Thursday 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 prayers for Thursdays from The Private Devotions and Manual for the Sick of Lancelot Andrews.

SATISFY US early with thy mercy, O Lord.^{—Psalm xc. 14.}

Blessed art thou, O Lord, who, as on this day, didst bring forth out of the waters the moving creature that hath life;^{—Gen. i. 20.}

The whale, and the winged fowl;^{—Verse 21.}

And didst bless them, that they should be fruitful and multiply.^{— Verse 22.}

…BE thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth.^{—Psalm cviii. 5.}

As thou wast lifted up, so draw us unto thee, O Lord;^{—John xii. 32.}

That we may set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth.^{—Col. iii. 2.}

By the mighty mystery of thy Holy Body and thy Precious Blood, instituted on the evening of this day, have mercy on us, O Lord.^{—1 Cor. xi. 23, 24, 25.} _[5]

…I COME unto God, believing that he is,

and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. ^{—Heb. xi. 6.}

I know that my Redeemer liveth; ^{Job xix. 25.}

That he is the Christ, the Son of the living God -—Matt. xvi. 16. merciful, pure in heart, a peace- maker,…

That he is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world ;^{—John iv. 42.}

That he came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.^{—1 Tim. i. 15.}

I believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ I shall be saved, even as my fathers also.^{—Acts xv. 11.}

I know that my skin, which suffereth corruption, shall rise again upon the earth.^{—Job xix. 26.}

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.^{—Psalm xxvii. 13.}

MY heart shall rejoice in the Lord, because we have trusted in his holy name.^{—Psalm xxxiii. 21.}

“Father; Saviour, Mediator; Intercessor, Redeemer; Two-fold Comforter; …

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.^{—Psalm xxxiii. 22.} _[6]

[5] [6]

---

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. 1547). Kindle Edition. 

[6] Ibid. 5, P. 1643-1652