Morning Prayers

Introduction

These prayers have been collected with simplicity and personal devotion in mind. Apart from the Shema‘, none of the prayers are obligatory. Read all the prayers, or just a few, according to what you feel comfortable with.

Since the Israelite day begins in the evening, the evening prayers are said first, then the morning prayers, then the afternoon prayers.

These prayers are not modelled on any traditional format; they are prayers flowing from the pure love and joy in YHVH our God.

Morning 1 (Sunday)

As one wakes, say:

shema` yisrā’eil, YHVH elohéinū, YHVH echād.

ve’ahávtā et YHVH elohéykhā

bekhōl levávkhā

uv-khōl náfshekhā

uv-khōl me’odékhā                                                                

Hear O Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH alone.

And you shall love YHVH your God

with all your heart and mind,

with all your soul,

and with all your might.                                          (Dt 6:4-5)

Before I move my hands or my feet,

I will bless God’s Name.

I will praise God before I rise,

While I still lie on the couch of my bed.

(Qumran Scrolls, 1QS-X)

(Now wash and dress, and then sit at your breakfast table)

After washing and dressing:

The Our Father

abbun debishmáyya

yitqadesh shmakh

titey malkhutakh

tihey re`utakh

heykhma debishmáyya

keyn af be’ar`a

lachman deme’ar`a

hab lan yoma deyn umachra

ushbaq lan chobayn

heykhma de’af shebaqnan lechayyabayn

we’al ta`éylan lenisayuna

ela atséylan min bisha

Our Father – who is in Heaven

Sanctified be Your Name!

May your Kingdom be fulfilled!

May Your will be realised –

Just as it is in Heaven,

So also upon the Earth.

Our bread – which is from the earth,

Give us day by day.

And forgive us our sins,

Just as we should forgive our debtors.

And do not bring us to trial,

Rather deliver us from evil.

Prayer of Praise

How I love you, O YHVH!

How I delight in Your Presence!

In the morning,

Your Spirit refreshes my soul,

And your teaching nourishes my mind.

I bless you O YHVH,

because you have brought me to a new day,

This day for time in your care.

I give praise that you are my God;

O YHVH, I give thanks that you are my Sovereign Majesty.

                                          (a Talmidi prayer)

Prayers to uplift the soul for the day to come

In the morning, O YHVH , you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait in expectation. (Ps 5:3)

“Arise and shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of YHVH rises upon you.

YHVH rises upon you

and his glory appears over you.” (Isa 60:1, 2b)

Shout for joy, O heavens;

rejoice, O earth;

burst into song, O mountains!

For YHVH comforts his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. (Isa 49:13)

To keep Torah is as a great oblation,

  and the one who observes the commandments

  is as one who sacrifices a peace offering.

In doing works of charity,

  it is as one who offers fine flour,

And when someone gives alms,

  it is as one who presents a sacrifice of praise.

To refrain from evil is as a pleasing odour to YHVH,

  and to avoid injustice is as a sacrifice of atonement.

To do justice is as an offering of sweet savour,

  which rises before the Most High,

And a generous spirit

  is as an abundance of freewill offerings”.

                            (based on ‘Ben Sira’ ch. 35:1-7)

I love you, O YHVH my God; I pray that this day shall be one more day that I shall grow to know you and love you more and more. Guide me along your paths, that I may learn to distinguish what is from you, and what is from my own desires. I delight in Your Presence, in the warmth of your light, because your power strengthens me, and your might uplifts me. Cleanse me of my failings, and purify me from all wrongdoings, so that I may go forward in the holiness of Your ways.

Morning 2 (Monday)

As one wakes, say:

shema` yisrā’eil, YHVH elohéinū, YHVH echād.

ve’ahávtā et YHVH elohéykhā

bekhōl levávkhā

uv-khōl náfshekhā

uv-khōl me’odékhā                                                                

Hear O Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH alone.

And you shall love YHVH your God

with all your heart and mind,

with all your soul,

and with all your might.                                          (Dt 6:4-5)

Before I move my hands or my feet,

I will bless God’s Name.

I will praise God before I rise,

While I still lie on the couch of my bed.

(Qumran Scrolls, 1QS-X)

(Now wash and dress, and then sit at your breakfast table)

After washing and dressing:

The Our Father

abbun debishmáyya

yitqadesh shmakh

titey malkhutakh

tihey re`utakh

heykhma debishmáyya

keyn af be’ar`a

lachman deme’ar`a

hab lan yoma deyn umachra

ushbaq lan chobayn

heykhma de’af shebaqnan lechayyabayn

we’al ta`éylan lenisayuna

ela atséylan min bisha

Our Father – who is in Heaven

Sanctified be Your Name!

