The Most Famous Prayers in Christianity

Some prayers have been said continuously for so long that they have outlived the languages they were written in. People have prayed them at bedsides, in prison cells, before battles, over newborns and at gravesides, in unbroken use for centuries. That is what makes a prayer famous, not that it is clever, but that generation after generation has found it says the thing they could not say themselves.

Below are the prayers Christians have kept. Each one has the full text, a short note on where it came from, and a word about when people actually use it.

Why Pray Someone Else’s Words The Ones Everyone Knows Prayers of the Saints Prayers from Scripture For Daily Life Longer Devotions Questions Browse All Prayers

Why Pray Someone Else’s Words

Some people feel that a prayer only counts if you make it up yourself. It is worth saying plainly that Christians have never thought so. When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he did not tell them to speak from the heart; he gave them a set of words and told them to use it.

Written prayers do something spontaneous prayer cannot. They carry you when you have nothing. At a funeral, in a hospital corridor, at three in the morning, most people cannot compose anything; they can say the Lord’s Prayer. And they connect you to everyone else who has ever said the same words in the same situation, which is its own kind of comfort.

Use them as they are, or use them as a starting point and go on in your own words. Both are prayer.

The Prayers Everyone Knows

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Origin: Given by Jesus himself, recorded in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. It is the only prayer he taught directly, which is why it sits above every other prayer in Christianity.
When: Anywhere. It is the prayer people fall back on when they cannot think.

Catholics traditionally end at “deliver us from evil”; the closing line about the kingdom and the power comes from an early manuscript tradition and is standard in Protestant use. Neither is wrong.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Origin: Attributed to David, around three thousand years old, and written by someone who had actually kept sheep.
When: The most-read passage at Christian funerals in the English-speaking world, and the one people say in hospital.

The Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Origin: The first half is scripture, the angel’s greeting in Luke 1 joined to Elizabeth’s. The second half was added by the fifteenth century.
When: The building block of the Rosary, and the prayer most Catholics say more than any other.

The Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Origin: Among the oldest Christian prayers still in daily use, in circulation by the fourth century.
When: To close a set of prayers, or on its own as a moment of praise.

The Apostles’ Creed

Not strictly a prayer but a statement of belief, said in the first person, and used as one. It runs from “I believe in God, the Father almighty” through the life, death and resurrection of Christ to the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. It reached its settled form by the eighth century and is used across Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and most Protestant traditions.

When: At baptisms, at the start of the Rosary, and by people who want to remind themselves what they actually hold to.

The Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Origin: The gesture is described as early as the second century.
When: To open and close prayer. It is the shortest complete prayer in Christianity.

Prayers of the Saints

The Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Origin: Here is the thing almost nobody knows: Francis of Assisi did not write it. It first appeared anonymously in a small French devotional magazine in 1912, nearly seven hundred years after his death, and only became attached to his name during the First World War. It is a genuinely beautiful prayer and thoroughly Franciscan in spirit; it is simply not his.
When: At the start of anything that will require patience with other people.

Saint Patrick’s Breastplate

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen.

Origin: An old Irish “lorica” or breastplate prayer, traditionally linked to Patrick though the surviving text is later. The English version most people know is Cecil Frances Alexander’s from 1889.
When: As a protection prayer, and by people who like their faith to have some iron in it.

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Origin: Composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1886.
When: The standard Catholic prayer for spiritual protection.

The Jesus Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Origin: The heart of Eastern Orthodox spirituality, drawn from the tax collector’s prayer in Luke 18 and used in the desert monasteries from the fifth century.
When: Repeated slowly, often for a long time, until it settles. It is the closest thing Christianity has to a mantra.

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Origin: Medieval in substance, popularised in the seventeenth century.
When: In desperation. It is the prayer Catholics reach for when something has gone badly wrong.

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from thee. Amen.

Origin: Fourteenth century, long misattributed to Ignatius of Loyola, who loved it and recommended it.
When: After receiving communion.

Prayer of Saint Richard of Chichester

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may I know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly,
and follow thee more nearly, day by day. Amen.

Origin: Thirteenth century. The last three lines were set to music in Godspell, which is how most people under sixty know them.
When: As a morning prayer.

Saint Teresa of Avila

Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing. God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.

Origin: Found written in her breviary after her death in 1582.
When: In anxiety. Read it slowly; it is designed to be argued with and then accepted.

If this is the season you are in, see our prayers for anxiety.

Prayers from Scripture

The Prayer of Jabez

Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!

Origin: 1 Chronicles 4:10, two verses buried in nine chapters of genealogy. A bestselling book in 2000 pulled it out and it has been famous ever since.
When: When you want to ask God for more and feel awkward about it.

