The Apostles' Creed
The shortest summary of Christian faith — recited at baptisms for 1,700 years.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
About this prayer
The Apostles' Creed is the church's oldest baptismal confession, traceable to the second century. It is not technically a prayer — it is a statement — but it has been prayed for centuries as a way of remembering, in the face of doubt or fear, what we actually believe.
When to pray it
On days when faith feels thin. At a baptism. In moments of doubt — not as an argument but as a memory.