Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all, for thine inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace,
and for the hope of glory.
And, we beseech thee,
give us that due sense of all thy mercies,
that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful;
and that we show forth thy praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to thy service,
and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness
all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost,
be all honour and glory,
world without end.
Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
Also known as Almighty God, Father of All Mercies
About this prayer
The General Thanksgiving was composed by Edward Reynolds, Bishop of Norwich, and added to the Book of Common Prayer in the 1662 revision. Unlike the collects, which were mostly translated from ancient Latin sources by Thomas Cranmer, the General Thanksgiving is an original English composition. It is one of the most admired prayers in the BCP tradition for the quality of its English prose and the comprehensiveness of its thanksgiving. The prayer gives thanks for creation, preservation, and redemption, and for all the blessings of earthly life and the promise of eternal life. It closes with the petition that gratitude would not remain merely verbal but would issue in a life genuinely offered to God.
When it's said
The General Thanksgiving is appointed to be said by the minister and people at Morning and Evening Prayer. It may be said daily or on occasions of particular thanksgiving. It is also widely used at harvest festivals, thanksgiving services, and national days of prayer in Anglican-tradition churches.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'not only with our lips, but in our lives' is one of the most quoted lines in the BCP. It captures the Protestant insistence that genuine faith must issue in changed conduct. The word 'unfeignedly' means sincerely, without pretense.
Common questions
Who wrote the General Thanksgiving?
When is the General Thanksgiving said?
What does 'not only with our lips, but in our lives' mean?
Composed by Edward Reynolds, Bishop of Norwich. Book of Common Prayer, 1662. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.