The little-known prayers written by Jane Austen

It is now 250 years for the reason that birth of Jane Austen whose books and their many screen adaptations are beloved around the globe. Not many individuals know that she was a devout Christian who also wrote devotional prayers. This is the story …

Jane’s Prayers

Jane Austen is most famous for her novels, “Sense and Sensibility”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “Mansfield Park”, “Emma”, “Northanger Abbey”, and “Persuasion” – which were written in that order. She was also a prolific author of letters and wrote many short stories and in addition devotional prayers, although not all have survived. 

Austen could have written many prayers in her lifetime, but after she died in 1817, three of her prayers were kept by her sister Cassandra who wrote on them “composed by my ever dear Sister Jane”. It isn’t sure when Jane wrote them however the writing style is adult. Today framed copies of her prayers hang at St Nicholas church, Steventon which she attended until she was 25, and at St Nicholas church, Chawton which she attended later in life, and in her bedroom at her former home in Chawton, now called Jane Austen’s House Museum.

Her surviving three prayers give us an insight into her faith and spirituality. They also reflect the structure of the formal religion of the Church of England Book of Common Prayer, and the centuries-old language and idiom of Anglican liturgy. They were likely composed for family use as evening prayers.

1. A Reflection on the day

Give us grace, Almighty Father, so to hope, as to should be heard, to deal with Thee with our hearts, as with our lips. Thou art in every single place present, from Thee no secret may be hid. May the knowledge of this, teach us to repair our thoughts on Thee, with reverence and devotion that we pray not in vain. 

Look with mercy on the sins now we have this present day committed, and in mercy make us feel them deeply, that our repentance could also be sincere, and our resolutions steadfast of endeavouring against the commission of such in future.

Teach us to grasp the sinfulness of our own hearts and convey to our knowledge every fault of temper and each evil habit through which now we have indulged to the discomfort of our fellow-creatures, and the danger of our own souls.

May we now, and on each return of night, consider how the past day has been spent by us, what have been our prevailing thoughts, words, and actions during it, and the way far we will acquit ourselves of evil.

Have we thought irreverently of Thee, have we disobeyed Thy commandants, have we neglected any known duty, or willingly given pain to any human being? Incline us to ask our hearts these questions, O God, and save us from deceiving ourselves by pride or vanity.

Give us a thankful sense of the blessings through which we live, of the numerous comforts of our lot; that we may not should lose them by discontent or indifference.

Be gracious to our necessities, and guard us, and all we love, from evil tonight. 

May the sick and afflicted, be now, and ever in Thy care; and heartily can we pray for the protection of all that travel by land or by sea, for the comfort and protection of the orphan and the widow and that Thy pity could also be shown upon all captives and prisoners.

Above all other blessings, O God, for ourselves, and for our fellow-creatures, we implore Thee to quicken our sense of Thy mercy within the redemption of the world, of the worth of that holy religion through which now we have been brought up, that we may not, by our own neglect, throw away the salvation Thou hast given us, nor be Christians only in name. Hear us, Almighty God, for His sake who redeemed us, and taught us thus to hope.

2. A Prayer for Pardon and Mercy

Almighty God, look down with mercy on Thy servants here assembled and accept the petitions now offered up unto Thee. Pardon, O God, the offenses of the past day. We are conscious of many frailties; we remember with shame and contrition, many evil thoughts, and neglected duties; and now we have perhaps sinned against Thee and against our fellow-creatures in lots of instances of which now we have no remembrance.

Pardon, O God, whatever Thou has seen amiss in us, and provides us a stronger desire of resisting every evil inclination and weakening every habit of sin. Thou knowest the infirmity of our nature, and the temptations which surround us.

Be Thou merciful, O Heavenly Father, to creatures so formed and situated. We bless Thee for each comfort of our past and present existence, for our health of body and mind and for each other source of happiness which Thou hast bountifully bestowed on us and with which we close this present day, imploring their continuance from Thy Fatherly goodness, with a more grateful sense of them, than they’ve hitherto excited.

May the comforts of day by day be thankfully felt by us, may they prompt a willing obedience of Thy commandments and a benevolent spirit toward every fellow-creature.

Have mercy, O gracious Father, upon all which might be now affected by in any respect cause, that are in any circumstance of danger or distress. Give them patience under every affliction, strengthen, comfort, and relieve them.

To Thy goodness we commend ourselves tonight beseeching Thy protection of us through its darkness and dangers. We are helpless and dependent; graciously preserve us.

For all whom we love and value, for each friend and connection, we equally pray; nevertheless divided and much asunder, we all know that we’re alike before Thee, and under Thine eye.

May we be equally united in Thy faith and fear, in fervent devotion towards Thee, and in Thy merciful protection tonight.

Pardon, O Lord the imperfections of those our prayers, and accept them through the meditation of our Blessed Saviour, in whose holy words, we further address Thee.

3. A Prayer for Grace and Compassion

Father of Heaven whose goodness has brought us in safety to the close of this present day, dispose our hearts in fervent prayer. Another day is now gone, and added to those, for which we were before accountable.

Teach us, Almighty Father, to contemplate this solemn truth, as we should always do, that we may feel the importance of day by day, and each hour because it passes, and earnestly strive to make a greater use of what Thy goodness may yet bestow on us, than now we have done of the time past.

Give us grace to endeavour after a very Christian spirit to hunt to achieve that temper of forbearance and patience of which our Blessed Saviour has set us the very best example; and which, while it prepares us for the spiritual happiness of the life to return, will secure to us the most effective enjoyment of what this world can provide.

Incline us, O God, to think humbly ourselves, to be severe only within the examination of our own conduct, to contemplate our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to evaluate of all they are saying and do with that charity which we might desire from them ourselves.

We thank Thee with all our hearts for each gracious dispensation, for all of the blessings which have attended to our lives, for each hour of safety, health, and peace, of domestic comfort and innocent enjoyment.

We feel that now we have been blessed far beyond any thing that now we have deserved; and though we cannot but pray for a continuance of all these mercies, we acknowledge our unworthiness of them and implore Thee to pardon the presumption of our desires.

May Thy mercy be prolonged over all mankind, bringing the ignorant to the knowledge of Thy truth, awakening the impenitent, touching the hardened.

Look with compassion upon the afflicted of each condition, assuage the pangs of disease, comfort the broken in spirit.More particularly can we pray for the protection and welfare of our circle of relatives and friends wheresoever dispersed, beseeching Thee to avert from all of them material and lasting evil of body or mind; and should we by the help of Thy Holy Spirit so conduct ourselves on earth as to secure an eternity of happiness with one another in Thy Heavenly Kingdom. Grant this most Merciful Father, for the sake of our Blessed Saviour in whose holy name and words we further address Thee.

Summary

Austen’s prayers reflect her own personal Christian faith. They are heartfelt, sincere and founded on biblical principles. Each prayer reveals her gratitude for God’s blessings, her pursuit of a holy life, and a petition for the protection of others. The inscription on her tombstone in Winchester Cathedral speaks of her “charity, devotion, faith and purity”.