In our book Having the Mind of Christ, the exercise for Axiom 6 is to write a collect (p. 115). A collect is a specific type of prayer rooted in the pattern of prayer for the people of God revealed in Scripture. Collects have the following general formula:
- An address of God,
- A declaration of some attribute or action of God,
- A specific request of God,
- (Often) the reason for the request or the hoped-for result of the answered prayer, and
- A christological or trinitarian finale, along with an Amen.
You can share your collect with us by filling out the form below:
Collect Examples
Here are a few examples of collects from the Book of Common Prayer:
Collect for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany (p. 215):
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Prayer for Mission, Morning Prayer II (p. 100):
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And here are a few examples of collects written by people like you:
From Eric:
God of abundance, who brings life from barren places: Grant me a calm courage to trust the work you’re doing in me, that I might rest securely in your love; through Jesus Christ, the True Vine. Amen.
From Emily:
Mothering God, through your nurturing grace and infinite compassion for every soul in this broken world: expand our hearts with the capacity to love without shame or fear, so that we may be active participants in the embodiment of your holy realm here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
From Tim:
O Healing Mother of Creation, who nurtures us in our valleys of despair, raze the walls of mental anguish, so the Body of Christ may be whole, through the power of the Spirit and love of Jesus. Amen.
From Hazel-Grace:
Christ our Bridegroom, who claims us as thy beloved, that all thou has might be ours, unite us to thyself this week and always, that, journeying with thee in the Joyful Sorrow of the Paschal Mystery, we might benefit from the Happy Exchange of our union with thee. Thine all the glory, ours the boundless bliss Amen.
From Jeff:
Generous God, whose heart ever opens to us in our failures of lovingkindness, replace my heart of judgment with a heart of mercy, that I might desire to understand, and by desiring to understand I might listen, to the end that love might flourish in my relationships, through Jesus Christ, Lord of the open heart. Amen.
From Claire:
Almighty Father, you have brought me up from the dark depths of anguish and suffering. Grant me the opportunity and wisdom to work on myself in the ways you know I need in order to build the company and spaces that this world needs to share in your love and promises. Shape my heart so that I can guide others. Restore my priorities so I don’t go astray. I ask for these so that more people may know the peace of your presence and the calm of your voice. I pray this in the name of the Holy Spirit guided by the words of Jesus Christ and his Father, our Lord. Amen.