What's the Collect? Hint: It's not the offering basket!

I just keep on learning!!! During all my years in church I've said prayers at different places in the services. In all honesty I never understood much about the prayers -- just read them. In my quest to better understand the historic liturgy I've that 'collect' has nothing to do with passing the offering basket. It has a very rich history.

What is the 'collect'?

The collect is the 'prayer of the day'. The collect begins with "Let us pray", inviting the worshipers to join their hearts in prayer with the pastor. The collect is a prayer that gathers requeest related to the Scriptures of the day. They have been used by the church for at least 15 centuries.

The parts of this formal prayer usually includes:

1. Invocation - addressing God
2. Basis - why ask these things
3. Petition - our specific request
4. Purpose or benefit - desired result
5. Closing doxology - praise to God

Most Collects are addressed to God the Father and all close in Jesus' name, as Jesus instructed. John 15:16