October 2016 – A Collection of Prayers

Keep Us Steadfast in Your Grace and Truth

O Lord God, heavenly Father,
pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people.
Keep them steadfast in your grace and truth,
protect and comfort them in all temptation,
defend them against all enemies of your Word,
and bestow on Christ’s Church militant your saving peace;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Saxon Agenda, 1539, Historic Collect for the Reformation

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Prayer for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord Jesus Christ,
be merciful to us for your name’s sake.
When we wander from you,
bring us back,
wash away the sins that we have committed,
and set us, whom you have redeemed
at your right hand when you come to be our judge;
through your mercy, O our God,
you are blessed,
and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881,p. 37 #3 (Trinity 23)

“When we wander from you…” is a reference to Psalm 23:3, Matthew 18:12, Luke 15:4

“wash away the sins…” is a reference to Psalm 51:2, Acts 22:16, 2 Corinthians 7:1, James 4:8, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 1:9

“and set us, …at your right hand ..” is a reference to Psalm 16:11, Matthew 25:34

To You, O Jesus

To you, O Jesus, I direct my eyes;
to you my hands, to you my humble knees;
to you my heart shall offer sacrifice;
to you my thoughts, who my thoughts only sees;
to you myself–myself and all I give;
to you I die; to you I only live.

Source: Sir Walter Raleigh

Source of this version: Modified from Christus redemptor: the life, character, and teachings of … Jesus Christ … from various authors, p. 263

Defend Us from All Enemies

O Lord,
mercifully hear our prayer
and stretch forth the right hand of your majesty
to defend us from all enemies that rise up against us;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the First Sunday in Lent

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Pray and Wait

O God, our Refuge and Strength,
author of all godliness,
hear the devout prayers of your Church.
Lead us to pray faithfully,
and to wait for your good answer patiently;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

“Lead us to pray faithfully, and to wait for your good answer patiently” in the original Latin is “Grant that what we ask faithfully, we may obtain effectually.”

Stir Us Up to Serve

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people
that they may bear many fruits of good works,
and because of your faithfulness
receive your great reward;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Keep Us

O Lord,
keep your household, the Church,
in continual godliness,
that through your protection
we may be free from all adversities
and devoutly given to serve you in good works
to the glory of your name;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

With a Quiet Mind

O Lord,
give your faithful people
forgiveness and peace
that we may be cleansed from all our sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Prayer for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

O Christ our Lord,
at your coming peace returned to earth.
Keep us always in your peace
until at your return in glorious majesty,
we inherit eternal peace;
through your mercy, O our God,
you are blessed,
and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 37 #2 (Trinity 22)

“peace returned to earth” is a reference to Luke 2:14

Make Us Ready and Free

O almighty and most merciful God,
keep us from all things that may hurt us
that we may be ready in both body and soul
to freely do your work;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.