How to pray the Daily Office
To pray the Daily Office, choose one of the day's hours (usually Morning or Evening Prayer), open your prayer book to that office and read it in order: opening sentence and confession, psalms, Scripture readings with their canticles, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the collects. It takes 10 to 25 minutes and can be prayed alone or with others.
What is the Daily Office?
The Daily Office is the Church's cycle of prayer at fixed hours of the day. It grew out of the Jewish practice of praying morning and evening and out of the monastic hours of the early Church.
In 1549, the first Book of Common Prayer gathered those hours into two services, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, so that every Christian, not only monks and clergy, could pray the Psalms and read the whole Bible over the year. Many modern prayer books also include Midday Prayer and Compline.
The order of Morning and Evening Prayer
Each prayer book has its own wording and options, but the shape is much the same:
- An opening sentence of Scripture
- Confession of sin and absolution (or a prayer for forgiveness)
- The invitatory: in the morning, usually the Venite or the Jubilate
- The psalm or psalms appointed for the day
- A reading from the Old Testament, followed by a canticle
- A reading from the New Testament, followed by a canticle (the Benedictus or Te Deum in the morning; the Magnificat or Nunc Dimittis in the evening)
- The Apostles' Creed
- The Lord's Prayer and the suffrages
- The collect of the day and the other collects of the office
- Intercessions, thanksgivings and the closing grace
Where the readings come from
The psalms and readings for each day are set by a lectionary, a table that follows the liturgical calendar. Each prayer book has its own: the 1662 book reads the whole Psalter every month, while other books spread it over longer cycles.
Finding the right page is often the hardest part for beginners. Ordo assembles the office for the date and the book you choose, with the readings already in place.
How to start
- Start with one office, usually Morning or Evening Prayer, rather than all four.
- Pray at about the same time each day, so the office becomes a habit rather than a decision.
- Read aloud, even quietly: the office was written to be spoken.
- If you miss a day, simply pray the next office. The office is a rhythm, not a test.
- When you can, pray with others: family, friends or your church.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Daily Office take?
Morning and Evening Prayer take about 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the book and the length of the readings. Midday Prayer and Compline take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Do I need to pray all four offices?
No. Morning and Evening Prayer are the heart of the Anglican office. Most people start with one of them and add others over time.
Can I pray the office alone?
Yes. When you pray alone you still pray with the whole Church, which is why the prayers say "we". Where an absolution is printed for a priest, many books give a prayer for forgiveness that anyone may say.
Pray today's office
Ordo sets out today's office for the prayer book you choose. Free on iPhone, Android and the web.