We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in thy manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs
under thy Table.
But thou art the same Lord,
whose property is always to have mercy:
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ,
and to drink his blood,
that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body,
and our souls washed through his most precious blood,
and that we may evermore dwell in him,
and he in us.
Amen.
ANGLICAN BCP 1548
The Prayer of Humble Access
Also known as We Do Not Presume ยท BCP Pre-Communion Prayer
About this prayer
The Prayer of Humble Access is one of the most distinctive and theologically significant prayers in the Book of Common Prayer. It is said by the congregation just before receiving Communion, after the Sanctus and before the distribution. Composed by Thomas Cranmer, it first appeared in the Order of Communion of 1548, a year before the first complete BCP. The prayer is notable for its carefully constructed theology: it approaches the Communion table not on the basis of righteousness but on the basis of divine mercy alone. The image of gathering crumbs from under the table comes from the Syrophoenician woman's response to Jesus in Matthew 15:27 and Mark 7:28, and has made this one of the most memorable prayers in the Anglican tradition.
When it's said
The Prayer of Humble Access is said by the congregation at every Communion service in the Book of Common Prayer, just before the distribution of bread and wine. In many Anglican churches it is said kneeling. It is one of the fixed prayers of the BCP Communion that has remained essentially unchanged since 1548.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'whose property is always to have mercy' uses 'property' in its older sense of essential characteristic or nature. The prayer states that mercy is not an occasional act of God but his defining characteristic. The closing petition, 'that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us,' draws on John 6:56 and John 15:4-5.
Common questions
What is the Prayer of Humble Access?
The Prayer of Humble Access is a prayer said by the congregation immediately before receiving Holy Communion in the Anglican service, beginning 'We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies.' It is one of the most distinctive prayers in the Book of Common Prayer and is one of the few liturgical prayers entirely composed by Thomas Cranmer rather than translated from Latin.
Where does 'we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs' come from?
The phrase echoes the response of the Syrophoenician woman to Jesus in Matthew 15:27 and Mark 7:28, where she replies that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Cranmer used the image to express a posture of complete dependence on God's mercy when approaching Communion. The image is widely considered one of the most memorable in English liturgical writing.
Is the Prayer of Humble Access used outside Anglicanism?
Yes. It has been adopted in Methodist liturgies (the United Methodist Hymnal of 1989 includes a version) and in some Lutheran and Reformed orders of service. It is occasionally used in ecumenical or evangelical Communion services. The prayer has crossed denominational lines because it expresses Reformation theology of grace alone in particularly clear language.
When was the Prayer of Humble Access written?
It first appeared in the Order of Communion of 1548, a year before the first complete Book of Common Prayer. The 1548 text is essentially the form used today, with only minor changes in the 1552 and 1662 revisions. The prayer is one of the oldest Reformation-era liturgical compositions in English.
Source
Composed by Thomas Cranmer for the Order of Communion, 1548. Incorporated into the Book of Common Prayer, 1549; 1662 form used here. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.