the Son who saved me,
I bow before the Spirit who guides me,
In love and adoration.
I praise the Name of the one on high.
I bow before thee Sacred Three,
The ever One, the Trinity.

Written by Sister Brigit-Carol, S.D., Solitaries of DeKoven (Vigeat Radix Hermitage, 1101 CR 204, Santa Ana, TX 76878). Reprinted with permission.

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G. An Evening Prayer

The Cross
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen.

The Invitatory
Open my lips, O Lord,
and my mouth shall proclaim
Your praise.

The Cruciforms
Guide us waking, O Lord,
and guard us sleeping;
that awake we may watch
with Christ, and asleep
we may rest in peace.

The Weeks
Jesus, lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, redeemer of the world, give us your peace.

Reprinted from www.kingofpeace.org External Link with permission of the Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor, King of Peace Episcopal Church, Kingsland, Georgia.

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H. Saint Patrick's Breastplate

The Cross
I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord.

The Invitatory
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

The Cruciforms
I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

The Weeks

1. I bind this day to me for ever, by power of faith, Christ’s Incarnation;
2. his baptism in Jordan river;
3. his death on cross for my salvation;
4. his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
5. his riding up the heavenly way;
6. his coming at the day of doom:
7. I bind unto myself today.

1. I bind unto myself the power of the great love of cherubim;
2. the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour;
3. the service of the seraphim;
4. confessors’ faith, apostles’ word,
5. the patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls;
6. all good deeds done unto the Lord,
7. and purity of virgin souls.

1. I bind unto myself today the virtues of the starlit heaven,
2. the glorious sun’s life-giving ray,
3. the whiteness of the moon at even,
4. the flashing of the lightning free,
5. the whirling of the wind’s tempestuous shocks,
6. the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
7. around the old eternal rocks.

1. I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead,
2. his eye to watch, his might to stay,
3. his ear to hearken, to my need;
4. the wisdom of my God to teach,
5. his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
6. the word of God to give me speech,
7. his heavenly host to be my guard.

Words: attributed to St. Patrick (372-466)
translated by Cecil Frances Alexander, 1889
Adapted for use with Anglican Prayer Beads by Laura Kelly Campbell

Reprinted from www.kingofpeace.org External Link with permission of the Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor, King of Peace Episcopal Church, Kingsland, Georgia.

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