The Aaronic Blessing

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Origin: Numbers 6:24–26, the words God gave Aaron to bless Israel with. A silver amulet found in Jerusalem carrying these words dates to roughly the seventh century BC, making it the oldest known text of scripture in existence.
When: As a blessing over children, over a congregation, or at the end of a service.

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad.

Origin: 1 Kings 3:9. God offered him anything; he asked for the ability to tell right from wrong.
When: Before a decision that affects other people.

See also our prayers for wisdom.

Psalm 51. David’s Prayer of Repentance

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.

Origin: Written after David was confronted over Bathsheba and Uriah. It is the confession of a man with no excuse left.
When: When you have done something you cannot undo.

The Prayer in Gethsemane

O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Origin: Matthew 26:39, prayed by Jesus the night before he died.
When: When you are asking God for something and you already suspect the answer is no. It is the only prayer that models both the asking and the surrender.

Hannah’s Prayer

My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: because I rejoice in thy salvation.

Origin: 1 Samuel 2. Hannah prayed for a child for years in bitterness; this is what she said when she finally had one. Mary’s Magnificat echoes it closely.
When: When a long wait ends.

Prayers for Daily Life

The Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rains fall soft upon your fields,
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Origin: Traditional Irish, of uncertain age.
When: At farewells, weddings and emigrations, which in Ireland were often the same event.

Wesley’s Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. Amen.

Origin: John Wesley, eighteenth century, prayed by Methodists at the start of each year.
When: Not lightly. It is the most demanding prayer on this page.

Grace Before Meals

Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

When: The most widely recognised grace at a mixed table.

More at our Thanksgiving prayers and holiday prayers.

The Guardian Angel Prayer

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

When: Taught to children, and kept by a surprising number of adults.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
Guide me safely through the night,
and wake me with the morning light. Amen.

Origin: In print since the eighteenth century. The older third line mentions dying before waking; the gentler version above has been in common use for well over a century.
When: At a child’s bedside.

More at our bedtime prayers.

The Longer Devotions

Four of the most famous prayers in Christianity are too long to print here, because they are not single prayers but sequences.

The Rosary, a cycle of Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory Bes said while meditating on twenty events in the life of Christ and his mother. It takes about twenty minutes. How to pray the Rosary.

The Serenity Prayer, written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s or early 1940s, and adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous, which is how it reached the whole world. Most people only ever say the first three lines. The Serenity Prayer.

The Stations of the Cross, fourteen stops following Christ’s route to Calvary, prayed in churches during Lent and walked in person along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, which is where the devotion began.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet, a short repeated cycle said on rosary beads, from the writings of Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s, traditionally prayed at three in the afternoon.

Questions About Famous Prayers

What is the most famous prayer in the world?

The Lord’s Prayer, without any real competition. It is the only prayer Jesus taught directly, it appears in two gospels, and it is prayed daily by Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants alike. It has been translated into more languages than any other text of comparable length.

Is it okay to pray prayers written by other people?

Yes, and Christians have always done it. Jesus answered the request “teach us to pray” by handing over a fixed set of words. The Psalms, the prayer book of both Judaism and the early Church, are someone else’s words too. Written prayers are especially useful when you are exhausted, grieving or frightened and cannot compose anything of your own.

Did Saint Francis write the Prayer of Saint Francis?

No. It first appeared anonymously in a French devotional publication in 1912, roughly seven hundred years after Francis died, and was attached to his name later. The attribution is a mistake, though an understandable one, the prayer does sound like him.

Who wrote the Serenity Prayer?

The American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, in the 1930s or early 1940s. It became famous after Alcoholics Anonymous adopted it. The full version is several lines longer than the part most people know.

Why do Catholics and Protestants end the Lord’s Prayer differently?

The closing line (“for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory”) is not in the oldest manuscripts of Matthew. It is an early liturgical addition that entered the Protestant tradition through the King James Bible. Catholics end at “deliver us from evil” and say the line separately at Mass. Both are ancient; neither is a mistake.

What is the oldest Christian prayer still in use?

The Lord’s Prayer is the oldest specifically Christian one. But the Aaronic Blessing is older still, a silver amulet excavated in Jerusalem carrying its words dates to around the seventh century BC, which makes it the oldest known fragment of biblical text anywhere in the world.

Send a Prayer to Jerusalem

Many of the prayers on this page were first said within a few miles of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. If you have a prayer of your own you would like carried there, you can send it. It is printed and placed inside the church (the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection) and you receive photographs of it there by email within a few days.

Write it from the heart. It is placed and photographed once, so make it count.

More Prayers for Every Situation

Our full library, grouped by what you are facing: