Almighty God, I thank you for the gift of this new day.
You have preserved me through the night;
now, by your grace, let me rise to serve you.
Keep me this day from sin and from every temptation;
direct my thoughts, my words, and my deeds
according to your holy will.
Fill me with your Spirit,
that I may walk in love toward all people
and reflect the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me seek first your kingdom and your righteousness,
trusting in your mercy and not in my own strength.
And bring me at the end of this day
to rest in your peace,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
METHODIST METHODIST DEVOTIONAL TRADITION, 18TH CENTURY
A Wesleyan Morning Prayer
Also known as Methodist Morning Prayer ยท Wesley's Morning Devotion
About this prayer
John Wesley was a man of extraordinary discipline in prayer, rising daily at four in the morning and spending the first hours of the day in scripture and intercession. He modeled and encouraged a structured daily devotional life for the Methodist societies, which met weekly for prayer, hymn-singing, and mutual accountability. The Methodist tradition has always placed high value on personal morning prayer as a discipline of grace. This morning prayer reflects the Wesleyan theological emphasis on prevenient and sanctifying grace, holiness of heart and life, and reliance on the Holy Spirit for every duty of the day.
When it's said
This morning prayer is used in the Wesleyan and Methodist tradition at the start of the day, either privately or in family devotions. Methodist class meetings and societies historically began with prayer of this kind. It is suitable for use in Methodist congregations at morning worship, as an opening devotion in a meeting, or as a personal morning prayer for any Protestant Christian.
Notes on the text
The petition to 'seek first your kingdom and your righteousness' draws on Matthew 6:33. The emphasis on the Holy Spirit filling and directing the day reflects Wesley's pneumatology and his teaching that believers must constantly depend on the Spirit for sanctification. The phrase 'walk in love toward all people' reflects the Wesleyan social ethic and the Pauline command of Ephesians 5:2. The prayer closes with a petition for rest, balancing the opening thanksgiving for rising.
Source
Methodist devotional tradition; based on the prayer life and writings of John Wesley (1703-1791). Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.