Episcopal Prayer List3.4 - App Store

Version 3.0 is a complete rewrite of the app utilizing Apple’s modern frameworks.

This simple app gives users a place to jot down their prayers. The app also allows users to set up four times daily to remember their prayers. This setting utilizes the notifications system to repeat daily notifications.

I chose to create the app with four prayer times as the traditional monastic hours of prayer are: Morning Prayer at 7 AM, Noon Day Prayers at noon, Evening Prayers at 5 PM, and Night Prayers, also known as Compline, at 9 PM. You can add more scheduled times as you desire.

Instructions for use 

. Prayer List

Prayers are listed on the opening screen. Tap the traditional + icon in the right-hand corner to add a new prayer.

You can also add an Episcopal Prayer List Widget from any home screen. This widget will randomly select a prayer from your list and display it in the widget every hour. You can manually force a refresh of the widget from the prayer list screen.

In version 3.0, you can add a prayer category to the entry.

Swipe left to delete a prayer from the list, and swipe right to edit.

. Settings

Tap into a field will bring up a picker to select a time.

Set the Schedule time with the button to the right of the picker fields.

To delete all the scheduled notifications, select the Cancel Notifications button at the bottom of the screen or swipe left to delete a single reminder.

You can add as many reminders as desired at different scheduled times.

. Daily Devotions

Finally, the middle icon from the Prayer List screen takes the user to Daily Devotions. These simple one-page devotions are from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are designed for individuals to pray in their daily routines.

I hope you find this app supports your prayer journey.

Blessings,
(The Rev.) Mark Spaulding

Retired Episcopal Priest

Version History - Added the ability to change the background color opacity throughout the app from the Settings > Select Background Color screen. 3.4 Jun 17 - Various UI updates throughout the app.
- Export routine rewritten for better user experience. 3.3 Jun 7 Hot Fix! Found a show stopper bug in the settings screen. All good now! 3.1.1 03/04/2025 New Settings menu.
Added a Medium Widget for long prayers.
Fixed a couple bugs. 3.1 03/03/2025 Tidy up UI
Fixed a couple bugs. 3.0.2 11/16/2024 Hot Fix

I had the wrong Cloudkit container for iCloud syncing. Fixed now. 3.0.1 11/01/2024 NOTE: Please export your current prayer list, as this update may replace the current list.

Complete re-write of the app utilizing Apple's modern frameworks.
Several changes in the user interface.
Added the ability to optionally assign a prayer category.
New Settings menu 3.0 11/01/2024 Version 2.0.1

A quick update to ensure the proper text color in the widget for Dark Mode.

Version 2.0
New in version 2.0

The Prayers in the list are now in separate views, rather than one long list. I hope this helps encourage the specificity of the petition or thanksgiving.

The Settings page has two new buttons added: Set BKGND Color and Set BKGND Pict.

Set BKGND Color allows the user to choose a background color for all screens.

Set BKGND Pict allows the user to choose an image from their Photo’s library and set it as a background image to the prayer list.

I am especially thrilled to announce a new iOS 14 widget that will randomly select one of the prayers in the list once an hour and display it in the widget as the “Prayer of the hour.” 2.0.1 10/15/2020 New in version 2.0

The Prayers in the list are now in separate views, rather than one long list. I hope this helps encourage the specificity of the petition or thanksgiving.

The Settings page has two new buttons added: Set BKGND Color and Set BKGND Pict.

Set BKGND Color allows the user to choose a background color for all screens.

Set BKGND Pict allows the user to choose an image from their Photo’s library and set it as a background image to the prayer list.

I am especially thrilled to announce a new iOS 14 widget that will randomly select one of the prayers in the list once an hour and display it in the widget as the “Prayer of the hour.” 2.0 10/13/2020 Oops, I discovered I needed to create a new container for the Cloudkit database records. This small update should fix that!

Again, this update will reset your prayer list. 1.5.1 07/31/2020 Please note that this update includes a significant upgrade to the database, and the update will reset your list of prayers as well as any saved notification times.

You may want to expo your current list before you update it.

Version 1.5 now utilizes Apple’’s very stable database platform, Core Data!

I am also thrilled to report that Episcopal Prayer List will now automatically sync your Prayer List to all of your iOS devices that utilize the same iCloud credentials in less than a minute!

I have updated some of the user interface items and re-wrote many of the code sections for better performance. 1.5 07/29/2020 Since we have some time on our hands with a shelter in place, I think I finally fixed my delete bug for real this time!
Made a slight User Interface fix for iPad OS
Update to the syncing engine. 1.3.3 03/20/2020 Chasing an iCloud syncing bug that I think I got squished this time.

Update to the local database. 1.3.2 03/08/2020 Finally fixed the delete function. The record now deletes as expected.

Likewise, when you swipe right to edit a prayer, the old prayer is deleted as expected.

No longer do you need to swipe the app away to clear a deleted record from the list.

Updated the database. 1.3.1 01/14/2020 I added iCloud sync to this version of the app, so your prayer list will be automatically updated on all of your iPhones or iPads that have Episcopal Prayer List installed. Please be aware that your saved prayers will be included in your iCloud space allotment, although the amount of usage is quite small.

If you would prefer to not have iCloud sync your prayers to other devices, you can disable iCloud sync for the installed app on a specific device with the following instructions.

1. Tap the Settings app to open it.
 
2. Tap your name at the top of the Settings screen.
 
3. Tap on the iCloud menu, which is the first item of the second section on the screen.

4. Scroll down to the list of the installed apps utilizing iCloud and find the Episcopal Prayer List app and tap the Green switch to turn off iCloud only for this app. 

Episcopal Prayer List will operate as it did before the update.

To turn iCloud sync back on, reverse the above process.

Update to the database.

Small user interface adjustments.

I am still working on adding the daily lectionary readings to the app. There is a LOT of typing and still some significant coding logic to iron out! :) More soon… 1.3 12/06/2019 I think have FINALLY got the bugs out of the selection of prayers based on the time of day. This one eluded me for a while!

Small cosmetic update to the user interface.

I am working on the next version of this app which will include the Daily Office (prayer) readings. Because of the calendar of readings (lectionary) has so many floating dates, this update is a bit of a mind-bender to program! I believe I have all the code finished, now there is left a LOT of typing to do to get the text of the readings in place! In addition, I am waiting to hear from the Council of Churches as they hold the copyright of the NSRV and I would prefer to us the form used in most Episcopal Churches rather than one of the public domain versions of the Bible. Stay tuned... 1.2.2 11/14/2019 Fixed a late bug the snuck in. 1.2.1 11/11/2019 Daily devotions now automatically select the prayer form based on the time of day: morning, noon, evening, and night.

Update to the database. 1.2 11/07/2019 Added pages for:

The Prayers
Apostle's Creed
Venite/Jubilate 1.1 10/15/2019 1.0 10/14/2019