All Saints Day is one of the oldest feasts on the Christian calendar. Every year on November 1, churches around the world pause to thank God for the faithful men and women who have gone before, from the apostles and martyrs to the grandmother who taught a child to pray.
This guide brings together 10 All Saints Day prayers grounded in the King James Bible. It also covers the meaning of the day, how it is observed in different traditions (including the Catholic tradition), the date for 2026 and the coming years, and a simple way for families to remember loved ones by name.
Quick answer:
All Saints Day is always observed on November 1. In 2026, it falls on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Many Protestant churches also keep All Saints Sunday on the first Sunday of November, which in 2026 is the same day.
A Short All Saints Day Prayer
For those who need a single prayer to pray now, to share with family, or to open a gathering, this one is drawn directly from Hebrews 12:1-2.
Almighty God, we thank You for the great cloud of witnesses who have finished their race and now rest in Your presence. Thank You for their faith, their courage, and their example. Help us lay aside every weight and every sin that holds us back, and run with patience the race You have set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. In His name we pray, Amen.
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." — Hebrews 12:1-2
When Is All Saints Day 2026?
All Saints Day is a fixed feast. It does not move like Easter. It is observed every year on November 1, the day after Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) and the day before All Souls’ Day.
In 2026, All Saints Day falls on a Sunday. That makes this year unusual: churches that normally move the celebration to the nearest Sunday will observe it on the actual date.
| Year | All Saints Day | All Saints Sunday (first Sunday of November) | Note |
| 2026 | Sunday, November 1 | November 1 | Both fall on the same day |
| 2027 | Monday, November 1 | November 7 | In the U.S., Catholic Mass obligation is lifted when Nov 1 is a Monday |
| 2028 | Wednesday, November 1 | November 5 | Midweek observance |
| 2029 | Thursday, November 1 | November 4 | Midweek observance |
| 2030 | Friday, November 1 | November 3 | Midweek observance |
Is All Saints Day a holy day of obligation?
For Catholics, yes. All Saints Day is one of the six holy days of obligation in the United States. Under the rule approved by the U.S. bishops (USCCB) in 1991, the obligation to attend Mass is removed when November 1 falls on a Saturday or a Monday. In 2026 it falls on a Sunday, so the regular Sunday obligation applies.
Protestant churches do not have holy days of obligation. Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches commonly mark the day in Sunday worship. The Church of England, for example, allows All Saints’ Day to be kept on the Sunday between October 30 and November 5.
What Is All Saints Day? The Meaning in Brief
All Saints Day, also called All Hallows’ Day or Hallowmas, is a day set aside to honor all the saints, known and unknown. The word “hallow” is the Old English word for a holy person, which is why the evening before is called All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween.
The word “saint” carries different emphases across Christian traditions. In the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, it often refers to men and women the church has recognized as being in heaven. In Protestant teaching, the word follows the New Testament usage, where every believer in Christ is called a saint. Paul addressed his letters to ordinary Christians as “saints” again and again.
“To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Romans 1:7
Both understandings share a common core: All Saints Day is a day of thanksgiving to God for the faithful who have died, and a reminder that the church on earth and the church in heaven belong to one family in Christ.
10 All Saints Day Prayers (KJV)
1. A Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Saints
Heavenly Father,
we give You thanks for every faithful servant who has gone before us. Thank You for the prophets who spoke Your Word, the apostles who carried the gospel, the martyrs who would not deny Your name, and the countless believers whose names only You remember.
They were not perfect, but they were Yours. Their faith was a gift from You, and their faithfulness points us back to You. Receive our praise today for all that You accomplished through them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." — Psalm 30:4
2. A Prayer to Follow Their Example
Lord Jesus,
The saints we remember today followed You through trials, losses, and hard choices. Give us the same steady faith. When we are tempted to give up, remind us that others have walked this road before us and finished well.
Teach us to read Your Word as they did, to pray as they prayed, and to serve as they served. Let our lives also leave a path that others can follow toward You. Amen.
"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." — Hebrews 13:7
3. A Prayer for Loved Ones Who Have Died in Christ
Gracious God,
Today we remember the people we love who have died trusting in You. We miss their voices, their laughter, and their prayers for us. Thank You for the years we shared with them.
We do not grieve as those who have no hope. Because Jesus died and rose again, we believe You will bring them with Him. Comfort every heart that feels this loss today, and hold us fast until the day we are reunited in Your presence. Amen.
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
4. A Name-Reading Prayer of Remembrance
Many churches read aloud the names of members who died during the past year on All Saints Sunday, often while a bell is rung or a candle is lit for each name. Families can do the same at home. Pause at each blank to speak a name aloud.
