Prayer Handbook sings a new song
18 July 2025
The Methodist Prayer Handbook is changing! The new edition, available to purchase now with delivery from the beginning of September, has a contemporary, dynamic look and style. This renewing and remodelling of the Handbook re-energises and reforms it. With a refreshing of how some prayers are presented, the Handbook can be used to nurture prayer life in many more and different ways.
This renewed Handbook reflects opportunities that formed as a result of changes for the Church and changes for publishing generally, especially relating to our digital world. Now redefined and reimagined into a hybrid publication, it offers a modern presentation with different types of prayers linking to relevant information on the Methodist Church website.
As users of the Handbook know and love, it offers prayers by the Methodist people for the Methodist people. The transformation of the next edition is an exciting and relevant way of building on and maintaining this unique provision of community-sourced prayers.
Given the Handbook is an annual publication, it has always changed according to changes across the Church, with new prayers required each year related to the new presidential theme, and ongoing shifts in local and global situations. So while there have been changes in style, and all the more so with this new edition, it has always remained, and will continue to be available, in its useful A5 format.
The Handbook’s familiar features are still in place, steered by the theme and title formed by the President and Vice-President of the 2025/2026 Conference, the Revd Richard Andrew and Matthew Forsyth. As we journey in prayer into Our Story, Our Song, their theme dovetails wonderfully with the Handbook’s renewal for inspiring us to sing a new song: Its dynamic new look lays the foundations for depth and meaning. Our Story Our Song shows spirit through that intention and depth.
You’ll discover other new elements as you pray with each day. While the Handbook’s monthly cycle with 31 days of double-page spreads remains, each now opens with helpful globes and pointers to their featured countries. Although small, these add a sense of place. Similarly, quarters of the Methodist orb point into each prayer offering a clear start, with space between that avoids “too much on each page” as some users stated about the previous style. And there are prayer prompts – points of information allowing you to form your own prayers.
These changes ease prayers’ access to the prayer information, and support more people in using the Handbook. Formerly, the very ‘text heavy’ presentation dissuaded many prayers from persevering in prayer, while other users with different ways of processing, or who are younger, simply could not find their way through purposefully. Now, the renewed Handbook offers both full text prayers for people who like their prayer scripted, as well as prompts for people who like to form their own prayers – both generating personal engagement with prayers whatever your preference.
Alongside this ‘permission’ to be more ad hoc, you’ll discover a new creativity to the Handbook. This includes spaces for you to add your own prayers around some of the prayer prompts. But you’ll also find probing prayer questions and suggestions presented around Chris Duffett’s fantastic artwork, specifically commissioned for Our Story Our Song. These contemplations include space for you to write your own reflections.
The most engaging, modern aspect of the 2025/2026 Handbook is its QR codes. Commonplace today, quick response codes bring the Handbook into the 21st century by giving mobile phone users access to supporting information on the Church’s website. These run throughout the new Handbook enhancing its printed content, such as with webpages related to global Church Partners, and other organisations. This is especially helpful for timely prayer provision, such as with national or global emergencies. So you’ll find a QR code on the inside front cover going directly to the Church’s web page Prayers for World Situations.
While online provision has – up to now – been limited to the daily A Prayer for the Day and A Word in Time Bible studies, their digital reach is impressive and growing. On the Church website A Prayer for the Day averages more than 25,000 online views over 3 months, with a social media average reach of 1,810,000 over the same 3 months. And A Word in Time’s reflections on the Handbook’s daily lectionary readings, are accessed by almost 50,000 users over 3 months. These statistics speak for themselves: with a decline in the numbers of people buying printed copies, there is a clear interest in interacting online with the Handbook.
Its Commissioning Editor, Anne Montefiore, commented, “With its renewal and online enhancement, the Prayer Handbook is now lighter, and more accessible, offering prayers and space for people to engage directly and explore their own spirituality – ultimately growing their faith. It offers gentle signposting for opening up different types of prayers and prayer prompts across each spread, which alongside its revised and updated lectionary support a deepening of relationship with God. The Handbook continues to encourage the Methodist Church to pray Our Story, Our Song.”
The 25/26 Prayer Handbook is singing a new song!
With new prayers and a new look, the Handbook has a new price:
£4.75 (£4.25 each for orders of 10 or more copies).
Buy now at current prices of £4.50 (£4.15 each for 10 or more copies) before prices go up from 1 September 2025.