Book of Common Prayer

Answers To Your Questions:

7 Now concerning the things which you wrote—

Concerning Marriage And Singleness: Live According To Your Gift From God

It is good^[a] for a man not to touch^[b] a woman. ² But because of sexual-immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband give-back to his wife her due^[c], and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have-authority^[d] over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise also the husband does not have-authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵ Do not be depriving one another— except perhaps by agreement, for a time, in order that you may devote-yourselves to prayer and [then] be together again— in order that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack-of-self-control. ⁶ But I am saying this by way of concession, not by way of command. ⁷ And I wish that all people were as^[e] indeed myself! But each has his own gift from God— one in this manner and another in this manner. ⁸ And I say to the unmarried and the widows— it is good for them if they remain as I also am. ⁹ But if they do not have-self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burning^[f].

Don’t Babble On In Prayer. Pray As a Child of God, Aligned With His Purposes

⁷ “And while praying, do not babble as-indeed the Gentiles do. For they are thinking that they will be heard by means of their many-words^[a]. ⁸ So do not be like them, for your Father knows of the things which you have a need before you ask Him. ⁹ Therefore, you be praying as follows, ‘Our Father in the heavens: ¹⁰ let^[b] Your name be treated-as-holy. Let Your kingdom come. Let Your will be done^[c]— as in heaven, also on earth. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also forgave^[d] our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us into a temptation^[e], but deliver^[f] us from the evil one^[g]’. ¹⁴ For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.