May your Kingdom be fulfilled!

May Your will be realised –

Just as it is in Heaven,

So also upon the Earth.

Our bread – which is from the earth,

Give us day by day.

And forgive us our sins,

Just as we should forgive our debtors.

And do not bring us to trial,

Rather deliver us from evil.

Prayer of Praise

How I love you, O YHVH!

How I delight in Your Presence!

In the morning,

Your Spirit refreshes my soul,

And your teaching nourishes my mind.

I bless you O YHVH,

because you have brought me to a new day,

This day for time in your care.

I give praise that you are my God;

O YHVH, I give thanks that you are my Sovereign Majesty.

                                          (a Talmidi prayer)

I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

O my Strength, I sing praise to you;

you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. (Ps 59:16-17)

YHVH says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget,

I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.  (Isa 49:15-16a)

General Prayer

I delight in the new day you have given me, O YHVH. There are new things that you will teach me, in the way and the language that you know. Help me to understand your signs and your markers, that I might recognise the things you are trying to show me. Give me the strength not to turn away from those in need, and to see in others the potential you have given them and point it out. Give me patience and forbearing to deal with those who vex me, and let each obstacle in the day be a new learning experience.

Morning 3 (Tuesday)

As one wakes, say:

shema` yisrā’eil, YHVH elohéinū, YHVH echād.

ve’ahávtā et YHVH elohéykhā

bekhōl levávkhā

uv-khōl náfshekhā

uv-khōl me’odékhā                                                                

Hear O Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH alone.

And you shall love YHVH your God

with all your heart and mind,

with all your soul,

and with all your might.                                          (Dt 6:4-5)

Before I move my hands or my feet,

I will bless God’s Name.

I will praise God before I rise,

While I still lie on the couch of my bed.

(Qumran Scrolls, 1QS-X)

(Now wash and dress, and then sit at your breakfast table)

After washing and dressing:

The Our Father

abbun debishmáyya

yitqadesh shmakh

titey malkhutakh

tihey re`utakh

heykhma debishmáyya

keyn af be’ar`a

lachman deme’ar`a

hab lan yoma deyn umachra

ushbaq lan chobayn

heykhma de’af shebaqnan lechayyabayn

we’al ta`éylan lenisayuna

ela atséylan min bisha

Our Father – who is in Heaven

Sanctified be Your Name!

May your Kingdom be fulfilled!

May Your will be realised –

Just as it is in Heaven,

So also upon the Earth.

Our bread – which is from the earth,

Give us day by day.

And forgive us our sins,

Just as we should forgive our debtors.

And do not bring us to trial,

Rather deliver us from evil.

Prayer of Praise

How I love you, O YHVH!

How I delight in Your Presence!

In the morning,

Your Spirit refreshes my soul,

And your teaching nourishes my mind.

I bless you O YHVH,

because you have brought me to a new day,

This day for time in your care.

I give praise that you are my God;

O YHVH, I give thanks that you are my Sovereign Majesty.

                                          (a Talmidi prayer)

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

May your deeds be shown to your servants,

your splendour to their children. (Ps 90:14, 16)

Awake, my soul!

Awake, o harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn!

I will praise you, O YHVH, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Be exalted, O God, above the skies;

let your glory be over all the earth. (Ps 57:8-11)

Though the mountains be shaken

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken

nor my covenant of peace be removed,

says YHVH, who has compassion on you. (Isa 54:10)

Guide me through this new day which you have made, Holy YHVH, and steer me away from things are a detriment to my spirit. Give me the courage to act with kindness and courtesy even to those who are unkind to me, and stay my lips when they are tempted to anger.

Your spirit is tranquillity, Your Presence is wonder; allow if even a small portion of that into my soul, because just as water is given to a plant to enable it to stand tall and strong, so my very being needs You to feed me and nourish me, because without you I shall wither away.

I want to learn, I want to progress along the path you have ordained for me;

let every hour of this day be a new lesson, a new truth to be embraced.

You are wondrous, my YHVH, my God; my heart delights in Your Presence!

Morning 4 (Wednesday)

As one wakes, say:

shema` yisrā’eil, YHVH elohéinū, YHVH echād.

ve’ahávtā et YHVH elohéykhā

bekhōl levávkhā

uv-khōl náfshekhā

uv-khōl me’odékhā                                                                

Hear O Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH alone.

And you shall love YHVH your God

with all your heart and mind,

with all your soul,

and with all your might.                                          (Dt 6:4-5)

Before I move my hands or my feet,

I will bless God’s Name.

