Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,Īn Australian Prayer Book (Order 2 modified)Īlmighty God, you delivered your chosen people from slavery in Egypt,Īnd established with them a covenant of your unfailing love That he may be born again and made an heir of everlasting salvation Increase this knowledge and strengthen our faith. In calling us to know you and to put our trust in you. 2.4 is a prayer that is particularly suitable for the baptism of infants. 2.3 picks up some of the language of another prayer from The Book of Common Prayer, linking salvation under the Old Covenant with salvation under the New Covenant.

2.1 and 2.2 are two different versions of the same prayer, inviting the congregation to give thanks for their own baptism and praying for themselves, while interceding for those about to be baptised. Without such prayer, the focus would simply be on the sacramental action, and the implication might be that baptism has some automatic effect. However, prayer before baptism expressing dependence on God to wash away sin and work by his Spirit to bring new life in Christ is important. There are five prayers for the candidate before baptism in The Book of Common Prayer, and one of these consists of four short prayers! In modern versions, the prayer content before baptism has been reduced and intercessions for the candidate and sponsors have sometimes been added after the baptism and reception.

Little red prayer book confessions