Prayer for the Day

by Revd Canon David White

7th June 2026 - 1st Sunday after Trinity

O Lord, in all the hazards of life,
grant us courage which stands not in the strength of the arm
but in the stay of a good conscience.
Be near to us when we are afraid;
teach us when we should speak, and when we should be silent;
when we must do, and when we must forbear;
in all time of our temptation, danger and difficulty,
let us not fall from you, who never fail them that trust your care,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

It might be said that this prayer expresses the common sense and good purpose we need when facing the ‘all the hazards of life’ it mentions in the first line. But it also asks God to grant us the kind of courage which is not about showing how strong we are but rather how to act and react in ways that would be acceptable to Jesus. It can be all too tempting to speak out or act rashly when staying silent and/or doing nothing would be more appropriate to the situation.

In essence, the prayer is also asking God to help us, in practical ways, to be humble and though humility is a common concept in Christianity, it can also be misunderstood. When it’s said that a person is humble, it can be assumed that they are timid or weak. However, true humility is anything but timidness and weakness. Rather, true humility requires courage – courage to see things as they really are, and to admit who we are in relation to ourselves, to other people and to God.

The prayer was written by William Charter Piggott (1872 – 1943) a Minister in the Congregational Church and a hymn writer.