I will praise God before I rise,

While I still lie on the couch of my bed.

(Qumran Scrolls, 1QS-X)

(Now wash and dress, and then sit at your breakfast table)

After washing and dressing:

The Our Father

abbun debishmáyya

yitqadesh shmakh

titey malkhutakh

tihey re`utakh

heykhma debishmáyya

keyn af be’ar`a

lachman deme’ar`a

hab lan yoma deyn umachra

ushbaq lan chobayn

heykhma de’af shebaqnan lechayyabayn

we’al ta`éylan lenisayuna

ela atséylan min bisha

Our Father – who is in Heaven

Sanctified be Your Name!

May your Kingdom be fulfilled!

May Your will be realised –

Just as it is in Heaven,

So also upon the Earth.

Our bread – which is from the earth,

Give us day by day.

And forgive us our sins,

Just as we should forgive our debtors.

And do not bring us to trial,

Rather deliver us from evil.

Prayer of Praise

How I love you, O YHVH!

How I delight in Your Presence!

In the morning,

Your Spirit refreshes my soul,

And your teaching nourishes my mind.

I bless you O YHVH,

because you have brought me to a new day,

This day for time in your care.

I give praise that you are my God;

O YHVH, I give thanks that you are my Sovereign Majesty.

                                          (a Talmidi prayer)

My soul waits for YHVH

more than watchmen wait for the morning,

O Israel, put your hope in YHVH,

for with YHVH there is unfailing love

and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

from all their sins. (Ps 130:6-8)

This I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of YHVH’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness. (Lam 3:21-23)

Be with me always, so that I will never be afraid of what the future holds. I know that nothing shall come to pass, that you do not already know about; that you have already seen what is to be. I know that all of us – from the greatest to the least – have a part in your plan; all I ask is that I shall play my small part in that plan.

Embolden my spirit, that I might retain my dignity in the face of those who try to tear me down. Instil me with confidence, so that whatever spears and arrows the world might conspire to injure me with, I shall never lose my self-respect.

Holy YHVH, you ennoble me and give my life worth; how can I turn away and be unfaithful to You? Your acts are righteous and good; how can I not be awed by You?

Take my hand and lead me through this day; guide my steps along the paths of wisdom and understanding.

Morning 5 (Thursday)

As one wakes, say:

shema` yisrā’eil, YHVH elohéinū, YHVH echād.

ve’ahávtā et YHVH elohéykhā

bekhōl levávkhā

uv-khōl náfshekhā

uv-khōl me’odékhā                                                                

Hear O Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH alone.

And you shall love YHVH your God

with all your heart and mind,

with all your soul,

and with all your might.                                          (Dt 6:4-5)

Before I move my hands or my feet,

I will bless God’s Name.

I will praise God before I rise,

While I still lie on the couch of my bed.

(Qumran Scrolls, 1QS-X)

(Now wash and dress, and then sit at your breakfast table)

After washing and dressing:

The Our Father

abbun debishmáyya

yitqadesh shmakh

titey malkhutakh

tihey re`utakh

heykhma debishmáyya

keyn af be’ar`a

lachman deme’ar`a

hab lan yoma deyn umachra

ushbaq lan chobayn

heykhma de’af shebaqnan lechayyabayn

we’al ta`éylan lenisayuna

ela atséylan min bisha

Our Father – who is in Heaven

Sanctified be Your Name!

May your Kingdom be fulfilled!

May Your will be realised –

Just as it is in Heaven,

So also upon the Earth.

Our bread – which is from the earth,

Give us day by day.

And forgive us our sins,

Just as we should forgive our debtors.

And do not bring us to trial,

Rather deliver us from evil.

Prayer of Praise

How I love you, O YHVH!

How I delight in Your Presence!

In the morning,

Your Spirit refreshes my soul,

And your teaching nourishes my mind.

I bless you O YHVH,

because you have brought me to a new day,

This day for time in your care.

I give praise that you are my God;

O YHVH, I give thanks that you are my Sovereign Majesty.

                                          (a Talmidi prayer)

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God;

may your good Spirit

lead me on level ground. (Ps 143:8, 10)

Let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

For surely, O YHVH, you bless the righteous;

you surround them with your favour as with a shield. (Ps 5:11-12)

Morning 6 (Friday)

As one wakes, say:

shema` yisrā’eil, YHVH elohéinū, YHVH echād.

ve’ahávtā et YHVH elohéykhā

bekhōl levávkhā

uv-khōl náfshekhā

uv-khōl me’odékhā                                                                

Hear O Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH alone.

And you shall love YHVH your God

with all your heart and mind,

with all your soul,

and with all your might.                                          (Dt 6:4-5)

Before I move my hands or my feet,

I will bless God’s Name.

