God, who as at this time
didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people,
by the sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit:
Grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgment in all things,
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the same Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Amen.
ECUMENICAL BCP 1662 AND TRADITIONAL
A Prayer for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
Also known as Pentecost Prayer · Whitsunday Prayer · Come Holy Spirit
About this prayer
Pentecost (also called Whitsunday in Anglican tradition) falls fifty days after Easter and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, recorded in Acts 2. It is regarded as the birthday of the Church. The feast is observed by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and most other Protestant traditions. Pentecost prayers ask for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church and on the individual believer. The BCP Collect for Whitsunday is one of the finest in the Prayer Book, asking God to pour the gifts of the Spirit upon the Church. Note: for Veni Creator Spiritus, the great Pentecost hymn, see the Veni Creator Spiritus page on this site.
When it's said
This prayer is said on Pentecost Sunday and throughout the Pentecost season in Anglican worship. It is the BCP Collect for Whitsunday and is used at Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and the Eucharist on the feast and its octave. Many Christians also use it as a private prayer asking for the Spirit's guidance and comfort throughout the year.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'to have a right judgment in all things' refers to the Spirit's gift of discernment, one of the traditional seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. 'Holy comfort' translates the title Paraclete (Greek: advocate or comforter), which Jesus uses of the Spirit in John 14-16. The collect is notable for its emphasis on the Spirit's interior work rather than on external signs.
Source
Book of Common Prayer, 1662, Collect for Whitsunday. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.