Grant me, O Lord,
to know what I ought to know,
to love what I ought to love,
to praise what most delights you,
to value what is precious in your sight,
and to reject what is offensive to you.
Suffer me not to judge according to the sight of my eyes,
nor to pass sentence after the manner of ignorant men;
but grant that in my judgment I may discern
between things visible and spiritual,
and above all things always seek
what is your good pleasure and will.
Amen.
ECUMENICAL THOMAS À KEMPIS, THE IMITATION OF CHRIST, C. 1418-1427
The Prayer of Thomas à Kempis
Also known as Grant Me to Know What I Ought to Know · Imitation of Christ Prayer
About this prayer
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380-1471) was a Dutch Augustinian canon who composed The Imitation of Christ, one of the most widely read devotional books in the history of Christianity. After the Bible, it has been more translated and more read than almost any other Christian text. Although à Kempis wrote within the late medieval Catholic tradition, The Imitation of Christ was adopted enthusiastically by Protestant reformers, Puritans, Methodists, and many others because of its emphasis on inward devotion over external ceremony, and its call to follow Christ in humility and self-denial. This prayer comes from the Imitation and captures its central petition: to know, love, and discern rightly according to God's will rather than by human judgment.
When it's said
This prayer is used in personal daily devotion and as a prayer for guidance before reading scripture, studying theology, or making important decisions. It is suited to any moment when a Christian seeks wisdom beyond their own understanding. It has been used across denominational lines for six centuries and remains one of the most universally beloved short prayers of the Western Christian tradition.
Notes on the text
The petition to 'know what I ought to know, love what I ought to love' reflects the Augustinian tradition of ordered love (ordo amoris), which à Kempis inherited through the Brethren of the Common Life. The prayer's concern with discerning between 'things visible and spiritual' reflects the Imitation's characteristic contrast between the outer, visible world and the inward, spiritual life of the soul. 'Your good pleasure and will' echoes Matthew 6:10 and the Lord's Prayer's petition that God's will be done.
Source
Thomas à Kempis, De Imitatione Christi (The Imitation of Christ), c. 1418-1427, Book III. English rendering. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.