I will praise God before I rise,

While I still lie on the couch of my bed.

(Qumran Scrolls, 1QS-X)

(Now wash and dress, and then sit at your breakfast table)

After washing and dressing:

The Our Father

abbun debishmáyya

yitqadesh shmakh

titey malkhutakh

tihey re`utakh

heykhma debishmáyya

keyn af be’ar`a

lachman deme’ar`a

hab lan yoma deyn umachra

ushbaq lan chobayn

heykhma de’af shebaqnan lechayyabayn

we’al ta`éylan lenisayuna

ela atséylan min bisha

Our Father – who is in Heaven

Sanctified be Your Name!

May your Kingdom be fulfilled!

May Your will be realised –

Just as it is in Heaven,

So also upon the Earth.

Our bread – which is from the earth,

Give us day by day.

And forgive us our sins,

Just as we should forgive our debtors.

And do not bring us to trial,

Rather deliver us from evil.

Prayer of Praise

How I love you, O YHVH!

How I delight in Your Presence!

In the morning,

Your Spirit refreshes my soul,

And your teaching nourishes my mind.

I bless you O YHVH,

because you have brought me to a new day,

This day for time in your care.

I give praise that you are my God;

O YHVH, I give thanks that you are my Sovereign Majesty.

                                          (a Talmidi prayer)

O YHVH, be gracious to us;

we long for you.

Be our strength every morning,

our salvation in time of distress.

YHVH is exalted, for he dwells on high;

he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.

He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

the reverent awe of YHVH is the key to this treasure. (Isa 33:2, 5-6)

I love you, O YHVH, my strength.

YHVH is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call to YHVH, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies. (Ps 18:1-3)

Morning 7 (Saturday – Shabbat)

As one wakes, say:

shema` yisrā’eil, YHVH elohéinū, YHVH echād.

ve’ahávtā et YHVH elohéykhā

bekhōl levávkhā

uv-khōl náfshekhā

uv-khōl me’odékhā                                                                

Hear O Israel, YHVH is our God, YHVH alone.

And you shall love YHVH your God

with all your heart and mind,

with all your soul,

and with all your might.                                          (Dt 6:4-5)

Before I move my hands or my feet,

I will bless God’s Name.

I will praise God before I rise,

While I still lie on the couch of my bed.

(Qumran Scrolls, 1QS-X)

(Now wash and dress, and then sit at your breakfast table)

After washing and dressing:

The Our Father

abbun debishmáyya

yitqadesh shmakh

titey malkhutakh

tihey re`utakh

heykhma debishmáyya

keyn af be’ar`a

lachman deme’ar`a

hab lan yoma deyn umachra

ushbaq lan chobayn

heykhma de’af shebaqnan lechayyabayn

we’al ta`éylan lenisayuna

ela atséylan min bisha

Our Father – who is in Heaven

Sanctified be Your Name!

May your Kingdom be fulfilled!

May Your will be realised –

Just as it is in Heaven,

So also upon the Earth.

Our bread – which is from the earth,

Give us day by day.

And forgive us our sins,

Just as we should forgive our debtors.

And do not bring us to trial,

Rather deliver us from evil.

Prayer of Praise

How I love you, O YHVH!

How I delight in Your Presence!

In the morning,

Your Spirit refreshes my soul,

And your teaching nourishes my mind.

I bless you O YHVH,

because you have brought me to a new day,

This day for time in your care.

I give praise that you are my God;

O YHVH, I give thanks that you are my Sovereign Majesty.

                                          (a Talmidi prayer)

Sovereign YHVH has given me an instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

Sovereign YHVH has opened my ears,

and I have not been rebellious;

I have not drawn back.

Because Sovereign YHVH helps me,

I will not be disgraced.

Therefore have I set my face like flint,

and I know I will not be put to shame. (Isa 50:4-5, 7)

YHVH is my shepherd, therefore I shall want for nothing:

              God makes me recline in pastures of tender sweet grass;

              God leads me along the shore of restful waters;

              God refreshes my soul;

              God drives me along the trails of righteousness,

For thus is the glory and greatness of God.

Even though I might walk in a valley of deepest darkness,

I will not be afraid of any ill fortune,

For you are with me;

Your wolf-cudgel and your shepherd’s staff

– they comfort me.

You spread out before me a table in full sight of my enemies;

You smother my head with oil!

My cup gushes over!

How surely will God’s goodness and kindness follow behind me

              All the days of my life!

And I will give thanks in the House of YHVH

              For as long as day follows day. (Ps 23:1-6)