Faithful God, we remember before You those we have loved and lost.
We remember ________, and we thank You for ________ (a quality, a memory, or a way they showed Your love).
We remember ________, and we thank You for ________.
(Continue for each name.)
Lord,
You knew each of them before they were born, and You have not forgotten one of them. Precious in Your sight is the death of Your saints. Keep us in Your care until we see them again.
Amen.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." — Psalm 116:15
5. A Prayer for Those Grieving on All Saints Day
Lord,
For some of us this day is not a gentle remembrance. It is a fresh wound. A first holiday season without a parent, a spouse, or a child is close at hand.
Draw near to every grieving heart today. Where there are tears, wipe them away. Where there is loneliness, be present. Where there are questions with no answers, give peace that does not depend on answers. You are the resurrection and the life, and we cling to that promise.
Amen.
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." — John 11:25
6. A Prayer for the Living Saints
Father,
Your Word calls every believer a saint, not because we are holy in ourselves, but because we belong to Christ. Today we pray for the saints still on earth: missionaries far from home, persecuted believers, pastors carrying heavy loads, and faithful people serving quietly in every church.
Strengthen them. Protect them. Remind them that they are part of a great company that no man can number. Amen.
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord." — 1 Corinthians 1:2
7. A Prayer Looking Forward to Heaven
Lord God,
We look forward to the day You have promised, when a great multitude from every nation, kindred, people, and tongue will stand before Your throne. Thank You that death does not have the final word.
Keep this hope bright in us. When the world feels heavy, lift our eyes to the day when You will wipe away all tears. Until then, help us live as citizens of heaven.
Amen.
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." — Revelation 7:9
8. A Prayer to Finish the Race Well
Lord,
The saints we honor today did not only begin well. They finished well. Give us endurance for the long road. Guard us from growing cold, careless, or distracted.
When our time comes, let us be able to say with Paul that we have fought a good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith.
Amen.
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." — 2 Timothy 4:7-8
9. An All Saints Sunday Prayer for the Congregation
This prayer is written to be read aloud at the beginning of an All Saints Sunday service.
Eternal God,
We gather on this All Saints Sunday as one small part of Your great church across every age. We give thanks for the faithful who built this congregation, taught its children, prayed in its pews, and now rest from their labours.
As we remember them, renew us. Let their faith become our faith and their love become our love. Bind us together with all Your people, in heaven and on earth, in one fellowship of praise. Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." — Revelation 14:13
10. The Traditional All Saints’ Day Collect (Book of Common Prayer, 1662)
This prayer has been prayed in English-speaking Protestant churches for more than 350 years. It comes from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, and versions of it remain in Anglican and Episcopal worship today.
O Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord: Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All Saints Day Prayer: The Catholic Tradition
Many people search for an “All Saints Day prayer Catholic” because the feast holds a central place in the Catholic calendar. Here is a factual overview of how Catholics observe the day.
- Solemnity of All Saints. In the Catholic Church, November 1 is the Solemnity of All Saints, the highest rank of feast. Catholics attend Mass, and in most years it is a holy day of obligation.
- Intercession of the saints. Catholic prayer on this day often asks the saints in heaven to pray for the living. The best-known form is the Litany of the Saints, an ancient prayer that calls on God’s mercy and then names saints one by one, each followed by the response “pray for us.”
- Mass readings. The Catholic readings for the day are Revelation 7, 1 John 3, and the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Protestant lectionaries use many of the same passages.
- Connection to All Souls’ Day. On November 2, Catholics pray for all the faithful departed. Many visit cemeteries during the first week of November.
Protestant Christians generally do not pray to the saints, holding that prayer is addressed to God alone through Christ, the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Timothy 2:5). Both traditions, however, share the same Scripture readings, the same thanksgiving for faithful lives, and the same hope of resurrection. The prayers in this collection can be prayed by Christians of any tradition.
How Different Christian Traditions Observe All Saints Day
| Tradition | When | How it is observed | Who is meant by “saints” |
| Catholic | November 1 (Solemnity) | Mass, Litany of the Saints, cemetery visits around All Souls’ Day | Recognized saints in heaven, and all the faithful departed |
| Anglican / Episcopal | November 1 or the Sunday after | Holy Communion, the 1662 collect, the hymn “For All the Saints” | The whole communion of saints, living and departed |
| Lutheran | First Sunday of November | Reading the names of members who died that year, often with a bell or candle | All believers in Christ |
| Methodist / Presbyterian | All Saints Sunday | Name reading, candle lighting, Communion, remembrance of church members | All believers in Christ |
| Baptist / Evangelical | Often not formally observed; some churches hold a memorial service | Testimonies, memorial prayers, thanksgiving for faithful members | All believers in Christ (Romans 1:7) |
| Eastern Orthodox | First Sunday after Pentecost | Divine Liturgy honoring all saints | Recognized saints and all the righteous |
A 10-Minute Family Candle-Lighting Order of Prayer
Families who want to mark All Saints Day at home can use this simple pattern around the dinner table or in the living room. It works with young children and needs only a few candles.
