Monday Prayers by Lancelot Andrewes

Lancelot Andrewes (1555 – 25 September 1626) was an Anglican priest and bishop in England, where he served “on the committee of scholars that produced the King James Translation of the Bible, and probably contributed more to that work than any other single person. It is accordingly no surprise to find him not only a devout writer but a learned and eloquent one, a master of English prose, and learned in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and eighteen other languages.” ^[1] During his life, Andrewes “prepared for his own use a manuscript notebook of Private Prayers, which was published after his death” – The Private Devotions and Manual for the Sick of Lancelot Andrews. ^[2] “The material was apparently intended, not to be read aloud, but to serve as a guide and stimulus to devout meditation.” ^[3]

Easter “is the day on which the very essence of what it means to be human is transformed and elevated in Christ – the first day of a new creation that neither negates nor overpowers the old but restores and raises it up.” ^[4] One of the ways we celebrate the joyful season of Eastertide is through our lectionary readings recalling the Creation and focusing on renewal in Christ. Another way we celebrate is through prayer. Included in Andrewes’s manual are prayers for each day of the week, each day recalling God’s act of creation. These prayers serve as wonderful meditations during Eastertide.

Below are excerpts of Lancelot Andrewes’s Monday prayers from The Private Devotions and Manual for the Sick of Lancelot Andrews.

MY voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord;

in the morning will I stand before thee,

and thou shalt see me.—^{Psalm v. 3.}

Blessed art thou, O Lord, who, as on this day, didst create the firmament of heaven, ^{(Gen. i. 6.)}

the heavens,

and heavens of heavens,

the celestial powers,

angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim:

The waters above the firmament;—^{Gen.i. 7.}

Mists and exhalations,

From whence proceed Clouds from the ends of the earth,^{—Psalm cxxxv. 7.}

Dew, showers, and hail;

Snow like wool, Hoar-frost like ashes, And ice like morsels;^{—Psalm cxlvii. 16, 17.}

Thunders and lightnings,^{—Rev. xvi. 18.}

Winds and tempests out of his treasures.^{— Ps. cxxxv. 7. 2.}

The waters under the firmament,^{—Gen. i. 7.}

For refreshment, For purification... _[5]

Direct my life, O God, after thy commandments;

Sanctify my soul;

Purify my body;

Rectify my thoughts;

Cleanse my appetites:

My soul and body,

My mind and spirit,

My heart and my reins;^{—Psalm vii. 9.}

Lord, make me clean altogether; For, if thou wilt, thou canst.^{—Luke v. 12.} _[6]

…THE Lord, he is the Lord God,

Merciful and gracious,

Long-suffering,

And abundant in goodness and truth:

Who keepeth mercy for thousands,

Who forgiveth iniquity,

And transgressions, and sins,

And will by no means clear the guilty…

I will bless the Lord at all times:

His praise shall continually be in my mouth. ^{—Psalm xxxiv. 1.}

GLORY to GOD in the HIGHEST,

On earth peace,

Good will toward men !^{—Luke ii. 14.} _[7]

^{[5] [6] [7]}

---

Citations:

[1] Kiefer, J. E. (n.d.). Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop and Scholar. Biographical sketches of memorable Christians of the past. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/252.html 

[2] Ibid. 1

[3] Ibid. 1

[4] Balsbaugh, J. (2019, April 22). Easter Monday and the New Creation. Veritas Journal. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://veritasjournal.org/2019/04/22/easter-monday-and-the-new-creation/ 

[5] Andrewes, Lancelot. The Private Devotions and Manual for the Sick of Launcelot Andrews (Kindle ed., p. 876). Kindle Edition. 

[6] Ibid. 5, P. 1054

[7] Ibid. 5, P. 1062