Prayer:Prayer of St. Basil the Great
Stored: Prayer of St. Basil the Great
| Prayer of St. Basil the Great | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
The Prayer of St. Basil the Great is one of the most celebrated personal prayers attributed to St. Basil the Great (c. 330–379), Doctor of the Church, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and one of the three Cappadocian Fathers. Rooted in the rich theological vision that characterized Basil's entire ministry, this prayer reflects his profound understanding of the human soul's dependence upon God's grace and providential guidance. It has been treasured in both Eastern and Western Christianity for over sixteen centuries.
Basil was not only a bishop and theologian but also a liturgist of the highest order. The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, which bears his name, remains in use in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches to this day. His prayers, therefore, carry not merely personal piety but the weight of apostolic tradition and patristic authority. This particular prayer, drawn from his ascetic and devotional writings, encapsulates his theological conviction that human beings must orient every desire, every act, and every thought toward God as their sole true end and harbour.
The prayer has become a staple of Catholic and Orthodox devotional literature and appears in numerous prayer books, breviaries, and collections of patristic spirituality. Its imagery—most notably the metaphor of life as a storm-tossed vessel seeking a tranquil haven in God—has resonated with generations of the faithful seeking divine direction in the turbulence of earthly existence.
The Prayer
O Lord our God, teach us, we beseech Thee, to ask Thee aright for the right blessings. Steer the vessel of our life towards Thyself, Thou tranquil Haven of all storm-tossed souls. Show us the course wherein we should go. Renew a willing spirit within us. Let Thy Spirit curb our wayward senses, and guide and enable us unto that which is our true good, to keep Thy laws, and in all our works evermore to rejoice in Thy glorious and gladdening Presence. For Thine is the glory and praise from all Thy saints, for ever and ever. Amen.
History and Background
St. Basil the Great was born around 330 AD in Caesarea of Cappadocia, in present-day Turkey, into a deeply Christian family that produced several saints, including his grandmother St. Macrina the Elder, his mother St. Emmelia, his sister St. Macrina the Younger, and his brother St. Gregory of Nyssa. Educated in Athens alongside his lifelong friend St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil possessed one of the most formidable intellects of the patristic age. After his studies, he undertook an extensive journey to visit monastic communities in Egypt, Palestine, and Syria before establishing his own monastic rule in Cappadocia—a rule that would become foundational for Eastern Christian monasticism.
Basil was consecrated Bishop of Caesarea in 370 and governed his see with extraordinary pastoral zeal until his death on January 1, 379. He is commemorated in the Roman Calendar on January 2, together with his dear friend St. Gregory of Nazianzus, a pairing that honours the inseparable theological and spiritual bond between the two Cappadocian Fathers.
The prayer attributed to Basil reflects several defining themes of his theology. First is the utter sovereignty of God over human willing: Basil insists that even the ability to ask rightly for what is good must itself be taught and given by God. This is consonant with his treatise On the Holy Spirit and his broader pneumatology, which insists that the Spirit is the active agent of sanctification within the soul. Second is the nautical metaphor of life as a voyage, which appears throughout patristic literature and echoes the ancient image of the Church as a ship navigated by Christ. Third is the Basilian emphasis on law and order: "to keep Thy laws" is not mere legalism but the expression of love and the path to joy in God's presence.
The prayer has been transmitted through various collections of patristic prayers and is cited in devotional works as early as the medieval period. It appears in numerous Catholic prayer books published from the nineteenth century onward, and its influence on the Eastern Christian tradition has been continuous and unbroken.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
The Prayer of St. Basil the Great is suitable for use at any time of day, but it is particularly fitting as a morning prayer, offered at the start of the day as a consecration of one's will, faculties, and activities to God's providential guidance. It may also be prayed:
- Before making an important decision, as a petition for divine counsel and right discernment.
- During times of spiritual confusion or restlessness, when the soul feels tossed upon uncertain waters and longs for the peace of God's presence.
- As part of an Examination of Conscience, using its petitions as a framework for reflection: Have I asked God for the right things today? Have I allowed His Spirit to govern my senses and actions?
- In communal or liturgical settings, particularly in communities that follow Basilian spirituality, whether in Eastern Catholic, Byzantine, or Roman Rite contexts.
- On the Feast of St. Basil the Great (January 2), as part of a broader celebration of his life and legacy, paired with readings from his theological writings or the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.
When praying this prayer, it is beneficial to pause upon the central image: that God is a "tranquil Haven" for storm-tossed souls. The faithful are encouraged to bring to mind whatever particular anxieties, disordered desires, or uncertainties they carry, and to surrender these explicitly to God's steering hand before proceeding through the remainder of the prayer. The closing doxology—"For Thine is the glory and praise from all Thy saints"—aligns the individual petitioner with the whole communion of saints in an act of praise that transcends personal need.