- Open with Scripture. Read Hebrews 12:1-2 aloud.
- Sing or read a hymn. The first verse of “For All the Saints” works well (see below).
- Light a candle for each name. As each candle is lit, say the name of a loved one who died in faith and share one short memory.
- Pray the Name-Reading Prayer (Prayer 4 above), filling in each name.
- Give thanks for the living. Name one person whose faith encourages your family today, and plan a way to thank them this week.
- Close with the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).
The Hymn “For All the Saints”
“For All the Saints” was written in 1864 by William Walsham How, an Anglican bishop, and is sung in churches of many traditions on All Saints Sunday. It is usually set to the tune Sine Nomine by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1906). The first verse reads:
For all the saints, who from their labours rest, / Who Thee by faith before the world confessed, / Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed. / Alleluia, Alleluia!
A Brief History of All Saints Day
Christians honored the martyrs from the earliest centuries, often on the anniversary of their deaths. As the number of martyrs grew, churches began setting aside a single day to remember all of them together.
- About AD 609–610: Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to Mary and all the martyrs on May 13.
- 8th century: Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica to all the saints, and the date of November 1 became associated with the feast in Rome.
- AD 835: Pope Gregory IV, with the support of the Frankish emperor Louis the Pious, extended the November 1 observance across the Western church.
- October 31, 1517: Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses in Wittenberg on the eve of All Saints Day. The date mattered, because large crowds were expected at the Castle Church for the feast. For this reason, Reformation Day and All Saints Day sit side by side on the calendar.
- 1662: The Book of Common Prayer kept All Saints’ Day as a principal feast in the Church of England, which is why it remains part of many Protestant calendars today.
KJV Bible Verses for All Saints Day
- Hebrews 12:1 — “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
- Revelation 7:17 — “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
- Psalm 116:15 — “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”
- Matthew 5:3-4 — “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
- 1 John 3:2 — “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
- Proverbs 10:7 — “The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.”
- Philippians 1:21 — “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
- Psalm 149:1 — “Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.”
- Ephesians 1:18 — “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”
Frequently Asked Questions
When is All Saints Day?
All Saints Day is observed every year on November 1. In 2026, it falls on Sunday, November 1. Many Protestant churches also observe All Saints Sunday on the first Sunday of November.
What is the difference between All Saints Day and All Souls’ Day?
All Saints Day (November 1) gives thanks for all the saints. All Souls’ Day (November 2) is mainly a Catholic observance of prayer for all the faithful departed. Many Protestant churches combine both themes into a single All Saints Sunday remembrance.
What is a good prayer for All Saints Day?
A simple prayer based on Hebrews 12:1-2 thanks God for the “cloud of witnesses” and asks for strength to run the race of faith. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer collect for All Saints’ Day is another traditional choice.
Do Protestants celebrate All Saints Day?
Yes. Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches commonly observe All Saints Day or All Saints Sunday, often by reading the names of members who died during the year. Some Baptist and evangelical churches hold memorial services around the same time.
Is All Saints Day related to Halloween?
Yes, by name and date. Halloween comes from “All Hallows’ Eve,” the evening before All Hallows’ Day, which is the older English name for All Saints Day.
What Bible verse is read on All Saints Day?
Common readings include Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12 (the Beatitudes), and Hebrews 12:1-2.
Final Thoughts
All Saints Day is a day to look back with gratitude and to look forward with hope. The faithful who have gone before remind us that God keeps His promises through every generation, and that the race of faith can be finished well. Whether you pray alone, with your family around a candle, or with your church on All Saints Sunday, these prayers can help you thank God for the great cloud of witnesses and set your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Role: Founder & Spiritual Writer at TheGodMessage.com
About: Himanshu is a Jesus-centered writer known for creating clear, uplifting, and Bible-rooted content for modern believers.
Expertise: specializes in prayers, devotionals, and spiritual guidance designed to help readers grow stronger in faith no matter where they are in life.
Purpose: His mission is to inspire readers to connect with their inner self, experience peace, and understand the messages of the universe. “My mission is simple, to bring God’s light into your everyday life.”